When 'Jack the Ripper' visited Skye and other odd tales from lost island newspaper

From tales of sea monsters on Skye to when islanders accused a visitor of being Jack the Ripper, there are few column inches more colourfully filled than those of The Clarion.

The Clarion features an amazing account of when a "strange man" arrived at Roag (pictured) on Skye - and was accused of being Jack the Ripper. PIC: CC/Contributed/Public Domain

The Clarion was written and produced by proud islander Ali Willie Nicolson at his house at Struan, with the first issue published in 1951.

Lasting seven years, The Clarion ended up having a worldwide following give the demand of exiles for news snippets from home.

Rare surviving copies of the monthly newspaper, which sold around 1,000 copies every edition, are now held at the Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre in Portree.

Ali Willie Nicolson, founder and editor of The Clarion, pictured with three of his children. PIC: Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre.

Catherine MacPhee, trainee archivist, said: “It is the maddest newspaper – a wee treasure”.

The Clarion mixed reports of folklore, historic happenings and current news events, such as the switching on of electricity on the island.

In one of the first issues from 1951, there is a look back at the night when a “strange man” fitting the description of Jack the Ripper arrived on the ferry from Kyle in 1893.

The front page of the second edition of The Clarion. PIC: Contributed.

“This news spread like wildfire through the island and all doors and windows were blocked from sunset to sunrise,” the article said.

After arriving at a crofter’s house in Roag – with a black leather bag in his hand – the man was fed potatoes and salt herring while the host “kept both eyes on him”.

After dinner, matters took an unpleasant turn when the crofter appeared with a large wool bag – and asked his guest to get in it.

The article said: "The stranger protested but the crofter forced him inside the bag and tied it up with a strong rope

“He then told the man he would surely knife him.”

The visitor was kept in the bag overnight and only freed in the morning. It turned out the guest was no Jack The Ripper but a harmless peddlar from Tipperary called Macgurk.

“Macgurk visited the glen many times afterwards but he always gave this crofter a wide berth,” The Clarion reported.

The newspaper was set up to allow islanders to sell unwanted items, with Mr Nicolson identifying a need for the service after travelling widely across Skye in his mobile shop.

Ms MacPhee said: "Ali Willie wanted to encourage business opportunities for people – he so cared for Skye, you really do feel that.

“He was was also a multi-faceted businessman, he had a mobile van , he was a coal merchant and he ran Bracadale Stores, where you could buy a tilley lamp or get your tyres re-threaded. He was also the local registrar.

“He was really trying to encourage people to stay on the island.”

Typical items for sale included cart wheels, herring nets and ferrets “of good working strain”. Another advertisement seeks “a nice Skye girl” to work at a country boarding house.

Mr Nicolson used The Clarion to boost pride among islanders and rally support for economic development on Skye.

In 1955, the editor wrote: “With the provision of more power, Portree has every chance to become a centre where light industries will be established – and why not!”

Mr Nicolson also called for a Roads Day where able-bodied islanders could help repair dangerous roads to “help save the life of our beautiful island and its patriotic people”.

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