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Bha muilnean Steòrnabhaigh, Siabost agus Càrlabhagh ann an Leòdhas a’ fastadh nam mìltean de dhaoine anns a h-uile seòrsa dreuchd bho bhith a’ deilbh, a’ dathadh, a’ cruthachadh pàtrain, a’ dàrnaigeadh, a’ reic, ag obair a thaobh rianachd, a’ draibheadh agus a’ dealbhachadh.

Seach gur e aon de na prìomh àitichean fastaidh airson deicheadan, bhiodh mic tric a’ leantainn an athraichean agus an seanairean a-steach dhan mhuilinn. Le uiread de luchd-obrach, bha na muilnean coltach ri bailtean beaga le bhanaichean bidhe agus bèicearachd taobh a-muigh nan toglaichean gach madainn, agus borbair stèidhichte am broinn cuid dhiubh. Rinn iomadach eileanach bith-beò fad am beatha anns a’ ghnìomhachas agus bhiodh fir òga tric air an cuir gu muilnean ann an Siorrachd Iorc airson trèanadh sa chiad dol a-mach.

Anns na deicheadan an uair a bha an eaconamaidh a’ soirbheachadh, ’s e àitichean a bh’ annta far am biodh daoine ag obair cruaidh agus a’ dèanamh uairean fada, ach bhiodh tòrr fealla-dhà ann cuideachd, le càirdeasan de gach seòrsa air an stèidheachadh. Bha togalaichean nam muilnean sa h-uile àite agus bha iad cudromach do eaconomaidh an eilein, a’ cruthachadh obraichean, chan ann a-mhàin airson luchd-obrach nam muilnean, ach airson nam breabadairean a bha a’ dèanamh a’ chlò aig na dachaighean aca fhèin. Ann an Steòrnabhagh, bhiodh na breabadairean a’ tighinn air tòir an tuarastail a h-uile Dihaoine le tòrr naidheachdan agus sgeulachdan às gach ceàrnaidh dhen eilean.

Chan eil uiread de dh’ obair an sàs ann a bhith a dèanamh a’ chlò, mar a bha uaireigin, a’ ciallachadh gu bheil na muilnean a th’ againn an-diugh gu math eadar-dhealaichte ri mar a bha iad sna làithean a chaidh seachad. Tha daoine ann ged tà aig a bheil cuimhne mhìorbhaileach air cò ris a bha e dha rìribh coltach a bhith ag obair anns na muilnean anns na bliadhnaichean soirbheachail suas gu na 1990an.

The tweed mills of Stornoway, Shawbost and Carloway in Lewis once employed thousands of people in all types of work from warpers, dyers, pattern makers, darners, cashiers, secretaries, drivers and designers.

As the main source of employment for decades, sons would often follow fathers and grandfathers into the mill. With so many workers, the mills sometimes resembled small towns - grocery and bakery vans pitching up every morning, an on-site barber shop even operated on some mill floors. Many an islander carved a life-long career in the industry and young men particularly were often sent off to mills in Yorkshire for their initial training.

In the boom decades, the mills of Lewis were places of hard, often physical work, with long hours but also places of comradery and high jinks where lasting friendships and indeed romances were formed. The mill buildings dominated the skyline and were the cornerstone of island society and economy, providing employment not only for the mill workers but the network of weavers producing the cloth on looms at their homes. In Stornoway, Fridays would see a steady stream of weavers coming in from the country to collect their tweed money and bring news and chat from every corner of the island.

The production of the cloth today is much less labour intensive, leaving the few surviving mills very different to the hey-days. There are however still people who are able to recount vividly what it was like to work in the island mills during the boom decades up to the 1990s.

In Gaelic with English subtitles