Here are examples of diaries from all across the Highlands. Clicking on the images will allow you to see them in more detail. The images supplied are for educational purposes so please don’t use them for other reasons or share them online – thank you!
Malcolm Blane
Malcolm Blane was born in 1892 and lived with his parents and three sisters in Windsor and London. The family used to go on holiday to Nairn, getting the train from London up to the Scottish Highlands.
Malcolm writes a lot about his time in the Highlands and includes postcards of Nairn and maps of his journey. We hold several of Malcolm’s diaries, which he wrote when he was around the age of 10. He writes about his life, school, history, nature, and railways. He also draws – maps of rail lines, diagrams of bugs and lots more! Click on the pictures to read some of Malcolm’s diary entries.
Hugh Lyall
This diary is by Hugh Lyall and talks about daily life on a Caithness croft including references to the lambs, hay baling and visits to and from neighbours in Caithness.
In one diary Hugh’s handwriting changes. On looking back a few pages we learned that he had caught his fingers in a baler and been to hospital to have the wound treated. He went back to work the next day and just wrote his diary with the other hand! In this particular entry Hugh talks about his daily activities like cutting hay, collecting lambs and the cattle breaking out of the field!
You can read a typed copy of Hugh’s diary here.
Lady Vere Cameron
Lady Vere Cameron was born in 1803 as Vere Hobart. She married Donald Cameron of Lochiel in 1832. Donald Cameron owned a large estate in Lochaber and he was also the 23rd Chief of Clan Cameron.
In this diary entry from 1864, Vere talks about her journey from London back to Achnacarry – the name of the estate in Lochaber. She talks a lot about the timing of her journey and the people she meets along the way. You can see she got a lot of trains but also took horses and mentions a car – this type of information tells us a lot about how wealthy people travelled at this time.
Click here to read a typed version of Vere’s diary – her writing can be a bit difficult to read!
Donald Gillies
Donald Gillies was from Skeabost, Skye 1881 – 1965. The collection we hold about him has diaries noting local events and people. It also includes poems, essays and speeches along with a collection of Gaelic essays.
The first extract from Donald Gillies’ diaries is from 1935 describing a Shinty match between Oban Celtic Shinty Club and Glasgow Skye Camanachd. It also describes New Year celebrations and an accidental death at the Meall in Portree. This two-page example demonstrates the wealth of information about daily life and the ups and downs of human existence.
The next entry is from 1963 and describes a fire on the Island. It shows how the locals had to work together to put it out and he reflects on the effects the fire will have on the animals on the island.
If you can’t read Donald’s writing click here to read his 1935 entry, and here to read his 1963 entry.
