THE VILLAGES / NA BAILTEAN
History and information / Eachdraidh agus fiosrachadh
FIVEPENNY BORVE / CÒIG PEIGHINNEAN BHUIRGH
Borve (Gaelic: Borgh) is a long established village south of Galson. Its Norse name is common in a number of Hebridean islands. The meaning of the word is “fort” (or dùn) and so the name originates from the ruinous fort or broch, Dùn Bhuirgh, at Melbost. Most of Borve’s amenities are located in Fivepenny Borve (Gaelic: Còig Peighinnean Bhuirgh) - the most southerly township of the three in the Borve area - with High Borve and Melbost Borve lying to the north.
The name “Fivepenny Borve” relates to the system of land valuation used long ago. These crofts now number 52 and are mostly long and narrow. There is no record of the place ever having been a farm.
Through the years, different facilities existed in the township. Over a century ago there was a small school. Later two meeting-houses (Presbyterian) were built. A doctor’s surgery was built in the early 1900s in the time of Dr John Ross, who followed his father Dr. Roderick Ross. This building has been recently renovated and is now Borve Country House Hotel. The hotel has 4 newly built self-catering chalets beside it. In the 1960s, an NHS doctor’s surgery was built which is now a busy surgery/primary care centre under the name of Langabhat Medical Practice. There was a full-time post office, then reduced to part-time and now closed.
A small timber-built hall at Galson School - used by the ATC (Air Training Corps) and the Highlands & Islands Film Guild – was bought and donated by the Clan Line and transferred from Galson to Borve. This was gifted to the community in gratitude for the help given to the crew of 66 of the 7000 ton cargo ship, S.S. Clan MacQuarrie, when it went aground on 31st January 1953. In winds gusting 100mph, it was the biggest ever rescue carried out using a breeches buoy in a single operation. The hall has now been replaced by a large new community centre, Clan MacQuarrie, completed in 2009.
There is also a Free Church of Scotland building, a mini-market and a small pottery.
Borve House Hotel: http://www.borvehousehotel.co.uk/
Clan Macquarrie Community Centre: http://www.clanmacq.com/
Tha Borgh (Beurla: Borve) gu deas air Gabhsann agus ’s e baile a th’ ann a th’ air a bhith stèidhichte airson ùine fhada. Tha ainm Lochlannach cumanta air iomadh eilean anns na h-Eileanan Siar. ’S e ‘dùn’ an ciall a th’ aig an fhacal, mar sin tha an t-ainm a’ tighinn on dùn no borg, Dùn Bhuirgh, ann am Mealabost, bho thùs. Tha a’ mhòr-chuid de na goireasan ann am Borgh suidhichte ann an Còig Peighinnean Bhuirgh (Beurla: Fivepenny Borve) – am baile as fhaide gu deas de na trì – le Am Baile Àrd agus Mealabost Bhuirgh ris an tuath.
Tha an t-ainm “Còig Peighinnean Bhuirgh” co-cheangailte ri siostam luachadh an fhearainn a bhathar a’ cleachdadh o shean. A-nis, tha 52 croitean ann uile gu lèir agus tha a’ mhòr-chuid dhiubh fada agus cumhang. Chan eil fianais ann gun robh an t-àite riamh na thuathanas.
Thairis air na bliadhnaichean, bha diofar ghoireasan ri làimh sa bhaile. Barrachd air linn air ais, bha sgoil bheag ann. An dèidh seo, chaidh dà thaigh-coinneimh (Clèireach) a thogail. Thogadh lèigh-lann tràth san 20mh linn, nuair a bha an dotair Iain Ros ann, a thàinig an dèidh athair, an dotair Ruairidh Ros. O chionn ghoirid, chaidh an togalach seo a nuadhachadh agus a-nis ’s e seo Taigh-òsta Bhuirgh. Tha ceithir taighean fèin-fhrithealaidh ùr faisg air an taigh-òsta. Anns na seasgadan, thogadh lèigh-lann NHS a tha a-nis na lèigh-lann/ionad prìomh-chùram trang a tha fo sgàil Ionad-slàinte Langabhait. Bha oifis a’ phuist làn-ùine ann, a chaidh a lùghdachadh gu pàirt-ùine an uair sin agus a tha dùinte an-diugh.
Cheannaichear ’s thugar mar thìodhlac talla-fiodha beag ri taobh sgoil Ghabhsainn – air a chleachdadh le Fo-roinn Thrèanadh an Adhair agus Comann-cheàrd Filmichean na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean – leis a’ chompanaidh loingeas ‘Clan Line’ agus ghabh Borgh os làimh e bho Ghabhsann. Chaidh seo a thoirt don choimhearsnachd mar thaing airson a' chuideachadh a thugadh don chriutha de 66 fir a bha air a’ bhàta-cargo 7000 tunna, S.S. Clan MacQuarrie, nuair a chaidh am bàt’ air sgeir air 31 Faoilleach 1953. Ann an ultaichean de 100mph, b’ e seo an sàbhaladh as motha a chaidh a dhèanamh a-riamh a’ cleachdadh ‘breeches buoy’. A-nis, an àite an talla-fiodha, tha ionad coimhearsnachd mòr, ùr a chaidh a chrìochnachadh ann an 2009.
Ann an seo, tha togalach Eaglais Shaor na h-Alba, bùth beag agus ionad-criadhadaireachd cuideachd.
Taigh-òsta Bhuirgh: http://www.borvehousehotel.co.uk/
Talla Coimhearsnachd Sgìre Àiridh an Tuim: http://www.clanmacq.com/
UPPER BARVAS
Barabhas Uarach
BALLANTRUSHAL
Baile an Truiseil
UPPER SHADER
Siadar Uarach
LOWER SHADER
Siadar Iarach
HIGH BORVE
Am Baile Àrd
MELBOST
Mealabost Bhuirgh
SOUTH GALSON
Gabhsann bho Dheas
NORTH GALSON
Gabhsann bho Thuath
SOUTH DELL
Dail bho Dheas
NORTH DELL
Dail bho Thuath
CROSS
Cros
SWAINBOST
Suaineabost
HABOST
Tàbost
LIONEL
Lional
EOROPIE
Eòrapaidh
FIVEPENNY (NESS)
Còig Peighinnean Nis
KNOCKAIRD
An Cnoc Àrd
PORT OF NESS
Port Nis
ADABROCK
Adabroc
EORODALE
Eòradal
SKIGERSTA
Sgiogarstaigh
FIVEPENNY BORVE- HISTORY / CÒIG PEIGHINNEAN BHUIRGH - EACHDRAIDH
Before Fivepenny Borve became what we now know as a crofting village it would have been a small settlement (baile/clachan) of a number of houses grouped together, the land around it being tilled communally by the inhabitants. This place is possibly what is called locally “An Seann Bhaile”, (the old village), on a slightly elevated part of land near the shore, with its stone ruins still very visible.
In the early 1700s there were only 16 tenants in Fivepenny Borve. As with all the villages from Melbost to Shawbost the parish name then was “Cladach”. These tenants paid their rent in Scots Money and amounts of meal, butter and mutton corresponding to the size of their crofts. In the mid 1800s an increase of 36 crofts was made to accommodate those unfortunate enough to be cleared from their homes in other villages.
Although not having a really safe landing place there were fishing boats in the village with enough catches to justify a salting-house for the fish. Sadly, drownings did occur and many fishermen were lost in rough weather in the 1800s.
Over the years, the crofting lifestyle was carried out by the fit and able, both male and female, which created a tight-knit community. The world wars, though, left a void as seventeen were lost in WW1. In WWII, according to available records, four lost their lives.