12 COLONSAY 



apparently became a possession of the Campbells. In 1700 

 the island was sold by the Earl of Argyll to Donald M'Neill, 

 the latter's estate of Crerar in South Knapdale being part of 

 the purchase price. For the next 200 years Colonsay and 

 Oransay remained in the possession of the M'Neills, many 

 of whom, during that period, attained to distinction both in 

 military and civil life. At the death of Major-General Sir 

 John M'Neill, V.C., K.C.M.G., in 1904, the estate passed, 

 by purchase, into the hands of the present proprietor, Lord 

 Strathcona and Mount Royal, G.C.M.G., High Commissioner 

 for Canada. 



Most of the M'Neills now in Colonsay are descended from 

 a person who, at an early date, migrated from the island of 

 Barra. He, with his family and chattels, crossed the sea in 

 an open boat. During the voyage his wife gave birth to a 

 child, and to protect the mother and infant from the weather 

 M'Neill slaughtered a cow and placed them in the warm 

 carcase. The woman, a M'Phee, subsequently nursed one 

 of the M'Phees of Colonsay, and by the turn of events we 

 may assume that this was primarily the object of the migra- 

 tion. The child that was born in the boat was afterwards 

 known as Iain a' Chuain (John of the Ocean), a designation 

 that continued to be applied to succeeding generations of his 

 descendants. M'Phee gave M'Neill a house at Baile Mhaide, 

 some distance from the family residence. When M'Phee's 

 cock happened to crow it was answered, after the manner of 

 cocks, by M'Neill's. This assumption of independence, even 

 by a fowl, so near her dwelling annoyed M'Phee's wife. 

 To save further friction, the laird offered M'Neill his choice 

 of any other place in the island as a site for a new habitation. 

 M'Neill selected the place now known as Aird-an-Duin, in 

 Machrins, and there built his house, which continued to be 

 occupied by many generations of his descendants. The 

 badge of the M'Neills, white dryas (Machall Monaidh), does 

 not grow in Colonsay, but it is found in some of the more 



