The present state of these towns is capable of being much altered for the better. The point called ..... is mostly all a Dead Land - composed of Drifting Sand, and part of it is under water at High Tide. The grass is now gradually gaining on the sand and in course of a few years it will probably be a plot of good grass pasture. There is a shallow lake between Dungannichy and that does great damage to the arable land surrounding it ­ its waters are discharged into Loch Dun Murchy and if a proper ditch was cut from the one to the other the former would be completely dried and a flat of good arable land reclaimed, also a small lake where there are ruins of a chapel could be dried. I consider that the expense of a sufficient ditch would cost from £20 to £25 and I should say that the benefit arising from it would cover the expense the first year. The tenants have improved and brought to a green surface a large ..... of ..... ground in course of the last few years (? to 300 acres) and they are still persevering with the same system of improvement. The town of Uachkur is very rocky and better adapted for pasture than cultivation. The town of Dungannichy is much more free of rock and could be made a good arable farm especially the infield part of it.

The island of Flodda contains 130 acres ­ it is mostly all arable or green pasture it is presently held by Five tenants who pay about £23 of rent and it would be more worth the same rent to a stock Farmer, putting the kelp out of the question.

The Pendicles of Roshinish and Rarinish contain very good shelter and are well adapted for winter pasture. There is a superior grass produced in some places but I think the whole range would be much more valuable if a good number of surface drains were cut in favourable places, as it is so much intersected by bogs and marshy places that it is even dangerous for stock to go through it and some of the best sheltered places are rendered useless by the water. The greater part of the soil is mossy and drains could be cut at a very moderate expense. As a grazing station its value should be £25 to £45. The Pendicle of Hacklet is presently held by the Dungannichy tenants. W. Shaw paid £15 of rent for it. I think the Grazing worth £18 to £20 if let to one person.

There is a space of moor ground opposite Flodda Island, and lying between the Sound, Loch Currivach, North Black Loch and Bay of Gramisdale almost fenced by natural boundaries and containing about 250 acres which is particularly well adapted for being laid out into crofts of from 25 to 35 acres each ­ the land would by that means be utimately brought to the value as a grazing whereas in the meantime it is of no value at all to any person whatever.

ii. Town of Balivanich

This town requires a number of small drains to be put in for drying the ground which should be done by the tenants. The size of the crofts should be doubled and those requiring to be removed could be set down on crofts on each side of the new line of road with advantage.

iii. Towns of Aird, Belfinlay, Nunton, Torlum and Liniclate.

These towns require to be considered together on account of the waters. With the exception of Nunton and Belfinlay are populated by a crowd of small crofters and I think some of them should be weeded out each season and set down on the East side, or on the moor of Uachkir. These towns are very much destroyed by water and rendered of much less value than they would otherwise be, therefore I think the drain and floodgate at Liniclate should be completed as soon as the weather will permit next season. I would also strongly advise that the Mill of Benbecula should be removed to the River between Loch Ollivat and Broad Bay where there is a fall of ten feet and a most abundant supply of water. That being done I would have a cut made from Loch Ollivat to the South end of Loch Fada. I am certain that the greater part would be through moss and the depth where the ground is highest would be only seven feet ­ that would carry off the water that flows from Lochs an E....., St. John's Island and Mill Loch. These Lochs draw water from about 4 square miles of surface and the water is presently discharged by the Mill and does great injury to the arable land, whereas, by turning it in to Loch Ollivat it would injure no arable land, and would give a more abundant supply to the mill where I propose the site should be. By these alterations I consider that 260 acres of Land would be reclaimed from water and about 90 [acres Arable] ..... that are presently marshy and useless and I should suppose that it is not overstepping the mark to say that it would benefit the property to the extent of from £120 to £150 per annum.

The Island of Wiay is better adapted for keeping sheep than any other part of Benbecula as it is well sheltered and tolerably dry. Its values is from £25 to £30.

