Stones of destiny – monument that speaks of a land struggle

Squeezed between the brooding forces of the Atlantic on one side and the moor on the other – two features which have been hugely influential in shaping its people – it's a community that carries a heavy burden of history, which belies its relatively modest size.

Today it’s best known for carrying the same name as the community-owned estate, Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (The Galson Estate Trust). That’s as much a quirk of fate as anything – it is what the estate was called before being transferred to the community – but it also carries huge resonance and significance.

The history of Galson and its people is deeply ingrained in the wider land raids of the late 19th and early 20th century, paving the way for the rights of crofters to be enshrined in law – and, indeed, laying the foundations for what was to become the modern community-land movement of today, some 150 years later.

Along with other communities in Lewis, Skye and other parts of the Highlands, the people of Galson had had enough of the injustices suffered on them, when their people were removed from their land to make way for, in the case of Galson, a sheep farm.

The four land raid heroes of north Lewis, the men who were arrested and appeared in court in Edinburgh, are worth noting for posterity. They were: Malcolm Smith, Malcolm Saunders, Malcolm Maciver and John Nicolson. They may have been the ones to face formal police charges as a result of their actions, but of course they had the indomitable spirit of the community behind them.

Their case, with the courts hearing the justification for their actions, and other similar hearings elsewhere, saw the politicians take heed and in the same year that the Galson land raids took place resulted in the introduction of the 1888 Crofters Holding Act, a monumental piece of legislation.

It was a turning point, but only the start. It would be another 36 years before the families of those originally cleared from Galson, and the nearby village of Melbost, were able to return to their historical homes.

And in 1924, a total of 52 families came from Dell, Borve, Shader, Carloway, Fivepenny and further afield to re-establish the community that was rightly theirs.

Fast forward 100 years, a gathering of a different note took place. Some 50 or so invited guests descended on the offices of Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn to witness the unveiling of a new monument, which dedicates the history of the Galson land raids and the four men who helped change the course of history.

Passing on the A857 Barvas-Ness main road, the circular dry stone monument is barely visible to the naked eye, sitting on a moorland plateau just above the offices of Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn.

But once there, the sense of place is awe-inspiring. Designed by renowned artists Will MacLean and Marian Leven (who were responsible for a similar project marking the land raids of Reef, Uig) it offers a breathtaking panorama, with the Atlantic – on the day obligingly flat calm and deep blue – drawing you enticingly into its gaze.

Looking south west you can see Barvas and the villages further along the coast – themselves now under community ownership – down to Ballantrushal, Shader, Borve, Galson in the centre, and up towards South Dell and the Butt of Lewis. So much to see, so much history, so many stories, all in one sweep.

As Donald “Ryno” Morrison, who came up with the title for the monument, “Na Dorson” (The Doors), said, if only the stones could speak. With fitting poignancy, some of the 140 tonnes of rock needed for construction were re-purposed from the ruins and the houses of the 1924 re-settlers, gathered by local contractor Willie Taylor, a relation of one of the original land raiders.

“One can but imagine the stories told, the songs sung and prayers offered,” said Ryno to the assembled audience. “The groans of life emergent, the cries of babies, the laughs of merriment, the sobs of grief, welcomes, farewells and the expressions of hope for brighter and better tomorrows.

“There’s an old Gaelic saying much loved by the optimist: Cha do dhùin dorus nach do dh’ fhosgail dorus – which roughly translates as: When one door shuts, another door opens! How much more exciting a day is this for us?”

That last reference of optimism refers to the fact that the land of Galson Estate, from Barvas right the way up to Port of Ness, is now owned by the people who live there. For the original re-settlers it would have been a far off dream.

Presiding over the opening ceremony was the chair of the community owned estate Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn, Agnes Rennie.

Her own grand-parents, Seonaid Mhàrtainn and Murchadh Dòmhnallach, were two of the first people to be resettled in 1924.

On reflecting on moving to Galson, Seonaid Ruairidh ‘an Mhàrtainn, who was born in Shader in 1898 and died in 1995, recalled to Agnes, who also lives in Galson: “O yes, we liked it. It was lovely right enough. It was green and clean. Nothing was ploughed except for the land around the tack… Each family had their own sheep when they came to Gabhsann. What they had they brought with them. They brought all their possessions as they were not coming on a temporary basis. They were here to stay.”

And that’s exactly what transpired.

“A hundred years ago both my mother’s and my father’s parents arrived in the newly allotted crofts in Galson,” said Agnes. “I can only imagine their hopes for a new beginning as they and 52 other families established new homes and broke ground to sow the first harvest. That harvest was hard earned, but like our community owned estate today, they always saw it as holding promise for future generations.

“This handsome monument, designed by Will Maclean and Marian Levin and beautifully crafted by Chris Barrowman, will speak to future generations as a reminder of our shared past and an open doorway for the community to a shared future.”

Stonemason Chris Barrowman was invited to give a speech, too. He explained the sense of responsibility in bringing to life the plans of the artists, but also the pride at being handed the opportunity.

“When you’re working up here and you look around you, you cannot help but be inspired,” he said.

Primary pupils from the local schools, who were also invited to last Friday’s ceremony, were invited at one point to help with the construction, placing some of the smaller “hearting” stones that line the gaps and provide stability. For them it was a physical tie to their history, but a nod too, hopefully, to a brighter and better future under community ownership.

Heavy with symbolism

The monument itself is formed in two concentric circles, the outside wall around six foot in height. On entering there is then a smaller circular wall and in the very middle, fittingly, a glistening structure adorning the names of the four land heroes.

Marian Leven, artist, commented: “Our idea was to create a monument which reflected the re-establishment of Galson township, using the symbolism of the doorway to represent the homes and the welcome which are the heart of this community. It has been a source of pride and satisfaction to see the concept of na Dorsan coming to fruition.”

An accompanying exhibition, also entitled “Na Dorson”, is now on show in the main foyer area of the UOG offices. It details not only the history of the land raids but also how the commemoration project was brought to life.

Janet Macleod, UOG Cultural Engagement Officer, said: “I would encourage anyone, whether you are a member of the local community or a visitor to the area, to visit the monument and exhibition to learn more about the history of Galson and to reflect on the historical and cultural importance of this project.

“I am very grateful to have been part of the team coordinating this project, and I have gained a far greater appreciation of the challenges faced by those who were cleared from the area and what they went through for us to be in the position that we find ourselves in now, living and working in a thriving community owned and managed estate.”

Juliette Desportes, the historian who consulted on the accompanying exhibition, commented: “While the story of the clearances for sheep and subsequent land raids is a well-known one, the events which took place in Galson have somehow been largely ignored by historians.

"It is wonderful to see such an important historical episode come to light and be celebrated in this way, 100 years after the township’s resettlement.”

If the original land raiders were still around today, they would have been astounded at developments; that their own place in history has been preserved for future generations and that, probably even more importantly, the land around is now owned by the people who live there and work the land, something unthinkable back on their day.

The men of 1924 would have also been no mean stonemasons themselves, and if able to survey all that’s taken place 100 years down the line they would doubtless have reflected on a job well done.