Comunn Eachdraidh Shlèite
Sleat Local History Society
"Preserving the history of the parish of Sleat on the Isle of Skye"
Topics
Ardvasar Smithy
The Smithy was originally located on the site where Ardvasar School now stands. When the school was built in 1877, the Smithy was shifted to a new site on the hillside behind the Shop. At that time the smith was a man called MacInnes. It is said that there was a smithy on the original site for over 100 years.
There were a number of smithies in Sleat at that time - one at Ord, another at Isleornsay, while there is a hill on the Ardvasar side of Mill Bridge which is called Cnoc na Ceardaich (Smithy Hill).
The last blacksmith to work at the Ardvasar Smithy was John Macdonald (Iain a Ghobha). His father was a blacksmith who came to Ardvasar in 1880. The main work was with horses and ploughs and cas chrom, also putting iron rings on cart wheels and wheelbarrows. The iron came from Glasgow by steamer and then by horse and cart from the pier.
John retired from full time work as a blacksmith when people stopped keeping horses. After he retired he continued to make fine iron pieces such as log baskets, griddles, gates, paper knives with Celtic designs and even a weather-cock. Holidaymakers would visit the Smithy and buy or commission specific pieces.
Sleat War Memorial, Kilmore
Sleat War Memorial is on a hillock just to the north of the parish church at Kilmore. It includes names from both world wars. There are also a number of wargraves in the churchyard. For information about and photographs of these graves go to this page on the Scottish War Graves website.
The following is a list of those who were killed in the First World War taken from the war memorial at Kilmore and arranged alphabetically by name.
Name and service or regiment Township
Private Angus Anderson, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 4 Aird
Private John Anderson, Australian Imp Force 19 Aird
QM John Anderson. Merchant Marine 6 Kilmore
Private Albert Bridges, Highland Light Infantry Ostaig
Lt William MacLeod Cameron, Cameron Highlanders Manse of Sleat
Private Roderick Campbell, Cameron Highlanders 6 Teangue
ABS A Gillies, R.N Division 4 Drumfern
Private Malcolm Gillies, Cameron Highlanders Armadale
Private Neil Gillies, Gordon Highlanders 4 Drumfern
Private Reginald Gillies, Cameron Highlanders Armadale
Captain Patrick Kennard, Royal Field Artillery Ostaig
1st Officer Donald Livingstone, Merchant Marine Kylerhea
Capt. Lewis Loyd, Lovat Scouts Tormore
Private Coll Livingstone MacColl, Cameron Highlanders Armadale
TR Angus Macdonald, Lovat Scouts Kylerhea
Sgt Angus Macdonald, Seaforth Highlanders 6 Sasaig
TR Dugald Macdonald, Lovat Scouts 9 Stonefield
Lt Hon Godfrey Macdonald, Scots Guards
L.Cpl John Macdonald, Cameron Highlanders 6 Duisdalebeag
Private John Macdonald, Royal Scots 6 Kilmore
Gunner John Macdonald, Royal Navy Ostaig
Lachlan Macdonald, Canadian Expeditionary Force 6 Kilmore
Capt Hon Ronald I. Macdonald, Cameron Highlanders Armadale
AB John MacGillivray, Merchant Marine 15 Aird
Gunner Alex MacInnes, Royal Field Artillery 6 Duisdalemore
Acting Cpl Alex MacInnes, Machine Gun Corps 6 Kilmore
Guardsman Angus MacInnes, Scots Guards 5 Kilmore
Private Archibald MacInnes, NZ Expeditionary Force 7 Duisdalebeag
Private Archibald MacInnes, Highland Light Infantry 6 Teangue
TR Donald MacInnes, Lovat Scouts 2 Aird
Private John MacInnes, Seaforth Highlanders 4 Stonefield
Private Neil MacInnes, Cameron Highlanders 6 Duisdalemore
Private Hamish Archibald MacIntyre, Cameron Highlanders Kinloch
Private Ian MacIntyre, Cameron Highlanders Kinloch
Private John MacKinnon, Gordon Highlanders 37 Camuscross
Private Dugald MacPhee, NZ Expeditionary Force 8 Duisdalebeag
Private Alexander MacPherson, Cameron Highlanders Kylerhea
O.S Alexander MacPherson, Royal Navy Reserve 8 Sasaig
TR Angus MacPherson, Lovat Scouts 4 Camuscross
Private Donald MacPherson, Cameron Highlanders 8 Sasaig
Private James MacPherson, Australian Imp Force 17 Calgarry
Signaller John MacPherson, Highland Light Infantry 12 Camuscross
AB Alexander MacSween, Merchant Marine 3 Calgarry
Lt Norman Martin, Cameron Highlanders Ostaig
Private John Morrison, Gordon Highlanders 26 Tarskavaig
Gunner Murdo Murchison, Royal Field Artillery Kylerhea
2nd Lt Alexander Nicolson, Sherwood Foresters 6 Drumfern
Private Forbes Nicolson, Cameron Highlanders 3 Teangue
Private Neil Nicolson, Gordon Highlanders 7 Duisdalemore
AB Neil Nicolson, Merchant Marine 8 Duisdalemore
Private Alexander Robertson, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
OS John Robertson, RN Volunteer Reserve 5 Calgarry
Private John Robertson, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
5 Ferrindonald
History of Churches in Sleat
Churches
Kilmore Church
Various sources suggest that the site of Kilmore Church was a place of pagan worship before the Christian era. There is a tradition that St Columba landed on the shore below the churchyard when he visited Skye around 585AD and that he climbed on to a rock to preach to the local people. Nearby on the shore there is a reef known locally as Sgeir Chaluim Cille – St Columba’s Rock.
