68806: Neil MacAskill

Neil MacAskill, eldest son of James MacAskill and his wife Christina MacAskill, was born in 1794. The family crofted in old Borve, in the southern part of the island of Berneray.

Neil, too, became a tenant in old Borve, and is shown in the 1830 rental list paying £5.15 rent. By 1841 he had moved to the northern part of the island and was farming in old Ruisgarry, where he obtained croft 4 Ruisgarry (Tarraloch) in the 1850 relotting.

Neil married Marion MacAskill – their eldest child James was born in 1822. Together, they had ten children, two of whom emigrated to Australia, and one to Cape Breton. Following Neil’s death in 1973, the croft was divided into two. Croft 4a Tarraloch was passed to son Donald, and croft 4b to son Peter.