Western Isles - Scotland - Travel - Accommodation - Tourism
The Western Isles,
lying off Scotland's west coast, look like a huge kite
with a long tail streaming out behind it. The kite itself
is the island of Lewis and Harris, and the tail consists
mainly of the smaller islands of North Uist, Benbecula,
South Uist and Barra. The whole length between Barra in
the south and the Butt of Lewis in the north is about
130 miles, and they are separated from the mainland by
a stretch of water called The Minch. These islands are
the last bastion of true Gaeldom in Scotland, and in some
places English, though spoken and understood perfectly,
is still a second language. Some are also bastions of
Free Presbyterianism, where the Sabbath is strictly observed,
and work (and in some cases pleasure) of any kind on a
Sunday is frowned upon. This has given it the reputation
of being a dour and strict place that frowns on fun, but
nothing could be further from the truth.
But there are paradoxes in the Western Isles. There are
just as many Norse influences here as Celtic, and most
of the place names (especially in the north) have Norse
origins. Up until the Treaty of Perth in 1266 the Western
Isles were ruled by Norway, but in that year Magnus IV
surrendered all of his Scottish possessions, with the
exception of Orkney and Shetland, to Alexander III of
Scotland. And though Free Presbyterianism dominates Lewis
and Harris, some of the other islands are largely Roman
Catholic, not through Irish immigration, but because the
Reformation never fully penetrated this far.
The weather in the Western Isles, especially in winter,
can be harsh. Snow is rare because of the Gulf Stream,
but there are between 45 and 50 inches of rain a year,
and the winds blowing the rain in from the Atlantic are
invariably strong. But the compensations are enormous.
The long summer evenings can be still and warm, and at
midnight it is still possible in the north of Lewis to
read a newspaper out of doors.
The main island is divided into two parts, Lewis and Harris,
an ancient arrangement which is thought to go back as
far as the 13th century. Though joined geographically,
they are usually considered to be two separate islands,
and indeed the differences between them are marked. Lewis
is the northern, and larger part, and up until the mid
70s was within the county of Ross and Cromarty. Harris
(and the smaller islands) came under Inverness-shire.
A natural boundary of mountains and high moorland ran
between Loch Resort on the west and Loch Seaforth on the
east. Now they all form one administrative area, with
the capital being at Stornoway.
The underlying rock of Lewis is gneiss, one of the oldest
in the world. It is largely impermeable, so doesn't absorb
water. For this reason the interior of the island is a
large, empty peat moorland dotted with shallow lochs,
while most of the settlements are on the coast. Harris
is more mountainous, and has peaks reaching 2,500 feet.
It is also an area where the underlying rocks break through
to the surface like bones, giving an essentially bleak
but strangely attractive landscape. It too is divided
into two parts, North and South Harris, with the narrow
ithsmus between West Loch Tarbert and East Loch Tarbert
being the boundary.
Of the main southern islands, Berneray, North Uist, Benbecula,
South Uist and Eriskay are joined by causeways. North
Uist connects to Harris by a ferry between An t-Obbe and
Berneray, and Barra has a ferry connection with Eriskay.
Each island in the chain has its own flavour, and all
are noted for their quality of light, especially in summer,
when the weather can sometimes be surprisingly mild.
The Western Isles sit on the farthest edge of Europe,
with North America being the next stop. But for all their
seeming isolation, they have a long history. The standing
stones at Callanish - the second largest stone circle
in Britain - are over 4,000 years old, and were built
for pagan ritual and possibly to record the passing of
the seasons so that crops could be sown and harvested.
And there are individual stones, duns, brochs and old
forts dotted all over the landscape. The local people
are proud of their history, and on your travels, look
out for small, village-based museums which seem to be
everywhere.
Norse invasions began in earnest in the 8th century, and
by about AD850 Norsemen ruled all of the Outer Hebrides.
But by 1266 the islands were Scottish, even though the
local leaders acted independently of the crown, and there
was much friction between the Scottish kings and the Lords
of the Isles. But the kings gradually imposed their authority,
and the islands accepted this and became fully integrated
into Scotland. Some historians claim, however, that the
Norse language only died out in the late 16th century.
Various attempts have been made over the years to encourage
industry, most notably when Lord Leverhulme bought both
Lewis and Harris in 1918 and tried to promote fishing.
Today the islands rely on fishing, crofting and tourism,
with the weaving of Harris Tweed being an important industry
on Lewis and Harris. The weaving is usually a cottage
industry, with the weavers working on their own at home
or in sheds at the back of the house. Some weavers will
welcome you into their weaving rooms and explain the processes
involved in turning wool into fine cloth. Ferries for
Stornoway leave from Ullapool, and there is also a ferry
connection between Oban, South Uist and Barra, as well
as one from Uig on Skye to Lochmaddy and Tarbert.
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