Harkness – MacGillivray Stories

Chapter 1, Post #3: The structure of the book, “Isle of Eigg” is dividedinto three parts and an Appendix. You may see the topics of stories you may find under each part.

PART I ASPECTS OF THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF EIGG

• “The Massacre of Uamh Fhraing”
• My Mother’s “Eigg Scrapbook”

PART II THE CAMPBELLS OF EIGG – SEMI-FICTIONAL STORIES

1. “The Tale of Morag” by Anne Campbell
2. “Strange Love” by Rory McJoy
3. “The Massacre of Uamh Fhraing” by Ewan Campbell
4. “Cliff-hanger” by Rory McJoy
5. “Mary and the Berries” by Rory McJoy
6. “Morag Goes to Glasgow,” by Rory McJoy
7. “Morag: Land Girl and Tram Girl,” by Rory McJoy
8. “Siobhan’s Baby,” by Rory McJoy.
9.  “The Nasty Boys of the Isle of Eigg,” by Rory McJoy. This is included in Part III for the sake of convenience. 

PART III HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE CAMPBELLS OF EIGG

THE APPENDIX

1. Family Trees
2. ScotlandsPeople Certificates
3. Various Accounts of “The Cave Massacre”
4. Rhoda’s Stories about Eigg from her Scrapbook
5. Images in this book

As mentioned, many of my mother’s childhood memories seemed to be connected to the Isle of Eigg where her mother Morag was born. Thus, this seemed a better starting point for a ‘Family History’. Especially, as the history of the Isle of Eigg has been reported in several books, and it has been easier to trace family connections within the narrow confines of the small island.   

Eight Stories and One Poem

1. “The Tale of Morag” by Anne Campbell. The story of my “illegitimate” great grandmother who gave birth to ten children, before she died in her late thirties. Many of the children were born when she was ‘paralysed’. 
2. “Strange Love” by Rory McJoy, an alternative version of “The Tale of Morag.”
3. “The Massacre of Uamh Fhraing” by Ewan Campbell. The story of the genocide of the people of Eigg committed by the MacLeods, the descendants of Donald Hoover.
4.  “The Cliff-hanger” by Rory McJoy. The story of Hugh Campbell, aged six, who died in the yearly hunt of the shearwater chicks. He fell off the cliff to his death.
5. “Mary and the Berries” by Rory McJoy. The death of Mary from eating poisonous berries based on the oral account of my mother, and told to her by her mother, and partially corroborated by official documents. 
6. “Morag Goes to Glasgow,” by Rory McJoy. 
7. “Morag: Land Girl and Tram Girl,” by Rory McJoy. 
8. “Siobhan’s Baby,” by Rory McJoy.
9. “The Nasty Boys of the Isle of Eigg” by Rory McJoy.