-- History --
In
ancient times the Danes frequently gathered at Sanda, their principal
fortress being a mile distant at Dunaverty. The Norwegian King
Hacon visited in the 13th century, and a stone reportedly covered
his remains in the graveyard. In times of danger at sea people
would wash the stone and chant an ancient rhyme invoking his help.
Sanda
was once in the possession of the monks of Whithorn in Galloway.
The chapel is associated with the followers of St Columbus, and
was probably visited by his follower, St Ninian, to whom the chapel
is usually dedicated. However, it may originally have been dedicated
to St. Adamnan, Abbot of Iona and biographer of St Columbus in
680. The present chapel ruins date from the middle ages, and the
graveyard walls encircle two important ancient stones. One a massive
rough hewn cross may mark the remains of the holy man Senchanns
and his fourteen sons, or followers. It is supposedly unlucky
to cross the graves. The monks relinquished Sanda in 1493.
In
1720, Sanda's isolation was put to use. The nearby Sheep Island,
used as extra grazing by Sanda, was used to quarantine the crew
of a local fishing boat, who were suspected of carrying cholera.
They were stripped of their clothes and banished to Sheep Island
for forty days quarantine.
The
Macdonalds, one of Scotland's earliest clans, have historically
been associated with Sanda. Descended from the powerful Lords
of the Isles, and of Argyll and Kintyre, the earliest Macdonalds
had close links with Ireland. It was Angus Macdonald, in 1493,
who fled to Sanda for sanctuary, and who there later founded the
House of Macdonald of Sanda.
Sanda
and one other mainland farm were the last lands held by the Macdonalds,
and these were finally sold in 1929. Prior to this, Sanda had
been a tenanted farm. Alexander Richie acquired the tenancy in
1845. He had the Schoolhouse built for his children, and a dominie
(schoolmaster) was employed, who lived with the family in the
farmhouse.
The
Russell family tenanted Sanda from 1919 and purchased it in 1929.
They farmed Sanda for exactly 50 years before selling to Jack
Bruce of the pop group 'Cream' in 1969. Sanda was sold to the
'Safeway' financier James Gulliver, a local man, in 1976, and
again in 1979 to a Mr Changezie. In 1989 it changed hands once
more - to the present owners, Dick and Meg Gannon, who purchased
it along with the neighbouring Sheep and Glunimore Islands.
Primarily
now a farm, with 350 sheep and producing a similar number of lambs
each year, Sanda has also diversified into holiday lettings. There
are three cottages in former lighthouse buildings, on the South
side of the Island, and a further three renovated cottages near
to the pier and farmhouse, on the North side. Facilities include
a library and games room, snooker room and will be supplemented
by the opening of the island tavern. |