A very superior sheep walk might be formed by making a fence from the top of Loch Uskavagh br Lochs Mouravagh, An Fillam, North end of Loch Ollivat, South end of Greinish Loch and the sea, this boundary could be fenced in at small expense. The land lying between the above mentioned line and the South Sound of Benbecula would contain about 700 arable acres and 6000 of hill and green pasture. The crofters pay more in the meantime than a Stock Farmer would give for it but unless the crofters get employment either at making kelp or other work improving the property it will be sure that they cannot pay the rents they have promised.

If the Benbecula tenants were ..... kelp and allowed at the rate of from 35/- to £2 per Ton for manufacturing it, I would no hesitation in saying that Benbecula should yield £2200 annually if the foregoing improvements are executed.

Where the new line of road is completed through the island, both sides of it should be laid off into [crofts] of from 12 to 20 acres of land in course of the first five years of his lease. That could be done without putting the Proprietor to any expense and it would enhance the value of the Estate in a few years.

South Uist

i. Towns of Iochdar, etc.

These towns are bounded on the North by the Sound of Benbecula and on the South by Loch Bee and Macher Meanach. They contain 790 arable acres and about 3000 of moor ground, also about 500 acres of Macher Meanach that is now in fair way of being made into pasture. I would suggest that Iochdar should be divided in to Lots of from 20 to 30 acres each and the surplus inhabitants removed to the Moor which is susceptible of being much improved and is capable of accommodating an immense number of crofters. It would be advantageous to the Iochdar tenants to have a Moor lot attached to their croft which they should be bound to improve within a certain period, they should also be bound to cover with ware and put in crops a certain quantity of machar ground yearly and be restricted from taking more than two crops off it, or planting potatoes in it. Loch Bee contains about 1700 acres of surface ­ the West end of it is apparently quite shallow. It may be ultimately a very profitable speculation to make a cut to let of the water at the East end into Loch Skipport, but in the meantime I think it should be allowed to remain as it is until such time as Macher Meanach and the Macher of Gearnish is brought to a green surface and secured from blowing.

ii. Towns of Gearnish and Drimore

These farms are presently held in Lease by two tenants, they contain upwards of 400 acres of arable land of good quality and susceptible of great improvement if the water is taken off from the Stillligarry Lochs, by Howmore as I shall afterwards suggest it would render these farms much more valuable. I am decidedly of opinion that they should be let together as a Grazing Farm, and perhaps have Grogarry and Stilligarry attached ­ if that was done the Ranges should Rent £350 to £400 annually, but at all counts Gearnish and Drimore should give £250 if well managed. I don't think W. MacLean has Grogarry and Stilligarry much below their value especially in their presently very wet state. By letting Drimore and Gearnish together the expense of building a Dwelling House at Gearnish would be saved and the Range would be much more complete and valuable to one tenant than to two. It would contain 400 acres Macher, 850 acres Arable and 4450 of Hill and green pasture which would make a very complete and well bounded Farm.

iii. Drimisdale

This farm is very much injured by the water standing back from the Mill of Howmore. If the lakes were drained and let off by Howmore as I shall suggest Drimisdale would .be worth about £90 per annum exclusive of the Pendicle on the East side of Benmore which is worth £30 per annum. I would suggest that, if Mr. A. Munro was not laying too high a price on the lease of Drimisdale, the Proprietor should purchase it and give the house to the Clergyman of the Parish for a Manse ­ this arrangement would save about £400 in expense in erecting a new manse at Howmore.

iv. Howmore

This farrm is mostly under sub-tenants who are very industrious, they came there from North Uist and showed the fast example of' reclaiming the blowing sand and bringing it into pasture ­ this Farm is worth £100.

