91177: Norman Macleod

Norman (1865-1949) was the son of Donald Macleod and Christina Murray of 53 North Tolsta.

Norman married Christina Campbell, of 7 North Tolsta, and the couple settled as cottars at 53 North Tolsta and had eight children.

Norman was the occasional skipper of James Gowan’s yawl and borrowed this, in 1910, when he went to Ness, with a skeleton crew, to pick up his new skiff “Ocean Gift”. On the return journey with the yawl in tow the weather worsened; at the 10:30 morning break school children watched the white sail of the new boat as it came around Cellar Head. By 13:00 she was out from Garry, gaining only a few yards with each tack. By 16:00 she was out from the cemetery. At this point the yawl was such a handicap that they considered ditching it before attempting to round Tolsta Head, but John Macinnes, of Hill Street, wouldn’t hear of it. Eventually the Ocean Gift and the yawl came ashore in the Glen estuary at 18:00. 

He was the skipper of the Grace Darling.

Their sixth child, Donald, died during World War One.

Norman was widowed in 1946.