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Bha Sir Uilleam MacFhionghain beartach agus ainmeil. Rinn e malairt anns na h-Innseachan agus ann an Afraga. Bhuineadh e do Cheann Loch Chille Chiarain. Thug e tòrr airgid seachad. Chaidh mòran dhen airgead aige gu urras. Bha an t-urras ag amas air foghlam a thoirt do dh’fhir òga às a’ Ghàidhealtachd.

Cheannaich an t-urras àite air a bheil A’ Chill. Tha sin anns a’ Cheann mu Dheas de Chinn Tìre. Bha togalach mòr ann. Bha, agus fearann mòr. Bha na h-urrasairean ag iarraidh sgoil bheag a stèidheachadh. Bha na gillean a’ dol a dh’fhaighinn oideachadh ann an Àiteachas agus Einnseanaireachd.

Ann an naoi ceud deug is còig-deug (1915), dh’fhosgail an Kintyre Technical School. Chan e Sgoil na Cille no Keil School an t-ainm a bha oirre aig an toiseach. Bha ochd balaich dheug ann mar sgoilearan. Bha iad à Cinn Tìre, Diùra, Ìle, Arainn agus Giogha. B’ e a’ chiad mhaighstir-sgoile aca fear Seumas Mason. Bha e na cheannard eadar naoi ceud deug is còig-deug (1915) agus naoi ceud deug is caogad (1950).

Bha àite mòr aig creideamh san sgoil. Bha cothrom aig a h-uile gille deuchainn a dhèanamh airson faighinn don oilthigh. Bha na gillean an ìre mhath gan smachdachadh fhèin. Rinn iad fhèin an obair-taighe air fad. Uill, cha mhòr air fad. Cha do rinn iad a’ chòcaireachd.

Rinn iad gàirnealaireachd, ge-tà. Bha iad a’ cur is a’ buain bhuntàta, coirce is glasraich. Agus bha spòrs gu leòr air a’ chlàr-ama. Bha iad a’ cluich ball-coise, criogaid agus lùth-chleasachd. Agus as t-samhradh bha iad a’ snàmh anns a’ mhuir.

Dh’fhàs an sgoil. Anns na ficheadan, bha leth-cheud sgoilear innte. Ach thàinig atharrachadh mòr air an sgoil. Bha tubaist mhòr ann. Thachair e anns an Dùbhlachd naoi ceud deug, fichead ’s a ceithir (1924). Chaidh an togalach na smàl. Bha e air a sgrios. Dh’fhàg an Kintyre Technical School A’ Chill. Ach ’s ann an uair sin, mar a chì sinn anns an ath Litir, a ghabh i an t-ainm Keil School.

Sir William MacKinnon was rich and famous. He was involved in trade in India and in Africa. He belonged to Campbeltown. He gave a lot of money away. Much of his money went to a trust. The trust was aiming to give young men from the Highlands an education.

        The trust bought a place called Keil. That’s in the Southend of Kintyre. There was a large building there. And there was also a lot of land. The trust-ees wanted to establish a small school. The lads were going to get instruction in Agriculture and Engineering.

        In 1915 the Kintyre Technical School opened. It wasn’t called Sgoil na Cille or Keil School to begin with. There were eighteen lads as students. They were from Kintyre, Jura, Islay, Arran and Gigha. The first headmaster was one James Mason. He was the head between 1915 and 1950.

        Religion had a large role in the school. Every boy had an opportunity to do an exam for getting to [the] university. The boys were pretty much discip-lining themselves. They did all the domestic duties. Well, almost all. They didn’t do the cooking.

        They did gardening, how-ever. They were planting and harvesting potatoes, oats and vegetables. And there was plenty of sport on the timetable. They were playing football, cricket and athletics. And in summer they were swimming in the sea.

        The school grew. In the twenties, there were fifty boys in it. But a big change came upon the school. There was a large accident. It happened in Decem-ber 1924. The building caught fire. It was destroyed. The Kintyre Technical School left Keil. But it’s then, as we’ll see in the next Litir, that it got the name Keil School.