44877: Shops in Marvig

Like many villages in Pairc, Marvig had quite a few shops over the years. These villages had a great many people living on each croft and it was not unusual for someone plying regularly to Stornoway with their boat to be bringing provisions for their shops. All the shops seemed to sell the same range of daily necessities.

Buth Thormoid Alasdair was located on the croft at 20 Marvig just above the pier. It seems that he was an enterprising individual and had other business interests including the Star Inn in Stornoway then operated as a coffee shop. He also had the lease of Goat Island in Stornoway harbour and also Eilean Rosaidh at the mouth of Loch Erisort. He used to transport his sheep by boat from Marvig and used to tip them out of the boat to swim ashore on Goat Island which of course didn’t have a causeway in these days.

He also took passengers on his boat every day and charged one shilling for the journey to Stornoway. He operated a book of credit at his shop and some people paid with eggs or even sheep and other tradeable produce. He had a number of boats the largest of which was the Evening Star, a 30 footer with a sail and an engine and previously owned by Alasdair Beag. He also had a scaff bought from the West Side and a very small rowing boat called ‘m pogaidh which he used for fishing around Marvig. It seems that these boats were incredibly small with only room for two people at the most. He had spent some time in the Royal Navy and had a dram every day. He was married to a lady from Ranish, a sister of Allan Dhollaidh

Buth Torch (Alex Kennedy) was located at 15 Marvig close to the road where Dolishan’s house is today. After the shop closed it stood there for years and local people remember a can of ‘Rub it Off’ sitting in the window. This was a washing powder of the time. He also had a string of seagull’s eggs hanging in the shop. One story recollects someone being sent for pipe tobacco for Murchadh Sheumais but unfortunately the tobacco was sold out so he bought a small mouth organ with the money and Murchadh was not too impressed with this from all accounts.

Buth Ailig Murdo Alex Murdo Maclennan operated a shop on 18 Marvig around the same time as Torch, 15 Marvig. There was great competition between the two men as to who would have the better sales. Neither of them lasted very long.

Buth Aonghais Dhomhaill Alasdair {Angus Maclennan} was located at no 18 Marvig and he also had a couple of Scaffs – the Daisy was a 30 footer and also the Triumph. Local people remember a van coming from Malcolm Macleans, the bakers in Stornoway every Saturday and the driver Murdo Gissar, a Murdo Macleod from Stornoway bringing fresh bread, pastries and fancy baking in large wooden trays. Hugh Finlayson remembers setting off with bags of loaves to sell all the way to Calbost.

Buth a’ Cheannaich was one of the first shops in Marvig, It was on croft no. 14, situated between the present house and the road. There is no-one left in Marvig who remembers it being operational.

Buth Aonghais Thormoid This shop was built by Norman Campbell (Norrie) and was located at 11 Marvig. As Norrie was away on the ‘whalers’ it was run by his father Angus and from all accounts he wouldn’t have faired well in meeting today’s strict rules for cleanliness. Local people remember that he was always swearing at his customers and didn’t react too kindly to people coming to the shop when he was working on the croft. They also remember that he cut the bacon slices very thickly and that you had a good chance of getting part of the cat’s tail if it was sitting in its usual place on the counter. He was the father of Norrie and Seaman Robert, both characters in their own right. This was the last shop in Marvig.

See also the Post Office in Marvig.