Bonnie Prince Charlie's house on Scalpay
Donald
Campbell's farmhouse, where Prince Charlie stayed, was
pulled down in the 1870s, and a larger house (below)
built on the foundations. This house was the first "white
house" built on the island and the rock beside it became
known as Creag an Tighe Mhoir. The house was at one
time a shop, later a manse, and is now a private home
again. The building has had many alterations over the
years, and is somewhat larger now than the dwelling
built by Coinneach Og Caimbeul in the 19th century.
Coinneach Og was not descended from the Campbell tacksmen,
but he could, like them, trace his ancestry back to
the Kenneth Campbell who came to Pabbay in the 16th
century. Kenneth's father, Coinneach Mor, was a fish
merchant who had come to Scalpay around 1843 when the
island was divided into crofts He was descended from
the Campbells of Strond. Coinneach Og built up the fish
curing business, selling salt herring all over Europe.
He had a great knowledge of the history and traditions
of the island, and wanted to have some kind of memorial
on the site where Prince Charles had spent his days
in Scalpay. He took home a piece of granite and had
it inscribed in Gaelic with the words: Air an làrach seo bha tigh annsan do chuir Prionnsa Tearlachseachad
cuid de làithean Allbanachmar fhògarrach 'na dhuthaichdhlighich
fhèin. Coinneach
Og was married, but had no family. When his widow died,
the house passed to a nephew, a bachelor, also called
Kenneth. About this time, most of the Scalpay people
left the Church of Scotland and went to the Free Church.
They formed a congregation and got their own minister.
They acquired Kenneth Campbell's house as a manse. However,
they did not think it appropriate that the manse should
have a plaque commemorating a Catholic Prince, so the
wording was broken up and covered over. The stone is
still there, but is no longer visible under the harling.
The house is well situated under the shadow of the Soldiers'
Hill, with a view over the two harbours. Cnoc na Saighdearan
probably got its name from the party of soldiers brought
by Rev. MacAulay to capture the Prince, although others
say the name refers back to an earlier time when Iain
Og defended his island from the French. .
