Scottish Islands Explorer 41: Jan / Feb 2017

A History of Lismore
Roman Catholic Highland Seminary based at
Kilcheran between 1801 and 1829.
Other temporary sources of income for the
islanders from the late 18th to the early 19th
Century came from the herring trade and the
illicit production of whisky. e latter is
thought to have saved many residents from
absolute poverty. Despite this productivity, the
ensuing land clearances would decimate the
island’s population.
Arable to Livestock
This was when the farming sector was
already struggling to recover from recession
following the Napoleonic Wars. Those who
remained endured much ill-health and
hardship as the farming model shifted from
arable to livestock, and this would have a
profound effect on the island’s economy
and landscape.
Even with this adaptability, the complexities
of land ownership and occupation
contributed to further agricultural declines,
compounded by a collapse of markets for
native food in the 1920s and ‘30s plus a lack
of investment and infrastructure. However,
farmers on Lismore were to then enter a
period of greater stability during the Second
World War.
Suddenly home-grown produce was a
precious resource that required more investment.
Later in the final quarter of the century,
the population would once again rise - to
around 180. e arrival of mains electricity in
1970 played a pivotal role in this and caused
a chain-reaction of improvements across the
island to improve living conditions.
EU membership boosted income through
subsidies, and gradually, more interest was
generated in turning cros into family
homes. Lismore now finds itself entering a
time of regeneration, embracing the latest
technologies, yet staying true to its fertile
agricultural roots.
Page 32 Top: Abandoned village.
Below: Island geology.
Left: Castle Coeffin.
Below: Loch Fiart.
Bottom: Sailean limestone quarry.
Photographs taken by the author,
Gordon Eaglesham.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 35