As we follow the coast round to the left, the water opens out to the North Atlantic. In this section, the conversation moves onto cultivating and planting crops on the machair. Crofter Alasdair MacAchen discusses cultivating soil on the machair, whilst Roderick, Angus, John MacIver and John Morrison recount stories of planting of crops without machinery. Meanwhile, we hear Peggy MacIver sing the humourous song Sgadan Saillt’ ‘s Buntàt’ recorded in 1969 about the benefits of eating salt herring and potatoes.
Photo: Ploughing the machair, Sorcha Monk, 2022.