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Saturday, 26/May/2007
The Ferrymen, an Islay and Jura Book
Suffering a little bit from writers block today, but looking through my bookmarks I found something I can write about. Something where someone else is writing (and taking pictures) about some important people between Islay and Jura:
Gary McKay is writing about The Ferrymen, the book is available as a paperback or as downloadable e-book. The book came out of an exhibition at the Feolin Centre on the Isle of Jura in November 2004.
As the title indicates it is about the ferrymen, the people who keep the ferries between the islands as well as between the islands and the mainland running. Some interesting information in the book, which now reminds me of some information Lindy and Iain also told us when we stopped at Margadale during the Giùr-bheinn Walk last month:
Cattle once drove the economies of Islay, Colonsay and Jura, with many thousands being shipped each year. At one time Jura, functioning as a natural land bridge, had seventeen major and minor ferries with a population near 1,300.
I believe one of those ferries must have been crossing the Sound of Islay from somewhere in Bunnahabhain Bay over to Jura, I guess somewhere near Cnocbreac. From there the cattle would be driven to the north of Jura to be taken over to the mainland.
Interesting topic, I'll need to learn more about it. And order this book.
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