v. Mill of Howmore

The Mill House is very inconvenient being only 13½ feet wide, the waterfalI is not very powerful, and one of the machines has gone completely to ruin. There are two sets of excellent metal machinery, but is not sufficient to supply the ..... the present Mill Dam does so much damage by flooding the lowlands on Drimore, Stilligarry, Drimsdale and Howmore, that I think the Mill should be removed and a much better site can be got on the river of Ahvin Road near Loch an Doran ­ the river of Ahvin Ghiddery can be brought through that Loch for about £4 or £5 so that there is no place in the whole island where so plentiful supply of water can be got. At the proposed site the river of Ahvin Roag falls 13½ feet and is well adapted for the purpose in every respect. By removing the Mill the water of Loch Rigary would run off and by cutting through the neck between it and Loch Druidibeg to the depth of five feet an immense quantity of water would run off from the latter Loch, and by cutting a ditch through the Ahvin Garva, the North and South Stilligarry Lakes would be completely dried and brought to be good arable ground.

vi. Howbeg and Snishieval

These farms are full of rocks and better adapted for pasture than for cultivation.

vii. Peninirine and Stoneybridge

This Farm is very much destroyed by water but there is sufficient ..... for carrying it off, therefore I would suggest that a large ditch should be cut through Loch Aultibrig and to Loch Hollay on the farm of Ormiclate. If that is done the Farm of Peninirine could be made a good arable farm and Stoneybridge and Ormiclate would be much benefitted. The farm of Peninirine under good management should give £60 or £70 of rent. The farm of Stoneybridge is very rocky and best adapted for pasture. When taken out of the hands of the present crofters the rent must fall considerably.

viii. Ormiclate

This farm has been considerably improved by the present tenant, particularly in bringing the drift sand along the shore into cultivation, he has already cropped about 40 acres and has got the surface fixed so that it will soon be good pasture. The march at the north-west point is at present very injudiciously placed ­ it should go from the N.W. point of Loch Hollay to the turn in the shore on the north side of Ard Michael, and the ground added by that line to the farm of Ormiclate will be paid for by the tenant at the same rate as it is presently paid for by the Stoneybridge tenants. I would recommend repairing the old Mansion House at Ormiclate as the walls are in a most substantial condition, and by some alteration on the gables and chimneys and striking out new windows a most commodious house could be made at reasonable expense, and the present Dwelling House could be turned to account as a Barn or Stable. When the lease of the present tenant terminates, the farm of Lower Bornish should be added to Ormiclate as it is too small for rearing stock, and Lower Bornish is much better adapted for pasture than tillage.

Should the Proprietor of South Uist succeed in acquiring the farm of Upper Bornish he would then have the whole command of the Benmore and Heckla Range of Hills, and I think would find to his advantage to make the whole into an extensive sheep Walk bounded by Loch Skipport, Druidibeg and South Stilligarry on the north, and Lochs Eynort and Hollay on the South. This Range would contain 1400 acres arable and 13000 acres of Hill pasture, the rent of which would probably be from £600 to £650. The arable part of Upper Bornish is much injured by water than can be got off only through your Lochs of Kildonan and it is also full of rock, and not a desirable subject otherwise than to make the property of South Uist complete.

ix. Milton and. Kildonan

These farms have good macher ground attached to them and the arable land is tolerably sheltered from the western gales but they are most seriously injured by the insufficiency of the outlet. For the water at the Roe glass - to be right, the outlet should be two or three feet deeper, and double the present width be built on the sides, and have a floodgate. If that was done about 150 acres of land could be brought into cultivation that is presently either covered with water or marshy which would be very valuable both as being good soil and being well sheltered. The farm of Milton suffers a great drawback by having no hill pasture attached to it. In letting the farm of Askernish I would make provision for altering the march at the expiry of the lease of Milton. The march I would recommend is by the north end of Loch Illan na Stirk more straight to the summit of the hill of Kriervein, from that to the place where Ahvin Hornary turns to the northward, from that along the burn to Loch Sningisglade and along a hollow from that Loch to the sea on the east side. The Burns and lake are sufficient fence already. By adopting the above line of march you still have abundance of Hill pasture to Askernish, and make the farm of Milton of much greater value as it would then be a much more complete Stock Farm. The Mill of Mingary is in a ruinous state and if the Mill of Howmore was in proper repair the Mill of Mingary could be dispensed with. The tenant of Milton would give £10 per annun to the thirle[?] of the Mill.

