Taken on a Journey

 

Artefacts lent by Allan George Mackay of 139 Skinnet, Melness  IV27 4YP

 

Family line from the Clearances to the present day.

 

Hugh Mackay was born 1st February 1888 at Achnahuaigh, Melness the eldest son of George Mackay a boatbuilder at Ardnackie and his wife Dolina. They had moved to Heilam Ferry in 1886 but Dolina had gone home to stay with her parents in Melness for the birth. Hugh was the eldest of 7 boys and, along with his brothers, attended Erribol  side school. Dolina had a shop and his father also ran the ferry across to Portnacon. Loch Erribol was a busy safe haven for shipping at that time.

 

After leaving school Hugh went to Aberdeen to study and often made the journey from Loch Erribol to Aberdeen by trawler. He graduated to become a teacher and one of his early posts was in Bettyhill. He then moved to Gersa near Watten in Caithness and while there met Catherine Sutherland of Scotack Farm. They began courting.

 

When War broke out Hugh, then 27, tried to enlist but was turned down as medically unfit. By June 1917 he had been enrolled with the 1st battalion Seaforth Highlanders with no mention of medical issues.  He was sent to France where he was eventually captured by the Germans and imprisoned. His parents received a letter saying ‘missing, presumed dead’. He was however very much alive and carried on a correspondence with

 

Catherine who was now a nurse tending the wounded in England.

In 1918 he and another Highlander escaped and evaded capture by being hidden by a Polish priest and by speaking Gaelic which was mistaken by the Germans for Russian. He made his way back to Britain and very shortly returned to France for the remainder of the War.       

 

On his return he received a handwritten letter of thanks from King George and was demobbed having been decorated with the British war Medal and the Victory Medal.

 

He returned to teaching and married Catherine at her home, Scotack Farm, in 1921. They then moved to Latheron where they had 2 children George and Catherine. Later they moved again to Ardhattan on Loch Etive where he continued teaching as headmaster until his retirement to the village of Connel Ferry.

 

Catherine died in 1974 and George in 1976 at his son’s home.

 

 

Post Script

 

The Clearance Connection

 

Annie Sutherland was cleared off Totaig a settlement on the west side of the Kyle of Tongue, her daughter Dolina was the mother of Hugh Mackay. His son George, a teacher, had 3 sons. The middle son, Allan, came to work at Hope and Melness Farm in 1984 and had 2 children, Eoghann and Riona, before moving to Melness. Riona is a volunteer archivist at our Museum.