The earliest recorded church at Kilmore is said to have been built by a priest called Crotach MacGille Gorm who was a canon of Beauly Abbey. It dates from the early 13th century. This church was in use until the early 17th century when it was burned down during a battle between the MacLeods and the MacIntyres, a sept of Clan Donald. The battle took place in a field near the church. The MacIntyres were put to flight and ran for sanctuary into the church. The pursuing MacLeods barricaded the doors and burned the heather-thatched church to the ground with the MacIntyres inside it. There is no trace now of this building.
The second church at Kilmore, the ruins of which still stand in the churchyard, was built around 1681 at the behest of Sir Donald Macdonald of Sleat. This was the church visited almost a century later by Dr Johnson and James Boswell on their tour of the Hebrides. Boswell writes “I walked to the parish church of Slate, which is a very poor one.” However he was very impressed with the monument in the church in memory of the young late chief Sir James Macdonald (a monument later transferred to the present church). Boswell refers to Sir James as “this extraordinary young man , whom I had the pleasure of knowing intimately” and he quotes the inscription in full in his “Journal”.
The Old Church was in constant use until 1874, by which time the building had fallen into serious disrepair and Lord Macdonald agreed to the building of a new church. The third and present church at Kilmore was opened in 1876, large enough to hold six hundred worshippers. This church was in regular use until by the mid 1980s it was in a state of poor repair and was threatened with closure. However a group was set up to save Kilmore as a place of regular worship and as a result of vigorous fundraising, and awards from several Trusts, a sum of £40,000 was raised for the restoration of the church.
There is a plaque in the foyer of the church which commemorates the magnificent contribution made by the Friends of Kilmore, both at home and abroad, to the repair and restoration of the church.
Mission Churches in Sleat
St Columba Church, Isleornsay
The Mission Church at Isleornsay was built by Messrs Forbes & Macleod of Stornoway. It was formally opened on Tuesday 27 August 1901. Services in Gaelic and English were conducted by the Very Reverend Dr Norman MacLeod, Inverness, Ex-Moderator of the General Assembly.
Among many generous gifts for the new church was a Baptismal Font in Caen Stone given by Major and Mrs Kemble, Knock and a Communion Table in oak gifted by Lady Macdonald. Both of these are now in use in Kilmore Church.
A “time capsule” was placed with a memorial stone in the wall of the church. This consisted of a bottle containing records of fundraising, a newspaper cutting, church magazine pages and a coin of every denomination dated 1898 the year when the appeal for funds to build a church was launched.
A Beadle and a Precentor were appointed for the new church. John Nicolson was appointed as Beadle, Bellman, Fireman, and Caretaker of the grounds and church generally at a salary of £4 per annum.; Alex Macinnes was to be Precentor in Gaelic at £3 per annum.
The church continued in use until it was closed in the 1970’s and reverted back to the estate owner.
Aird Church
In 1906 a request was made by the parish minister, Rev A Cameron for a site for a mission church at the southern tip of the parish. This was agreed and the church was built and put on a feu in 1908. By this time the Kilmore minister had assistance from two missionaries, one stationed at Isleornsay and a second missionary serving Aird and Tarskavaig.
The church builder was a Mr Donald Fletcher from Tobermory and the cost was £499. The records show that “A supply of good stone has been found in the bank of the burn, close by the site of the church. Sand had, of necessity, to be won off the seashore, at the foot of croft 16; lime, slates etc were brought in a smack, landed with difficulty in small boats, and all had to be carried to the site, with great labour on pony-back.”
Aird church opened for Divine Worship on Wednesday 6 May 1908. The opening service was conducted by Rev Hector MacKinnon, Minister of Shettleston.
Mr Angus Macfadyen was the first missionary for Aird & Tarskavaig. He left for Canada in 1914 and was replaced by Mr John Macintyre.
The first Beadle to be appointed was Donald Macgillivray, Elder, No 18 Aird.
This church continued in use until finally closed and sold for conversion to a family home in the 1980s.
