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Isle
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This was our first-ever kit, completed back in 1993 with the encouragement of Elizabeth Robertson of Glebecraft, Tiree, who hoped to be able to sell it in her craft shop. Somewhat to Elizabeth's surprise the kit did indeed sell well, and somewhat to our surprise Tiree proved to be the first of many kits to come from what is now known as Mearnscraft. Tiree is the outermost of the Inner Hebrides and renowned for its weather, being a weather station on the UK radio shipping forecasts. It is said that thoughout the year there is an average windforce 5, although this is made up for by the fact that Tiree has also established sunshine records - and that's in a British, not only Scottish, context. The combination of sun, wind and glorious sandy beaches on every side of the island make it a mecca for windsurfers, with conditions being described as the best in Europe (try the Tiree Wave Classic in October). Tiree is a flat, fertile island (its name comes from the Gaelic Tir-Iodh - land of corn). In 1831 the population was nearly 4500, but the infamous clearances hit the island hard and in 1886 the Duke of Argyll despatched 50 police and 250 marines to forcibly evict his crofting tenants, many of whom ended up in Canada. However, that same year saw the passing of the Crofters Holdings Act which belatedly gave crofters security of tenure and other benefits, and much of Tiree was divided into crofts for the remaining islanders. Currently the island population stands at something around 800. Because today's small crofts (there are still a few thatched roofs) are still often farmed by traditional methods, one can find wildlife on Tiree that is rare or even extinct on the mainland. Corncrakes and otters are relatively common, and the township of Balephetrish means, in Gaelic, town of the storm petrel. Scarinish is the island capital, and the ribs of the old Mary Stewart, a sailing ship that used to trade in the area, lie on the sandy harbour beach. From the Signal Tower at Hynish - or, indeed, from the top of Ben Hynish, one of the island's few hills - one can see the slender Skerryvore lighthouse, built on a tidal reef eight miles offshore. Our Tiree map measures 12½ x 8¼ inches (315 x 205 mm) when stitched on the recommended 27-count Linda evenweave material and has 4 buildings, an aircraft, a ferryboat, windsurfers, place names, and island crest. Stitch count is 170 x 112.
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Mearnscraft |
