22649: The history of Kyles House

Kyles House, sometimes called the House on the Sound, sometimes Tigh a Chaolais, is on No 1 Croir at the north end of Bernera. It is the oldest inhabited house in the island and was built about 1833. There is a letter dated 1833 from Thomas Mansfield, who acted as a man of business for the Earl of Seaforth, recommending that he agree to a proposal from a Mr Robertson that a piece of ground in the area be made available for him to build a house and to lease it to him for seven years. Robertson wanted to make an arrangement with the local lobster fishermen to supply boats for them and to buy all their catch for 2d each. He had the same set-up with the Duke of Sutherland.

This land was 'in the possession of one Angus Macleod'. This family were in Croir until the township was cleared in 1880 when the tenants were resettled in Hacklete. It is very probable that they were removed to the other side of Croir, as two of Angus' grandchildren died there of smallpox and were buried away from the village and their house was burned down because of the fear of the disease.

Mr Robertson lived in Tigh a Chaolais presumably for the seven years. The next occupant was John Macdonald (Iain Dhomnullach) son of Donald Macdonald, tacksman of Little Bernera. He was the Ground Officer and had a great deal of power. He was responsible for sending people away from Bernera to other parts of Lewis on what seemed to be a whim. He grew up in Little Bernera and appears to have stayed there for some years after that island was cleared in the early 1820's. If Robertson stayed for the full seven years it would have 1840 at the earliest before 'an Domhnullach moved into the house across the Caolas.

The tack house on Little Bernera is exactly opposite Tigh a Chaolais and is now used as a fank. 'An Dhomhnullach died in Taigh a Chaolais and his sons lived there after him. Another house was added to the west side of the house to accommodate 'an Dhomhnullach's sister. Instead of using the existing east wall, another wall was added so that there was a 5 ft stone wall between the two houses with no entrance from one to the other.

While Iain Dhomhnullach was in the house a William Black came to stay – we don't know how or why – and he based his novel The Princess of Thule on the place and family. He said that it was easier to get to Iceland than to Bernera, and that is why he called the heroine the Princess of Thule the old name for Iceland.

In 1880 the Croir people were removed to Hacklete, which was a farm from 1851. Croir then became a farm and was only resettled in the 1920's.

In the first decade of the 20th century the house was used as a dwelling for a shepherd and his family. The father of Calum Macleod (Calum Hyder) was the shepherd .He was Norman Macleod of Garenin married to Dollag Macdonald (Dollag an Gheinneach) from Lundale. Calum was going to school from the Caolas and had to pass a very wild bull. His father had to go with him via Bosta to ensure his safety, and they eventually moved away because of this.

The house was empty for a while and was used unofficially by the young people as a meeting place. Duncan Maclennan wrote a song about the dances they used to have which included the lines

Nochd an darna h-oiche againn
a' danns an Tigh a Chaolais

Two boys marked their heights and ages in the V-lining of one of the rooms upstairs and the marks are there to this day.

The next family to reside there was Angus Macdonald of 17 Tobson and his wife Stinag. They had two sons. Angus died in 1948 and Stinag stayed on with the boys for some years before moving to Stornoway. John Maciver (Iain Tharmoid Bhig) bought the croft at this time.

There was another period of vacancy before it was let to a Stornoway couple. Then an English woman rented the house in 1967 and married the eldest son of Iain Tharmoid Bhig, and is still living there.

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Tigh a Chaolais

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