HISTORY AND HERITAGE

The early history of the Isle of Muck remains a mystery, but intriguing clues hint at its past. Just across the water, evidence of a Mesolithic settlement has been discovered on Rum, making it likely that Muck, with its fertile land and abundant resources, was home to early settlers as well. The Bronze Age left its mark here too; in 1920, a finely crafted dagger was unearthed while draining a bog, a rare and valuable possession that speaks to the lives of those who once walked these shores. Scattered across the island, ancient burial cairns stand as silent sentinels of a distant past, offering glimpses into the customs and beliefs of Muck’s earliest inhabitants.

Perched at the mouth of Port Mor, Caistel nan Duin Bhan is a fortified rock that has stood the test of time. Originally an Iron Age stronghold, its walled enclosure later sheltered a dwelling, hinting at centuries of use. The island’s early Christian heritage is marked by two ancient crosses in the graveyard of Kiel (A’ Chill), a site linked to St. Finnan, a contemporary of St. Columba on Iona. Nearby, the field known as Dail Chill Fhionain (now known as Lagabholla) preserves his name, while local tradition holds that St. Columba himself once visited Muck, blessing its people so that neither they nor their descendants would perish by drowning.

Further west, Glen Martin carries echoes of solitude and devotion, said to be named after a hermit who once made his home in this quiet, remote valley.

But not all the island’s stories are steeped in solemnity. In 1947, an 80-year-old fisherman reported seeing a mermaid — "in the sea about twenty yards from the shore, sitting combing her hair on a floating herring box used to preserve live lobsters." According to the fisherman, the mermaid plunged into the sea the moment she realized she’d been spotted — but no amount of questioning could shake his conviction. He was certain of what he'd seen, and to this day, the tale of Muck’s mysterious mermaid continues to intrigue visitors and locals alike.

Traces of Viking occupation remain in a handful of place names on Muck, though fewer than on the other Small Isles, likely due to the island’s lack of prominent landmarks. The first written mention of Muck comes from Donald Monro, High Dean of the Isles, in 1549, who described it as a fertile island rich in crops, livestock, and fish, with a good falcon nest and a natural harbour. At the time, it belonged to the Bishop of the Isles, distinct from nearby Canna, which was under the Abbot of Iona. By 1499, these lands were combined, and by 1561, records show Muck was occupied by MacIan of Ardnamurchan. In 1593, a Crown-commissioned report listed Muck as four merkland, paying 16 bolls of corn in rent—half to the Bishop and half to the Laird. Later records consistently list the island as six merklands.

Muck's only recorded massacre took place in 1588 when Lachlan MacLean of Duart, embroiled in feuds with the MacIeans launched a brutal raid on the Small Isles. Aided by 100 Spanish soldiers from an Armada ship sheltering in Tobermory, he attacked Muck, allegedly killing everyone—including women and children. However, it's doubtful the destruction was absolute. MacLean’s actions soon caught up with him, and he was imprisoned in Edinburgh—not for the massacre, but for the crime of using foreign soldiers.

In 1617, the Bishop of the Isles feued Muck to Lachlan MacLean of Coll, who passed it to his son Hector. Hector fought at the Battle of Kilsyth in 1645 and was succeeded by his descendants, including Hector (IV), whom Dr. Johnson and James Boswell encountered in Skye.

While most MacLeans were Protestant, Muck maintained a significant Catholic population. Hector’s wife, Isabel MacLeod, was known for her hostility towards Catholic visitors, even imprisoning a priest in 1770.

Following Hector’s death, Muck passed to his brother Donald, and then to Lachlan (VI), who had fought in the American War of Independence. Lachlan had little interest in the island and used it as security for loans  and went bankrupt in 1798. The island was sold to Clanranald’s Trustees.

By 1794, Muck’s rental value was £252, with 24 tenants working two joint farms and the owner’s farm of Gallanach.

In 1813, Alexander MacLean of Coll and his son Hugh purchased Muck for £9975, which reflected the rent of £400.Alexander divided the two joint farms into single holdings and offered them to people in Rum which helped  the population to rise to 320 by 1821, but falling kelp prices and the agricultural recession after the end of the Napoleonic war prices left tenants struggling. Emigration started after the end of the War and in 1828 MacLean of Coll leased a vessel through he local emigration agent and people from Rum, Muck and Coll were encouraged to emigrate to Cape Breton. By 1831 the population was 155. Gallanach, which had been leased by Alan MacLean from Rum since 1795, was leased to his sons John and James in 1826 and in 1836 this lease was not renewed. James emigrated to Australia in 1826. A  manager from the Borders was put in Gallanach who introduced sheep. In 1839 the tenants on the rest of the island were evicted though some of them remained as landless cottars. In 1845 the whole island was leased to James Thorburn a sheep farmer from the Borders though he had been farming Achateny on Ardnamurchan for the previous ten years. At this time the Square at Gallanach was built with a horse driven threshing mill.

