Here's a story about such a wall from a Shetland woman who told it to me as we went about a bay [voe] in her husband's "wee boat". "The big house up there was the laird's. Everything belonged to him. The small tower on the headland over the voe was where he watched to see none of the men were unloading some of the catch for themselves. You see the long wall? He told the people on the land they had to build that in a year or lose their croft. Of course that was not possible to build in a year. So that was how my father's parents were removed from their home. It is that small ruined place just up from the old shop there." The woman, Mrs. Gray, was a rare treat to be with and I know I only heard a few of her stories.
I love the stone wall.
Wouldn't it be amazing to know the stories of the people who built it?
ifinchi said...
Here's a story about such a wall from a Shetland woman who told it to me as we went about a bay [voe] in her husband's "wee boat". "The big house up there was the laird's. Everything belonged to him. The small tower on the headland over the voe was where he watched to see none of the men were unloading some of the catch for themselves. You see the long wall? He told the people on the land they had to build that in a year or lose their croft. Of course that was not possible to build in a year. So that was how my father's parents were removed from their home. It is that small ruined place just up from the old shop there." The woman, Mrs. Gray, was a rare treat to be with and I know I only heard a few of her stories.
Very, very cool ifinchi! Let's have coffee with Mrs Gray!