Section 3: Cultivating the machair
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As we follow the coast round to the left, the water opens out to the North Atlantic. In this section, the conversation moves onto cultivating and planting crops on the machair. Crofter Alasdair MacAchen discusses cultivating soil on the machair, whilst Roderick, Angus, John MacIver and John Morrison recount stories of planting of crops without machinery. Meanwhile, we hear Peggy MacIver sing the humourous song Sgadan Saillt' 's Buntàt' (Potatoes and Herring) recorded in 1969 about the benefits of eating salt herring and potatoes.
Credits: Seaweeding the ground, Alasdair MacEachen interviewed by Mairi McFadyen (2022); Planting potatoes with seaweed, Roderick MacKillop, John MacIver, Angus MacKenzie and John Morrison, interviewed by fieldworker Emily Lyle (1977); Sgadan Saillt' 's Buntàt', sung by Peggy MacIver, recorded by James Ross (1969).
Photo: Ploughing the machair, Sorcha Monk, 2022.
