9430: 11 Calbost

The first tenant at 11 Calbost was Murdo Nicolson, Murchadh Mac Dhomhnuill ‘ic Thormoid. He was a miller and used the mill on the Calbost Stream, which runs through the croft.

His son Kenneth continued the milling and had the mill stones changed to larger and heavier ones that came from a quarry near Carloway. The stones were taken by horse and cart to Stornoway, then by boat to Calbost, and manhandled up the beach to the mill. The original millstones were used as hearth stones by John Mackay 7 Calbost and Donald Finlayson, 10 Calbost.

Murdo (1814-1896) passed the croft at 11 Calbost to his son, Kenneth (1843-1929). Kenneth and his family moved to Stornoway in 1902 and the croft was passed to his brother, Murdo’s widow Isabella Macleod (1880-1962). Murdo’s son the Rev Donald Nicolson was the next tenant.