My great-grandmother was born in Ontario, the grand-daughter of Duncan McNabb & Grace Morrison or McVoran of Ballechatrigin farm, Islay. In 1852 Duncan & Grace went with most of their children and grandchildren, together with several related families of McNabbs & Morrisons (and possibly others), to Ontario. In Ontario my great-grandmother married a recent immigrant from England. She had been raised on a farm in backwoods Ontario and he had been raised in small towns in Yorkshire by a policeman father, until his mother died when he was about 12 and was put out to be apprenticed. Neither had any luxuries in their early life, but managed after 3 decades of hard work in Ontario to have accumulated a comfortable nest egg. In 1913 they took a 6 month tour to Europe & the UK (a honeymoon delayed by 32 years). As part of this tour, they visited Islay and went to see my great-grandmother's cousins who were still living at Upper Killean. Following is my great-grandfather's diary entry for the days of their visit, with his spelling and grammar. I give the account above as background to his perceptions of life in Islay, remembering that he came from relatively poor circumstances himself and noting that the relatives he visited in England the week previous also lived in quite rough conditions. "1913, Saturday Sep 27: leave Glasgow at 8:20 for the Isle of Isla. Go through Paisley to Greenock, take steamer "Iona" for Tabot. "Queen Alexandra" leaves at the same time. She leaves us away behind. The weather is very thick. Our first call is Gouroch, Dunoon, Innelan, Rothesay, Colintram, Tioh-na-Bruaigh. Engines on boat 3 cylinders oscilating. Come to Tarbot, pay 1 penny to get off wharf, got on brake 8 pense each; it's raining good, the seats are wet and no cover on the rig, very pleasant. Arrive at Tarbot west, get on steamer "Pioneer", get dinner 2 Pounds-6s. Call at Gigha island (pronounced Geur) arrived at Port Ellen at 4:15, quite foggy. Put up at Isla Hotel, took a walk around the crescent - it is rather quaint but has modern conveniences but the little houses are very small. There has been several better houses built near the wharf. Also the hotel with a small garden in front with good edges of fuchias covered with flowers. Sunday morning we took a photo of the bay, drove up to MORRISONs about 7 miles. There is not a tree to be seen anywhere except some that have been planted around some few houses. We passed Ramsey's distillery just outside Port Ellen. Most of the island is very rough & not cultivated. There is lots of trees on the other side the island. There is nothing grown on the farms except oats, potatoes & turnips. Arrived at MORRISONs and had dinner then walked out to Mull of Oa & got some heather. It is a very rough coast - the most of the land is covered with heather. One would wonder how anyone could make a living. There is a school and church about 4 miles away. The girls were walking out to meeting. It must be an awful dreary country in the winter. We tried to get a photo of the folks but it was the Sabbath day and they could not stand it. However we took a snap at the house - it has been built the last few years so is some better than some of them. Some of the Cotters houses are awful places. The old lady thinks there is no place so nice as Isla. One point of the Mull of Oa is called Alth Calavan. The sheep are part of the farm are valued when going on the farm & when leaving. Peat is worth 3 to 4 shillings per load delivered 7 miles. The village of Port Ellen is built around a bay forming more than half a circle. The houses are mostly small & whitewashed, there are a few better ones and there is 4 churches and a Memorial hall & a police station & two fair hotels. In the evening a Mr. McDOUGAL called to see us. He has 3 sons in Vancouver & he is to give us their address. The island has 7,000 inhabitants and used to have over 20,000. There are a great many gone to Canada. Monday, Sept 29 - left Port Ellen at 9:30 by mail brake for Bow Moore, 10 miles. The country is very poor, all turf & not a tree to be seen. Arrive there about 11am; driver says "Ye'll a' be gettin' off here". We got off and he says "Ye'll a' be payin' me". We took in the town and had dinner at the hotel - 2d each. This is the capitol of the island, a quiet place, some poor houses - we saw into one with no floor. There is a small pier & 4 churches. We left Bow Moore at 1pm for Port Askaig. The country is much better - there is considerable good farming & lots of trees. It is a very pretty drive - we pass through Bridgend a nice little village. We saw an old fashioned reaper - one man driving and one pulling off with a rake and 8 husky men binding. It is about 10 miles - fare 2 shillings each. Arrive at Port Askaig about 3:15 - put up at the only hotel. Took a walk around the place. There is a torpedo boat lying off. The "Pioneer" came in about 5 pm & anchors out for the night. While we were at tea another torpedo boat came along past with searchlight. The island is about 30 miles across. Tuesday, Sept 30 - pay our hotel bill 9/6. Leave Port Askaig at 8:30; met Capt CAMPBELL of the "Iona" - he has a son at Vancouver with the McDOUGAL boys on 474 1/2 Keefer St. We call at Craighouse and at Gigah - arrive at Tarbot, have dinner 9d each. The day fine but cold - most all the grain is still out on these islands. Most of the people speak the Gaelic though they can speak English. English is taught in the schools and the children are not allowed to speak Gaelic in school. We arrive at Greenock at 5:45 and board train for Glasgow, arrived a little after 7." Ken Harrison North Vancouver, Canada