Indigo and the Island
The Isle of Skye and its close connection to the Indigo industry in the 19th century.
“In the year 1895-96, which was the record year, the export of indigo dye from India was 9,366 tons, valued at £3,566,700. Indigo was then one of the principal articles in the export trade of our Eastern Dominions.” — The Economic Journal, page 1.
The connection between indigo and the Isle of Skye.
There is a story in the folklore of the Isle of Skye about the connection between the island and the indigo industry in India, and how the people of Skye played a significant role in it.
Kenneth Macleod of Gesto was born in 1809. According to The Celtic Monthly, his father, Captain Neil Macleod, was “dispossessed of Gesto, which his family had held for over five centuries, in 1825 by the Chief (of Macleod).” Kenneth left for India with just “one golden guinea in his pocket, given to him by Mrs. Macdonald of Waternish.” He returned to the island as a wealthy nabob.
After his return, the feud between him and the Chief of Macleod, who had taken the land from his family, continued. While the fortunes of the Macleod Chief dwindled, Kenneth Macleod acquired estates including Edinbane, Skirnish, Greshornish, Tote, Skeabost, and much of Portree (The Celtic Monthly). He also built the hospital at Edinbane. Just months before his death in 1869, Kenneth outmaneuvered the Macleod Chief again by purchasing the Orbost Estate for £11,200.
According to the story, Kenneth Macleod gave £20 to anyone from Skye who wanted to seek their fortune in the indigo trade.
One such individual was Harry Macdonald of Viewfield House, Portree. His life story illustrates the social and economic changes occurring on the island at the time.
Harry Macdonald of Viewfield House
Harry Macdonald was born on April 30, 1845. His grandfather, Dr. Alexander Macleod, known as “An Doctair Bàn” leased Viewfield House, which had been built as a residence for the MacDonald estate factor. Harry’s father, Harry Macdonald Sr., came from Dingwall and worked as a shoemaker before marrying the Doctor Bàn’s daughter Joanna and leasing Viewfield in 1846. He established the law firm “Macdonald and Fraser” in Portree and served as the MacDonald estate factor.
Of Harry’s four brothers, Alexander worked as a solicitor and continued the family tradition as estate factor. Another brother, Thomas, became a Surgeon General in the British Army in India. John and Harry Jr. went to India to work in the indigo trade.
Economic Changes in Skye
After the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815, Skye’s economy underwent significant changes. The kelp industry declined following a tax reform in 1822. Potato famines brought food shortages, and by the 1830s, landlords viewed crofters as less profitable than farmers. Many emigrated. Between 1826 and 1827, approximately 1,300 people left Skye for North America (James Hunter). By 1852, widespread poverty gripped the island.
The Role of Scots in India
According to Professor Tom Devine, nearly half of the East India Company’s writers between 1774 and 1785 were Scottish. In 1813, 14 major merchant houses in Calcutta were run by Scots. Many returned to Britain as wealthy men. Nabobs.
Harry Macdonald was one of many young men from Skye seeking employment in the indigo industry. In his book Indigo, W.M. Reid observed a surge of young men being sent from Britain to “try their luck in indigo.”
Harry Macdonald in India
Harry arrived in India in 1869. Family connections and other Gaelic-speaking Scots in the industry helped him establish himself. Dr. Charles Mackinnon offered him a role as an estate manager, marking the start of his prosperous career in indigo. Eventually, Harry purchased his own concern at Bubnowlie and also ventured into the sugar trade (Viewfield Papers, Portree Archive).
In an interview with Hugh Macdonald, Harry’s great-great grandson, it was mentioned that Harry once wrote home about securing a managerial position at a plantation with a salary of £5,000 a year—an extraordinary sum at the time.
Harry returned to Scotland in 1885, shortly before the decline of the indigo trade. He took over the lease of Viewfield House and remained financially connected to India while supporting Gaelic culture and artists like Màiri Mhòr nan Òran. Harry Macdonald passed away in May 1905.
The Legacy of Indigo
Wealth from indigo helped build many of Skye’s grand houses. According to The Great Book of Skye, at least 14 houses, including those at Ord, Tormore, Kyleakin, Viewfield, and Gesto, were built with indigo profits. By the 1890s, families in Skye’s large houses had greatly benefited from the indigo trade.
END.
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