Hello from an Australian newbie to this forum!

[AndrewInOz]

Hello Everyone,

I was looking up Balvicar on the net and I came across this forum. As a boy of 8 [1976] my dad took us back to his mums house in Balvicar with my parents and sister. My grandmother, [Rachael Morrison] ran a post office/store from the back of her home and looking on the net at photos of Balvicar it's hard to recognise the house where she lived. We stayed in Balvicar for about 3 weeks and I seem to vaguely remember highland cattle, the fishing boats coming in at the slate pier with cray pots and occasional low flying RAF fighters flying over.

Hey I was 8

Unfortunately my dad passed away earlier this year so after thinking about my family history, I am considering coming back for another visit. I only have this attached drawing of the collection of houses she lived in and from memory her place was the end one on the left. I'm not sure if thats correct or not, so I was wondering if anyone remembers the old post office/store and anything about it?



Cheers

[canUsmellthat]

Hi Andrew, welcome to the forum. Nice drawing, I recognise the buildings fine but am too young to remember the old post office or shop (you'll be hard pushed to find many who do nowadays). There're yet a couple Morrisons kicking about the island but Balvicar will certainly be a changed place from how you remember. There are still boats that come in to the slate pier and there are still nice wee quarry cottages but certain of the new occupants would rather call it a "holiday village" than anything more. There's a new prawn factory nestled in to the cliff aside the quarry on your right as you drive along to the pier and the new red brick road that leads to a nest of vociferous white settlers...

If you do make it over the bridge and back to Balvicar, come in to the tnt and you’ll get a warm welcome and a feeling of home...

[AndrewInOz]

Thank you for the welcome response to my first post in this forum. I also had a PM from "Batwing" who informed me that my uncle still lives in my grandmothers old house .

I found a couple of other pictures of the area on the net and I cannot believe the amount of growth in housing in the area. Although, on reflection, I live in a seaside town called Rosebud in Victoria which is quiet through winter but full of tourists in summer. We locals affectionately call tourist season "terrorists season" as a result. The local economy still needs the money to keep the shops and restaurants open over winter, but the building and development in the area has forced land and housing prices up to the point where even first home buyers cannot afford to buy around here. Soon we won't need the tourists as the local community will be big enough to support itself. Of course by then, it won't be quiet over the winter months any more

I love to live near the water and I have been surfing for the past 25 years so I certainly understand the attraction to living in a small coastal community.

Cheers

[Pentlandpirate]

You'll find a collection of photos of the area here

Everything from Clachan Seil through to Easdale: but it seems most tourists miss out Balvicar, not knowing it is there!

[st john's]

Andrew,

I remember your grandmother and the post office. I also remember her sister Dolly who lived on the other side of the road. She also had a white boxer dog called Winnie. The last time I saw Rachael was in 1986 or 87 which was the last time I was in Seil. I'm sure I was shown a picture of you as she often talked of her trips to Austalia and to see her daughter Anne in Canada. I remember that your cousins names all started with an S as I thought it was a tongue twister. She also spoke about St. Kilda and I think your great grandfather was a minister as she talked about living in the Manse. She enjoyed a glass of whisky with my father as she and my grandmother caught up with all the local news. Your Aunt Anne and my mother Margie MacKinney were friends. Seil looks like it has been built up since my last time there but it still looks as beautiful as ever and I have many happy memories of all my summers there.

St. John's

[Seajay]

Having read the reply from st johns to your message, I believe that I met your Great Grandfather in his home at Balvicar and that his daughter Dollie was present at the time. I would have been about 10 years old at the time, in the early sixties. If I am correct, he was evacuated from St Kilda as a young man and he was a Free Church minister, although retired when I met him He was also a skilled boat builder and sailed back to St Kilda in boats which he had built, during his lifetime. His surname was Ferguson, but I can not remember his forename, although my own father might remember. I remember being enthralled by the stories which he told about his life and never forgot having met him.
Seajay

[st john's]

Seajay,

Rachael's maiden name was Ferguson and either her husband or father was called John.

st john's

[canUsmellthat]

Could you two not have had this conversation over the dinner table...

[AndrewInOz]

Pentlandpirate,
Thanks for the link with the great photos


St John's & Seajay

Thanks for the marvellous reply to the post about my grandmother's house. You've brought back some amazing memories that I wish I could have shared with my father, Donald Mackinnon Ferguson Morrison. I now understand where the Ferguson part of his name comes from. I vaguely remember as a boy, a little white bulldog but I had forgotten its name. Winnie! I can now remember my aunty Dolly as being a tiny woman. Not much taller than me. I vaguely remember her kitchen being kid size. I also remember stone hot water bottles to keep you warm in bed. I think my grandmother called them "piggys"

I knew my family history came from St Kilda but I didn't realise that my grandfather was a minister. My cousins names are like you remember, Shona, Sheena and Sandra, almost a tongue twister! We visited my aunty Anne in Canada after we left the UK and stayed there for a while.

Regarding the boat trips to St Kilda, I know there is a story about my dad doing that trip in an open boat with his Grandfather and I think a cousin at about 15 years of age. That must have been a fantastic adventure, and no wonder he joined the merchant navy soon after as an apprentice fitter and turner.

It's a shame I had only found this wonderful forum after my dad passed away. He would have enjoyed looking at the photos and remembering the beautiful area around Balvicar. I have made a few enquiries regarding a good time to travel back over there. Hopefully we can arrange something later this year or early next year.

Best regards

[Seajay]

Andrew

I have now spoken with my father who tells me that your Great Grandfather's name was Donald J, (he doesn't know what the J stood for). I recall that Dolly was a small lady. I also remember your G/grandfather tell us that ship that transported them away from St Kilda put in to Tobermory. They were not too surprised by the odd motor vehicle to be seen , but they were all amazed when a man came down the brae on a bicycle, as the concept was alien to them all.
Seajay

[khartoumteddy]

Hi Andrew and family and welcome to the form

cant add a lot to what has already been said it a great little forum

however watch for jokers

on the history side try the following link school photos from all over the world going back for ages


follow the instructions on the link

http://www.worldschoolphotographs.com/wsp/index1.hmtl

many seilachans and local residents on this site

best of luck

Teddy :jack :English Flag

[moonraker]

dont worry about canusmellthat he was evicted off the island for not painting his shed
when you dig a bit deeper in the history you will find he is no more local than you and i :English Flag :English Flag :English Flag :English Flag

[st john's]

Andrew,

You're grandmother also spent part of her youth on the Isle of Scalpay and went back to visit St. Kilda via helicopter probably in the 70's though it was uninhabited at the time. My fondest memory of Dolly was when she taught my brother to do the Gay Gordons so that he could dance at the ceilidh.

st john's

[AndrewInOz]

Hello again to everyone on this forum.

Unfortunately I lost all my web links when the hard drive failed on my old laptop.

I have since found that many pictures of Balvicar are avalable, especially if you use Google Streetview. I am coming over to the UK next month for a 3 week visit and will definately be visiting Seil again, along with Scalpay and if possible, a trip to St Kilda.

Hopefully my Uncle is still ok and living in my Grandmothers old house as I would love to see him when I get there.

Cheers