News

Unique collection of books opened to the public at Callicvol, Port of Ness

Stornoway Gazette - Thursday, 6 June 2002

A unique collection of 2,500 books on Scottish, Irish and Nordic subjects which has been built up over the past 50 years by Michael Robson, has been made available to the public.

Many of the books in the collection, which is located on a croft at Callicvol, Port of Ness, are extremely rare and some 1, 800 of them cover aspects of life in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The remainder relates to the Scottish Borders and to general Scottish, Irish and Nordic subjects.

The Callicvol Collection was officially opened on Friday by Western Isles MSP Alasdair Morrison on Friday.

The Islands Book Trust (Urras Leabhraichean Nan Eilean) aims to extend appreciation of the value of the Callicvol Collection for the purposes of historical interest, education and research through an extensive programme of talks, exhibitions and seminars. A particular focus will be on comparative studies of the Western Isles and other parts of the Celtic and Nordic world.

Islands Book Trust chairman is John Randall, the Registrar General for Scotland. Away from his responsibilities for maintaining the current and historical records of Scottish births, deaths and marriages, John is an expert on the antiquarian book scene.

AGNES RENNIE TO GIVE THE 2010 ANGUS MACLEOD MEMORIAL LECTURE ON LAND REFORM

This year’s prestigious Angus Macleod memorial lecture will take place on Thursday 28th October in Pairc School, Gravir, it was announced today. The speaker will be Agnes Rennie, a crofter from Galson, Ness, Lewis, and well known for her work with the Crofters Commission, Bord na Gaidhlig, councillor for the Nis is an Taobh Siar of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, and currently chair of Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Galson Trust).

Agnes, who will speak in Gaelic (with simultaneous translation into English) will be taking as her subject the land struggle, land reform, and community ownership of land – a subject dear to the heart of the late Angus ‘Ease’ Macleod MBE and not tackled in previous lectures.more