The MacAskills
by Bill MacAskill
There was no prayer meeting. What he heard was a conversation between Robb and several others discussing a plot to dispossess Mairi Nighean and her brothers of the croft at No 16. He heard them deciding to send a deputation to the Sutherland Estates Factor, a Mr Simpson based in Scourie, with the object of removing the tenancy of the croft at No 16 from Mairi Nighean and her ageing brothers and giving it to his, Robb's, sons. Perturbed at what he had heard, Alexander felt obliged to warn Mairi Nighean of the overheard plot. She immediately set off for Scourie, walking during the night to Kylesku ferry and waiting there until the first ferry allowed her to go on. On her arrival she found the Factor sympathetic to her plight and secured his assurance that, in the event of any approaches to him, she certainly would not be evicted. It is not recorded what she said to Robb on her return to Inverkirkaig. However, in order to reward Alexander for his help in thwarting the plot against her she promised that, on her death, the croft would go to his first-born, Murdo. That, in fact, happened.
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Mairi Nighean and her brothers were young children (She was born in 1835) when the, 'rathad mar', the big road was built through Inverkirkaig. In order to excavate the road foundations passing what is now Tigh Nuilt, the labourers had to desecrate the ancient graveyard which now forms part of the Tigh Nuilt vegetable garden. Mairi Nighean would recount how she and her brothers were given the task of collecting and reburying the human bones which were inevitably disturbed. Outside the south wall of the present Tigh Nuilt vegetable garden is the grave of the, "Britheamh Leodhasach", the Lewis Judge who, in an earlier time, met a violent death in Inverkirkaig in retribution for his part in the slaying of the eldest son of MacLeod of Lewis. Bad fortune in the form of the storm which drove the escaping judge into Inverkirkaig bay for shelter, by chance drove his pursuers into the same place. They summarily executed the man before returning back across the Minch triumphantly bearing his head to their bereaved chief. The local people were left to bury the decapitated body in what was then the community graveyard. There is no record of how the grave was given the large flat stone which can still be seen beside the garden wall. It was this piece of ground which Alexander MacAskill shrewdly converted to a vegetable garden. Apparently a highly accomplished gardener, his skills allied to the rich ancestral soil of his garden, for many years won him all the first prizes for vegetables at the Lochinver Show. So consistently did he sweep the boards that other competitors became jealous and, being a peaceful man, he stopped entering the competitions. In turn, his son Murdo (1872-1947) achieved great success with vegetables in the same piece of ground as did Mary Ross. (nee MacAskill) |
 The descendants of Alexander MacAskill and Jane MacKenzie (pictured, with the little girl in white lace on her lap (the little girl is Jean Nicolson)), shortly after Alexander died in the early 1900s. Murdo, who inherited the home in Inverkirkaig, is the man on the back row, left. |
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