You may wonder what the connection is between these two pics, but it has to do with the house on the right in the left-hand picture (taken in May 2011). This, as planned, is now being pulled down as well. It has very thick walls, and in the early part of the 20th century stood right on the shoreline. There were steps leading down from the frontdoor.
It was a mainly overcast day today, with occasional showers and not too cold. Went for an amble around town, but found it not to be overly busy this afternoon. It's the Hebridean Celtic Festival this week, and its first concert is tomorrow, Thursday. I do not have tickets for any of the concerts, as none of it really tickles my fancy this year. The main stage is inside this striped tent, located outside Lews Castle (which you can see in the background)
I happened to pass the Festival Office on Church Street, where festival goers were queueing out the door to get tickets. Admittedly, the shop is a small affair, even smaller than the premises they had rented last year. If memory serves, it is actually the Jehovah's Witnesses' place.
Sorry I'm so far behind. Trying to catch up though!
ReplyDeleteI am afraid that this building was not the home of the Mair family as you state. It is only since the oil tanks were constructed that the building was given the 3 Shell Street address and the house was 39 South Beach on 16 June 1926 when John Mackenzie, Fishcurer sold the property to Marion Macritchie.
ReplyDeleteThe Stornoway Historical Society have a dossier on this property as the house was at one time the home of Kenneth Morison (1806-61) Secretary of the Railway Clearing House. The feu disposition goes back to 1796.
The Mairs lived at No 2 Shell Street on the same side, further up towards Newton Street, and was roughly facing Fraser's smokehouse.
Michelle Robson of the Stornoway Gazette has been given material regarding the house and we trust that a plaque commemorating Kenneth Morison will be erected on or near the site.
Regards
Malcolm Macdonald
Chair
Stornoway Historical Society
Thanks for that information, Malcolm, I stand corrected.
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