The Trust liaised with the Forestry Commission, itself innovative, the result being the creation of a walk, unique to Raasay. The Abhainn a’ Ghlinne Project connected the Muileann Àrais Heritage Centre with the Forestry Commission's mill near Henderson's Bridge. The mill was once used as a sawmill by Bairds Mining Company and later by the Forestry Commission.

The overall scheme linked up the Muileann Àrais Heritage Centre, to the Forestry walk on the opposite side of the river, to the other sawmill building and eventually to the Forestry walks leading to the mine and its ancillary buildings.

The walk is called Ceum nan Eilthireach to commemorate all those cleared from the island by unscrupulous landowners.

For many years a very successful Fèis Ratharsair was run by Raasay Heritage Trust. There are many fèisean in Scotland where young people are taught traditional cultural arts, such as piping, dance and accordion. Our event took place in Borodale House, then run as the Isle of Raasay Hotel where the children were tutored with accommodation and food provided by the proprietors. The fèis ran for 14 years.

Arthur Cormack OBE, chief executive of Fèisean nan Gàidheal, wrote:

“Chaidh cuirm-ciùil Ceòl nam Fèis a cumail aig talla-cluiche Eden Court ann an Inbhir Nis air 22 Am Faoilleach. Bha an talla loma làn le luchd ciùil, dannsairean, cleasaichaidhean, agus seinneadairean bho Fèisean air feadh na duthcha. Bha e làn le luchd coimhead cuideachd.

Air an ard ùrlar bha dithis sheinneadairean bho Fèis Ratharsair: Duncan Koek agus Mairi Jade Gillies. They sang with 126 other participants. This number demonstrates that the Fèis movement is a nation wide phenomenon - one that produced a concert of outstanding young talent that could have performed on any stage in the world and been a success.

Bha oidche shònraichte ann. Ceòl nam Fèis had put on its biggest concert yet to a completely full hall. “

We were proud of our young Raasay participants, who appeared later on the televised Ceòl nam Fèis concert.

Is math a rinn sibh!

A new heritage centre will allow us a base to restart Fèis Ratharsair.

The house is called Tobhta Tigh a’ Phìobaire, ruin of the piper’s home, the piper being the famous John Mackay, son of Roderick, also a piper.  When he left Eyre, Raasay, with his family to be piper to the D’Eresby family of Drummond Castle in Perthshire, his brother, known as Dòmhnull mac a’ Phìobaire, Donald son of the piper, left rocky Rona and came with his family to the vacated house in Eyre.  He was evicted from there in 1838 by MacLeod of Raasay and forced either to return to Rona or emigrate.

In 1921 descendants of Donald Mackay left Rona for the areas from which they had been evicted on Raasay. At that time the land belonged to Bairds Mining Company.  On 21st June 1921 the men involved in the illegal land raid were convicted in Portree Sheriff Court and sentenced to six weeks in Porterfield Prison in Inverness.

The eventual outcome was that Bairds sold the land to the Scottish government and each man involved was granted land to croft.  The wider picture for Raasay was that a great number of new crofts were set up.

To celebrate this great achievement, the Trust plans a celebration, but all is dependent on restrictions regarding Covid 19. Watch this space.