Keith Branigan – författare

A biography of the last ancient clan chief of Clan Macneil, Roderick Macneil. This book as about the transformation of a highland chieftain into an officer and a gentleman. It's the story of General Roderick Macneil, the last hereditary chief of his Clan. Brought up on the remote island of Barra, as a young man he survived the horrendous Napoleonic campaigns (Corunna, Walcheren, Waterloo). When he became chief in 1822 he introduced the industrial revolution to the Western Isles and went bankrupt in spectacular fashion. He re-invented himself and led a charmed life in the Indian Army, before returning to live out his retirement in a fine house overlooking Hyde Park.

Barra - Episodes from an Island's History looks at a dozen episodes of particular interest and importance in the history of Barra and the Bishop's Isles, from the time of the Pioneers who first settled the islands around 3500 BC to the Vatersay Raiders of 1906. In reading about these events you'll also meet some of the colourful characters who have peopled Barra over the centuries from the Viking invader Onund Woodenleg, and the piratical chief Rory the Tartar, to the Macneil who fought at Corunna and Waterloo, went spectacularly bankrupt, and then went on to become one of Britain's most senior soldiers. You'll also witness the notorious clearances at the hands of Colonel Gordon of Cluny and the tragic fate of 350 passengers on the Annie Jane in 1853. Weaving together the evidence of archaeology, historical documents and oral tradition this book provides a fascinating overview of six thousand years of Barra's history.