In 1857, Lieutenant T. A. Swinburne purchased Muck with a sitting tenant. He built Pier House as a salt store with a loft for fishing gear and encouraged fishing for cod and ling some of the smaccks fished as far out as Rockall. Lobster fishing also started in the 1840s once there was fast transport south so lobsters could be sold live. The Thorburns gave up their lease in 1873 and Swinburne failed to get a new tenant till 1878 when David and Alec Weir came from their father’s dairy farm at Gallanach in Coll. They brought in Ayrshire cows and made cheese. The farm buildings at Gallanach Farm House were extended with a dairy and cheese loft and more byres for milking in.

Captain T. A. Swinburne died in 1893 and his son sold the island to Robert Lawrie Thomson in 1896. David Weir drowned tragically off Horse Island in 1895 and his brother came back to finish the last two years of the tenancy.

Under Thomson’s ownership, Muck continued  dairy farming but was not let.  

Thomson, a successful agent for British shipbuilders in Asia, improved island infrastructure by building corrugated iron barns, improving the pier, and converting buildings for housing and schooling. A passionate collector, Thomson famously purchased Rory o' the Hills, a Highland stallion that sired Claymore, a champion at the Highland Show.

Thomson died in 1913 and was buried on Castle Island, Isle of Eigg, overlooking the lands he once owned. He left Muck to his brother John MacEwen who promptly let it in 1914 to John MacDonald in Glenbrittle, perhaps best known for his book on Highland ponies.

Following John MacEwen’s death in 1915, Muck passed to his nephew, Lieutenant W. I. L. MacEwen RN. After leaving the Navy, MacEwen trained at the East of Scotland Agricultural College and took over the island’s farm in 1922.

Inspired by Osgood MacKenzie of Inverewe Gardens, MacEwen established a tree nursery and began planting Muck’s oldest woodlands. The farm was managed by Lachlan MacDonald, and the island became known for rearing Highland bulls, Blackface, and Cheviot tups — many purchased by the Department of Agriculture for crofters across Scotland.

As a retired Naval Officer MacEwen was recalled to the Navy in 1939, leaving his wife to manage the farm with limited labour and rationed supplies. Islanders patrolled the shores - the competition for timber being high - but mines were always a hazard.

Post-war prosperity brought significant improvements. The Department of Agriculture co-funded a major modernisation scheme, providing piped water to homes and installing Rayburn cookers for heating and cooking, Carn Dearg was built and the ploughman’s and shepherd’s cottages were extended. The telephone link was provided in 1956 though initially only to a box at Port Mor. Electricity followed two decades later with Lister diesel generators. Calls from steamers started in 1963 though initially only in summer and the launch still had to do ship to shore runs.

In 1947, Muck’s first tractor — a Ferguson TE20 — arrived, marking the start of the end of the working Clydesdales. Today, there are ten tractors on the island doing the work of five horses.

When Commander MacEwen died suddenly in 1967, his son Alasdair inherited the farm but chose not to stay. His brother Lawrence took over, later joined by their brother Ewen, who built Port Mor House — a seven-year project that transformed it into the island’s guesthouse-turned-hotel.

By 1973, Muck’s population had dropped to just 13. There was a concerted effort to encourage more families to make the island their home, particularly those with young or school age children. The population gradually climbed to 40.

With the installation of the wind powered electricity scheme, completion of the new slipway at Port Mor, and reliable internet connection the island’s future now looks secure — a testament to its resilience and community spirit.

Lawrence MacEwen, the much-loved Laird of Muck, dedicated his life to nurturing the island and its community. Taking over the farm in 1967, he worked tirelessly alongside his family to support island life, welcome new residents, and ensure Muck’s future prosperity. His warmth, resilience, and deep connection to the land earned him widespread respect. Lawrence’s remarkable story was beautifully captured in the BBC documentary The Prince of Muck, offering a poignant insight into his life and legacy.

The island continues to be managed by his family, alongside the Community.