x. Askernish

This farm contains the best grass and the best shelter on the whole property. The arable part of it can be greatly improved by enlarging and deepening the outlet for the water into Loch Boisdale. If that was done I consider the farm by the present boundaries to be worth from £580 to £620 per annum. By taking off the ground proposed by me to be added to Milton the rent of Askernish might be from £100 to £120 less.

xi. Daliburgh and Kilpheder

These towns are under small crofters and the ground appears to be exhausted. The rnachar has also been very improperly broken up and cropped, and the banks are now in a very dangerous state and exposed to the winter gales. There has been a ditch cut through these towns to carry the water into Loch Boisdale, but it is not of sufficient depth nor size for effecting the purpose intended properly. If the channel to Loch Boisdale was enlarged and deepened it would carry off the water from Lochs Hallan and Kilpheder - an extent of about 200 acres which would become valuable land if dried and cultivated. Making the channel to Loch Boisdale would probably cost £300 but I am certain that the ground reclaimed would pay the whole expense in a year or two.

xii. Loch Boisdale

There is a flat of land lying between the two arms of Loch Boisdale and the arable land of Daliburgh, containing from 800 to 1000 acres, about surrounded by water. It is of very little value in the meantime, but offers a most superior site for a village. The ground in question should be intersected by a road and possessions laid off on each side of from 15 to 30 acres. A village at that place would possess many advantages ­ it is quite accessible from all parts of the country ­ it is one of the best fishing stations ­ the Loch is quite accessible to ships of any tonnage and the anchorage ground is safe. I have no doubt that a village in that place would thrive with a little fostering in the beginning, and it would ultimately be a general benefit to the country and become of some importance in the mercantile way, and as we may look forward to a steam communication being established sooner or later, that would have a still greater effect in furthering the prosperity of a fishing village and sea port. As the fishing on the East coast is not prospering so well as formerly I think there would be no great difficulty in getting one or two boats crews located at Loch Boisdale who would teach the natives the improved methods of fishing. There are some islands in Loch Boisdale that are well sheltered and produce good grass ­ they may be worth from £20 to £24 of rent. The loch produces an abundant supply of sea ware which would enable the tenants in the new lots at the top of Loch Boisdale to manure the ground more rapidly. There is also some of the most .....eous and in the island found in the loch which would make a good top dressing to the mossy soil.

xiii. North and South Boisdale

These farms contain a flat of the best arable land perhaps in the island, but it is much injured by the water of Kilpheder Loch. The land is all ..... by small tenants who have been in the practice of cropping the ground year after year so that the soil is totally exhausted. If the ground was under good management it would I have no doubt be very productive. There is a large flat of mossy ground lying between Smerklett and Loch an Eilean that is susceptible of being cultivated and made into good pasture. The tenants on Boisdale should be bound to improve a certain quantity of it yearly and the proprietors should cut one or two large ditches through it to carry off the surface water.

xiv. Kilbride

This farm contains comparatively little arable land for the range of pasture attached to it. That part of it lying to the east side of the Bay of Dall could be very properly let as a separate possession as it will be no advantage to the proprietor to have a place so distant from the Mansion House in his own hand. The place in question holds about 2800 acres.

xv. Island of Eriskay

This island is mountainous and contains little level ground ­ there is good shelter in the glens for stock and the pasture is rich in some places. It is presently held by three tenants at £120 which is perhaps near the value of it. It is also well adapted for a fishing station as its centrical place for several lochs and as it is in the Sound they can go to west side to the cod and ling, fishing where they choose. I think the fishing should by all means be encouraged for I am well satisfied that if it is properly prosecuted, it might be the means of supporting a considerable portion of the surplus population.

