117468: Meeting at Goulaby, 1735

On 2nd August 1735 a meeting was held at Goulaby in an attempt to end the controversy over the ownership of the island of Grianam. Present were Donald MacLeod the old Trojan, his uncle William MacLeod of Luskentyre, Ewen MacDonald of Vallay, Archibald MacLean of Boreray and his son Neil, Reverend John MacLean of North Uist, Reverend Kenneth MacAulay of Harris plus witnesses who included Mary MacLeod and Morris Morrison. 

Mary MacLeod, aged over 80, recalled that when living in Siabaidh as a child, the subtenants there had the rights to gather shellfish on Grianam, which was known then as Grianam Shiabay.

Morris Morrison, aged 60, recalled his father Gilbride grazing lambs on Grianam and also the events of 1711 when he and Alexander MacLeod sailed past Shensker, finding a dead whale which, although by rights belonging to Berneray, was taken by the people of North Uist. Following a protest by William MacLeod of Luskentyre, tacksman of Berneray at the time, full compensation was made to the island. William also gave evidence that when a hogshead of wine was found on Shensker a few years later, it was duly sent by the Uist factor to the MacLeods at Duntulm.

The records from this meeting were to provide important evidence 35 years later, when the Grianam Case was heard at the Court of Sessions.