Bunessan

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Bunessan (Scottish Gaelic: Bun Easain) is a small village on the Ross of Mull in the south of the island of Mull, on the west coast of Scotland. Originally a small community of farmers in the Scottish farming tradition called crofting, the village had a mill, weavers and a small fishing fleet until the 1900s.

Bunessan is probably best known as the title of the melody for the Christmas Hymn, Child in a Manger.^[1] The words were originally written in Gaelic to a traditional melody by Mary Macdonald (1789 - 1872), who lived in the nearby crofting community of Ardtun. She called the hymn Leanabh an Aigh^[2] and when the words were later translated into English the melody was named after the village by the translator, Lachlan Macbean.^[3][4] A monument to her can be seen near the village, on the road towards Craignure, just after the Knockan crossroads. The ruins of the house she lived in are also nearby.

The village has one hotel, The Argyll Arms, which also is the only pub in the area, a village hall which is often used for numerous dances throughout the year, two grocery shops, a craft shop, and a further small cafe/restaurant, Reef.

The Primary school for the Ross of Mull is found in Bunessan.

The Village population is roughly 200, and includes surrounding areas of Millbrae, Fountainhead and Ardtun.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/h/childman.htm Words and melody for Child in a Manger.
2. ^ MacNab, Peter, (1999) Mull and Iona:Highways and Byways. Edinburgh. Luath Press.
3. ^ Macbean, L. (1888) The Songs and Hymns of the Scottish Highlands. Edinburgh.
4. ^ *Highland Council on-line archive.