Ardvasar Church
The Church and Manse at Ardvasar were built by the United Free Church of Scotland following the split in the Free Church. The church building was completed around 1910 and the manse soon afterwards. It was built on land which was tenanted by the MacIntyre family who had the Ardvasar Hotel at that time and who were strong supporters of the UF Church. In 1929 the United Free Church united with the Church of Scotland and from then on Church of Scotland Missionaries occupied the Manse helping the Parish Minister with his pastoral duties until 1979 when the last missionary Mr Vass was tragically killed together with his wife in a motor accident.
Both the Church and Manse were sold by the Church of Scotland and are now private dwelling houses.
Ardvasar Church and Manse
Population Table
A simple chart showing population trends in the parish between 1755 and 2001.
Click to download larger Population Table (19KB PDF)
Schools in the Parish
Parish School
Until the Education Act of 1872, the main school in Sleat was the parish school. Lord Macdonald paid for the salary of the parish schoolmaster, as he was the only heritor in the parish.
In 1803 the parish school was at Kilmore. All that remains of the building is a short piece of wall with the remains of a window embrasure. It is just beside the beginning of the township track from Kilmore up to the common grazing. There were about 40 scholars in 1800.
The schoolmaster in 1803 was James Beverley. He was paid £24 per year. He must have spent quite a bit of his time fishing as a rock below Kilmore church is called after him - Sgeir Bheverley.
Ruins of the Kilmore Parish School
Other Schools
In 1831 the General Assembly agreed to establish a school in Sleat. Lord Macdonald had to bear the cost of building a schoolhouse, as well as providing a garden, fuel and grazing for a cow. The tenant at Tormore had to provide “a stance for the house without any servitude of any kind from the people of the district”. This school was built at Camard, just south of Calgary. The schoolroom was upstairs, and the schoolmaster lived downstairs.
The Scottish Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge had run schools in Sleat in the 18th century (1749-83). In 1815 it set up a school in Tarskavaig which continued until 1865. The Edinburgh Ladies Association had a school at Camuscross and there was a Free Church School at Teangue.
There were also circulating schools run by the Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools, which was set up in 1811.
Their aim was to teach both children and adults to read and write Gaelic. The Society would set up a school for a period of 6 to 18 months. After that it would be moved elsewhere in the parish, so that everyone had a chance to learn. Children would be taught during the day, and evening classes were held for adults. On Sundays, there were further classes for both children and adults.
The first Gaelic school in Sleat was at Camuscross. It was set up in 1814. The schoolmaster was Neil MacLure, who later worked for the SSPCK. It then moved to Aird and then Sasaig. The schoolmaster was Donald MacGillivray.
After the Education Act 1872
In 1872 the Education Act was passed. It introduced compulsory education for all children up to the age of 13.
Grants to schools for equipment and books, and even the teacher’s salary depended on good attendance records. Parents could be fined if their children stayed off school.
Despite this, children were often kept home to help on the croft.
The new school terms often clashed with some of the busiest times on the croft. School log books record absences for gutting herring, cutting peat, lifting seaweed, peat, hay and potatoes, and dipping sheep. Illness and bad weather could keep children at home as well. On one occasion Ferrindonald School was closed for 2 months because of an outbreak of scarlet fever.
Aird School 1876-1957
In 1895 there were 84 pupils in the school.
Aird School
Ardvasar School 1878-1966
In the 1950s, this school often won a prize in the inter-school gardening competition in Skye.
Duisdale School 1877-1968.
This had three big rooms. There were 70 scholars when it first opened. There were 15 in 1955.
Duisdale School
Drumfern School 1881-1943
Before this school was set up, the Drumfern children attended the one in Duisdale. They had to walk there.
Drumfern School was the smallest school in Sleat. It was supposed to accommodate a maximum of 20 pupils but at one time had as many as 31 on the school roll.
Drumfern School
Ferindonald School 1878-1984
There were 43 pupils when it first opened in September 1878. By 1897 there were 97 pupils. When Duisdale School closed in 1968, this school became the only school in the parish. It was replaced by a brand new school at Kilbeg.
Kylerhea School 1887-1934
This was run by the SSPCK for a while.
Slate, inkpots and crayons found in Kylerhea School
Tarskavaig School 1877-1956
When it closed in 1956 the remaining 9 pupils went to Ardvasar School.
Sleat Primary School 1984-
When it opened there was accommodation for 80 pupils. A year later the school took in its first intake of Gaelic medium scholars. Two years later the Gaelic Medium Unit was set up.
Sleat Primary School
Secondary education
Before the 1939-45 war those scholars that went on to secondary education usually attended Portree High School. Some Sleat children went to other schools in the county including Inverness Academy and Kingussie Academy.
With the 1948 Education Act, Broadford School became a junior secondary, while Portree was the senior secondary school for the whole island. Until recently most Sleat children attended Portree High School as weekly boarders, coming home every weekend. Before the end of the 1950s, scholars at Portree were only able to get home during the holidays.