Mingulay

Mingulay, one of the Barra Isles or Bishop’s Isles, is currently unoccupied. The last permanent inhabitants left in 1912, leaving the island as a haven for wildlife and a place for grazing sheep. The reason I am flagging this up in passing came about through researching the First and Second World War roll of honour for Barra. One of the sons of Mingulay appears in the listings for WW1:



Seaman Roderick Gillies

Son of John and Flora Gillies, of Mingulay, Barra

Husband of Mary Macdougall Gillies, of Caolis, Vatersay, Barra, Inverness-shire.

Military unit: RNR, HMT Robert Smith

Service number: 3560B

Date of death: 20 July 1917, at the age of 35

Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial, panel 27

Local memorial: Barra & Vatersay, Nask, Barra

Mingulays former settlement, image courtesy isleofbarra.com
Mingulay's former settlement, image courtesy isleofbarra.com

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