©Mhairi Carroll
This house in Lingerbay typifies the bays. Abandoned in crofting land yet in a beutiful location with its own private bay. We first went looking for it when we learned that this was the location of a fantistic interior shot by Harris photogrpaher the Flying Monk. We were back another day when it also turned out to be the same location as Mhairi’s grandmother’s which turned out to be a ruin in front of this one.
ISO200,19mm,f5.6 t 1/80
Mhairi Morrison
photographicviewscotland 
This was my family home, Neil and Mary MacCuish lived here, I spend some summers here as a child and it breaks my heart to see what has become of it.
My family are from Harris and the ruin in front of your family home was my great grandparents(family name Morrison)my gran Mary Morrison lived in the house behind your relatives until she married and moved to Leverburgh. My uncle still lives here in Lingerbay having inherited the family home.The boat in front of this house The Lingerbay Rose belonged to my great uncle Neil Morrison.I understand the sadness you feel,we spent many summers in Harris and still go back very year and these once loved family homes are many but I like to think they are being returned to the land from which they rose and escaping the fate of the Holiday House.
kindest regards Mhairi
Hi Mhairi
Old Neil Vaughn, Is that your great uncle? lived by the phone box? If I remember his son had a static outside the house, and the house had a red roof. I had hoped to buy number 19 from my aunt Cathy, but she has sold it, which is disappointing as I did want to return it to its former self for the family. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been too, but do hope to visit Harris again some day
Hi Calum,
yes he was Neil Vaughn,his son Kenny-John had the static(sadly passed away this summer)his(kenny-John) daughter Kay was friendly with your cousin Christine(Taylor)who I also know well,If you have not done so already you should join the Isle of Harris facebook page,its full of people with family connections,lovely photos both old and new and a good way to keep in touch with whats going on.
My own family have also had the family home sold despite my dad wanting to keep it,but
you really should try and go back it took me 17years to do so and now you can’t keep me away.
I don’t know if you have seen the photo of the interior of your family home taken by The Flying Monk,its a beautiful image and I know that he researched the history of the house when taking it so that its story could be told
Hi Mhairi
Christine is my wee cousin and wee keep in touch, The photo’s you talk about are the reason for my new found enthusiasm for Harris, My wife and I buy pictures of the western isles for the house, as we have just had work done we thought we should get some more and on looking I saw the house and it brought so many emotions back some good some bad. so we have purchased the photo of the range with the mirror and old picture on it, I was telling my wife (Jane) I remember as a boy of 9-10 filling the stove with peat for aunt Mary so she could make pancakes on her skillet, with uncle Neils portable tv to the right hand side powered by a car battery with a cable to an outside wind turbine, good memories
this is Elizabeth (LIZ) Charles Mac cuish ‘s wife living in Australia ,I too am sad to see this treasured home going to ruin. Charlie spent many happy times there with Aunt Mary ,uncle Neil and his Grandparents ,sad to say he never saw the home again after he came to Australia, his heart lay in that beautiful place he called it Home . He passed away almost 7 years ago.I miss him every day he was a wonderful husband.
hi Calum, I am trying to trace your connection to Charlie ,his sister Cathy and brother Malcolm Lived in Glasgow
you mention of Christine as your Cousin ,Are you Malcolm’s son .
There has been no contact from either Cathy or Malcolm since Charlie passed on in July 2009.
I found this page on the internet on Saturday and am so sad to see the croft house now Charlie wanted to go back to the croft and renovate but Cathy stepped in regarding that and it caused a break between Cathy and Charlie which was very sad . I would appreciate if you could be in touch at sometime as I to enjoyed the connection to Aunt Mary and Uncle Neil while we lived in Stornoway .
I am glad that Charlie never saw these photo as it would have broken his heart as he always referred to Lingerbay as Home .
Please be in touch if possible. Liz Mac Cuish phone no. in WESTERN AUSTRALIA 0895835269.
Hi I’m following your thread with some interest. My partner Uisdean MacCuish father was born in this house, his name was Donald. He left Harris when a young boy to work on the mainland around Loch Assynt at Inchnadamph. We visited Harris last year and Uisdean was so sad to see what has become of the house. It was my first visit and I was blown away by the beauty of the area and the island.
Karen
Hi Liz
You are my auntie, Malcom was my father who passed away last April. I spoke to Cathy last year regarding purchasing the croft from her but she has sold it and I am trying to find out who to as if they have no plans to do anything with the croft I would try to buy it back and return it to its former glory, as I think it is important that a MacCuish is in lingerbay. I now live in Wales but I am due to retire in the near future.
Calum
Neil and Mary were my mother’s cousins and two of the nicest people it was my privilege to meet I had meals in the cottage during my summer holidays visiting my grandmother. It’s a pity to see the house looking like this when it was so well cared for when Neil and Mary were in residence.
I found this site quite by accident. Lovely photographs but so sad to see the house abandoned. We visited last year as my partner Uisdean MacCuish has a connection to the house, through his father Donald, who was born here.