Thursday 27 May

Fairly bright day, but with occasional downpours - which include hail. That is not uncommon in Lewis at this time of year, and no surprise given the low temperatures (10C / 50F) at the moment. The rainfall radar shows a rash over mainland Scotland, so we're not doing too badly. Temperatures are set to rise into next week.

A few years ago, I came across a map of central Lewis, showing the division of an uninhabited area for the purposes of shooting and fishing in 1874. Shown on the periphery is the village of Callanish. As I continue my transcription of the 1883 Napier Report, this again demonstrates the gulf that existed between the ordinary islanders and the wealthy landowners. The former were scraping a living off some poor land, whilst the latter diverted themselves with the bullet and the rod.