xvi. Miscellaneous Observations

After mature consideration of the kelp question I are of the opinion that in the meantime the best quality of it should be manufactured yearly, until such time as some of the surplus population should be got rid off, but those manufacturing it should be only allowed the ..... proceeds of it after it is turned into cash and the proprietor not to run any risk of losing by the concern. I don' t think the making of kelp would interfere much with the agricultural department for the whole of the ware that ..... ..... ..... the middle of August to the middle of May be used for manure, and it in only what comes ashore during the summer months that is manufactured into kelp. In general during the winter they are not able to carry into a place of safety the half of the ware that is cast ashore, and it is frequently taken away to another quarter by the sea. If no kelp is made a great portion of the inhabitants will be laid idle in the summer months and will be providing nothing towards paying the rents, and that will ultimately be a loss to the proprietor. I am told that the best quality of kelp will still fetch from £3 to £4..10 in the Glasgow and Liverpool markets. If the kelp is not continued to be manufactured, or extensive improvements carried out to give work to the small tenants, it will be vain to expect them to pay the rents they promise in the meantime.

When there are so many workmen in the country at present the new lines of roads should be pointed off and made as soon as possible, as they are one of the first things that require to be done for the improvement of the country. The present main line of road through the country has been very injuriously planned ­ it makes the journey from the North to the South End of the country about ten miles longer and cuts thro' the arable land that should be made into enclosures. Several cross roads should also be made to the tops of the different lochs for the purpose of giving access to the bay for manure to that ground that may be brought into cultivation in the centre of the country. When these and other necessary improvements are completed a great number of the population should be made to emigrate, and among the first lot I would clear away all the sub-tenants that pay rent to no person and are a burden to the country. Other proprietors in the country are clearing off their small tenants and letting their lands into large farms, and there is little doubt but they find it to be to their interest to do so, even although they are at considerable expense in sending them away .

I would most strenuously advise that a regular communication with Tobermory, or direct to Glasgow should be established as soon as possible. If that was once established it would give a stimulus to all departments in the country and encourage capitalists to settle in the country and take leases of the farms. There is in the meantime a great traffic carried on with Glasgow by boats and that would be all given up [once] a steam communication was established. It was estimated that in the course of' the last twelve months the following exports were sent to Glasgow in boats viz. 1200 swine @ average 20/- each, 60,000 dozen eggs which cleared from £800 to £1000, Peats to the value of about £100, sheep, grain, butter, cheese etc. to the extent of £1500. The cattle are all sent through Skye. Was a steamer plying regularly from the Long Island to Glasgow the whole of the above mentioned produce would be sent by that conveyance. A steam communication would also bring more merchants to the country and the farmers would get a better price for their cattle at the market, and they would get their groceries and clothing at a moderate rate from Glasgow, whereas in the meantime the petty merchants charge an extortion for what they sell to the inhabitants.

If planting could be got to grow in any sheltered places on the East side of the country it would, at some future period, be a very great advantage to the inhabitants, for while they pay for wood at the present enormous rate it is almost utterly impossible for a tenant to get proper accommodations erected for himself. I have every reason to believe that wood could be raised, as there are several extensive plantations in Skye, and also at Rodel House in Harris. If larch could be made to take root, the woodings would be valuable in a very few years.

I think the property cannot be properly attended to without a resident Factor who should be a person of respectability and firmness and have a Commission in the peace. He should be a complete ..... of the grazing of farming, and also have some experience in arable farming and be able to understand the Earse language, also he should be given security for his intromissions.

[The original document was in the South Uist Estate Office in the early 1970s when Mr. David MacIntosh, then factor, was asked to make a copy. It was several sheets of manuscript, the paper sewn together to form a booklet, and was in a poor condition. A search of the Office in 1988 failed to find the original. Special thanks is due to B. McDonnell for scanning a typescript copy of the original which was provided by G. MacLean.]