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Title: CROFTING IN SKYE

Reference number: 0934

Date: 1939

Production company: SEFA (Glasgow Group)

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bw

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 12.41 mins

Description: Daily life and activities on a croft in Skye. Shot at Camustianavaig

Prize-winning film at the sixth Scottish Amateur Film Festival, 1939.

See also ref. 0936

This title featured in the "Island Tapes" project. To purchase the DVD go to the website at http://theislandtapes.com/cd_dvd.html [last accessed 2/12/2008]

Shotlist: Credits (.15) a ferry boat approaches a small harbour (2.8) kilted man walks away from camera along a country lane (.36) boy on rocky coastline (.47) two boys in a rowing boat at sea (.56) On this beautiful island the crofter toils to wrest a living fom the earth and sea. Woman approaches a cottage and three men emerge (1.22) they cross a wooden bridge (1.39) the men push a rowing boat down a pebble beach and row out to sea (2.33) they pull in their nets and the salmon catch (2.59) at the cottage one man loads the salmon into a basket which is then carried on his back (3.11) Calum sets off to sell the catch, leaving John and Neil to attend to the hay and sheep (3.18) John Alec MacDonald sharpens the scythe (3.32) Calum on his way to Portree with the fish (3.48) John scythes hay (4.28) Neil spots a stranded sheep on a rocky crag (4.32) Rescuing stranded sheep is one of Neil's most dangerous tasks. He climbs up and hoists the sheep onto his shoulders then carries it to safety (5.45) Portree. The harbour (5.53) main square (5.58) Calum emerges from salmon fisher's, his basket empty (6.11) Calum on his way back (6.17) John "airs" the cut hay (6.34) The crofter hopes for fair weather at harvest time. The cut hay is turned and stacked (7.11) Every crofter helps on "Fank Day". Sheep are brought down from hillside and sheared, boys bringing out the sheep one by one to a row of men seated with their backs to a drystane wall. The sheep are hand-sheared (8.23) a darkening sky (8.26) Storm clouds and high winds mean danger to the crops. John gives his sheep to one of the other men to shear and runs home (8.52) branches and grass blowing in the wind (8.59) John continues on his way (9.03) shots of branches blowing in high wind (9.07) he arrives home (9.09) "Bring nets for the hay" (9.15) with help from the others, John secures the haystacks with the nets, just in time. Shots of grass and trees blowing in the wind interspersed (10.07) After the storm harvesting is resumed. The hay is gathered and carried by hand from the field (10.38) and the hay is safely secured for the winter. Shots as the hay is stacked (11.06) ecs (11.11)