Ciorstaidh MacLeod

This article is in English. The Gaelic version can be read here.

Published Collections

 * An Sireadh
 * Ceòlradh Cridhe

Biography
Born at 40 Upper Bayble, 5th July 1880. Youngest of nine (eight girls and one boy). Only one of the nine to receive formal secondary education, after becoming a monitor at 13 and then a pupil teacher at 14, a post she held for four years.

She later became an ‘uncertificated teacher’, and taught at Airidhantuim School. While there she had to go to Glasgow to sit exams to obtain her teaching certificate. She sat these exams in 1901 and 1902. Once certified she taught at Melvich Public School in Sutherland, and Fishcross School in Alloa. There she married Kenneth Macleod from Tolsta Chaolais, on July 17th 1907.

In 1908 they went to Islay where Mr Macleod was head-teacher of a four-teacher school in Portnahaven. In 1909, he was appointed deputy head of Ullapool Higher Grade School, and became headmaster a few months later. While in Ullapool, Ciorstaidh held some concerts and was ‘bean an tighe’ at waulking songs.

They left Ullapool in 1913 and moved to Fortrose, where Mr Macleod had been appointed Rector of Fortrose Academy. Ciorstaidh was a Gaelic and music instructress throughout this period. She formed a choir in Fortrose and trained soloists for Mods. Many of those she trained for solos and choirs were not native speakers, but she insisted on teaching them what they were singing about rather than just the phonetics.

She also trained her children (Màiri and Kenneth) for Mod competitions, and they won prizes for their singing.

Ciorstaidh herself also competed successfully at Mods, particularly in reciting poetry of her own (original compositions). She also learned to play the piano, and composed music for several of her poems. Her compositions were published in Ceòlradh Cridhe, a collection of her poetry set to music.

She regularly held ceilidhs in the school when she worked, due to the interest she aroused in Gaelic and Gaelic music in particular.

In 1949, following Mr Macleod’s retirement, Ciorstaidh and her husband went on a trip to Australia, visiting Rhodesia, South Africa, and Ceylon on the way. Upon their return they settled in Inverness. A collection of her poems, An Sireadh, was published in 1952, and some of her work was also published in Gairm.

Ciorstaidh died in July 1954.