Old photograph of the Isle of Tiree, Scotland. An island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, south west of Coll. The island is at the same latitude as southern Alaska and the same longitude as the border between Spain and Portugal. Britain’s twentieth largest island, it is just over ten miles at its longest, five miles at its widest, and a little over half a mile at its narrowest. Isle Of Tiree is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides. Its name derives from Tìr Iodh, meaning land of the corn, from the days of the 6th century Celtic missionary and abbot St Columba. Tiree provided the monastic community on the island of Iona, south east of the island, with grain. In 1770, half of the island was held by fourteen farmers who had drained land for hay and pasture. Instead of exporting live cattle, which were often exhausted by the long journey to market and so fetched low prices, they began to export salt beef in barrels to get better prices. The rest of the island was let to 45 groups of tenants on co-operative joint farms: agricultural organisations probably dating from clan times. Field strips were allocated by annual ballot. Sowing and harvesting dates were decided communally. It is reported that in 1774, Tiresians were 'well clothed and well fed, having an abundance of corn and cattle.
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