John MacDougall: a born Mulleach

This was a home birth worthy of the name. Not born on the Oban Lifeboat, as other Mull babies have been; not born on the air ambulance or in a mainland hospital – John MacDougall hit the airwaves with a lusty cry earlier this week – in his own place on bis own Isle of Mull.

He was born to Joanne and Calum MacDougall and he was born at home at Fionnphort in the south west of the island, opposite the Isle of Iona. This was less by plan than by necessity.

Joanne had gone into Labour on Monday morning, three weeks before her baby’s due date of 12th January, Her midwife summoned the air ambulance – Mull has no maternity facilities and so Mull women are whisked – no, carried – to the mainland to give birth in hospitals there. Some babies aren’t prepared to wait or they have an early fascination with Lifeboats and are impatient for a look around.

While the air ambulance was on its way, Calum, who was not permitted to travel on it, set off by car to the far end of the island to catch the ferry to Oban – which CalMac held back to wait for him. This is what island life is like and this is the sort of flexibility CalMac deserves credit for – a lifeline service in every respect.

However, the ferry didn’t have to wait that long. The air ambulance made an emergency landing in the MacDougall’s garden but Joanne was too far into labour to travel and a speedy Plan B went into action. Calum, en route to the ferry, was phoned to turn back and young John MacDougall made his appearance at 2.49pm. He joins the elite ranks of the very few babies in the 21st century who have actually been born on their home island.