Things To Do In Outer Hebrides
Contents |
Things to do in the Outer Hebrides
Festivals | Things to Do | How St Kilda was Killed Off
Introduction
o Visit the standing stones at Callanais, preferably at night when there's a spooky atmosphere.
o Take a stroll along the wonderful Uig sands, the loveliest beach on Lewis.
o Hire a car and drive along the amazing Golden Road, on the east coast of Harris.
o Fly to the island of Barra, where the planes land on the beach.
o Take a trip to St Kilda, home to some of the largest seabird colonies in Europe.
Keeping with tradition
The islands are the 'Gaidhealtachd', the land of the Gael. Gaelic culture has remained more prominent here than in any other part of Scotland, and the way of life and philosophy of the islanders will seem totally alien and fascinating to many visitors. Gaelic is the first language for the majority of the islanders - and the only one for the older generation - but the all-pervading influence of the English media has taken its toll and the language is under threat. Though Gaelic is still taught in schools, the younger generation tends to speak to each other in English. Visitors will not have any language problems, as the Gaelic-speaking inhabitants are so polite they will always change to English when visitors are present, though place names and signposts are in Gaelic.
The church is also an important factor in preserving the language, and services are usually held in Gaelic. In fact, religion is one of the most pervasive influences of Hebridean life, and the islanders' faith is as strong as the winds that pound their shores. The islands are split between the Presbyterian Lewis, Harris and North Uist, and the predominantly Roman Catholic South Uist and Barra. Benbecula, meanwhile, has a foot in either camp. On Lewis and Harris the Free Church is immensely powerful and the Sabbath is strictly observed. Don't expect to travel anywhere by public transport, shops and petrol stations will be closed and you'll be hard pressed to find a place to eat. Even the swings in the playgrounds are padlocked! On the Roman Catholic islands, however, things are a bit more relaxed.
The Gatliff Trust
The Gatliff Hebridean Hostels Trust (GHHT) is a non-profit making charitable organisation run entirely by volunteers, working with the island community to establish, maintain and develop a chain of 'value-for-money' hostels offering clean, cheap, simple, safe, welcoming and traditional croft-style accommodation in dramatic and beautiful locations for visitors to the Outer Hebrides.
The GHHT is independent of the SYHA but has adopted status. Visitors do not have to be members of either organisation to use and stay in the hostels. First established as the Gatliff Trust in 1961 by Herbert Gatliff, the Trust was originally intended to provide young persons of limited means with the opportunity to meet local people and enjoy the unique natural environment and cultural heritage of the islands. However, in recent years visitors of all incomes, ages, nationalities and interests have been encouraged to use the facilities.
The Trust is currently involved in the operation of four hostels situated at Garenin (Isle of Lewis), Rhenigidale (Isle of Harris), Berneray (Isle of North Uist) and Howmore (South Uist). Further hostels may be opened on other islands in the future.
The hostels are open all year and looked after by non-resident wardens who live and practise crofting nearby. No advance bookings are accepted but it is very unlikely that visitors will find themselves turned away and without a bed for the night. There is also limited space for camping at the hostels. Hostels provide bunk/camp beds, cooking facilities and cutlery, piped water, toilets and coal/wood fires, but visitors should bring their own food and a sleeping bag is recommended. Charges for 2002: (18 and over £6.50, 17 and under £5.00, Camping £3.25, Day Visitors £0.90). Annual Membership: £5.00. Further information, including membership and contact details, hostel locations and photographs, a reading list and places of interest to visit in the surrounding area can be found at the GHHT website: GHHT Website
Crofting
The word 'croft' is derived from the Gaelic croit, meaning a small area of land, and crofting has been the traditional way of life in the Scottish Highlands for many centuries. Its emotive hold on the psyche of the Highlander comes from the long, hard struggle for security of tenure.
A croft is aptly described as a parcel of land entirely surrounded by regulations. Most crofts consist of a few acres of arable land with a proportion of grazing land shared with other crofts. Each crofter is, in effect, a kind of small tenant-farmer, the distinction being that he has almost absolute security of tenure and has the right to assign the croft to a member of his family whether the landlord agrees or not. In fact, over the years the crofter has managed to acquire most of the rights of ownership with few of the disadvantages.
The croft is the area of land involved and not the house which is called the 'croft house'. Crofts can vary in size, from a quarter of an acre upwards. Those on Lewis are small and relatively unproductive, with an average size of only about five acres, while on the Uists, where the land is more fertile, crofts are up to 50 acres or more. As well as having the sole tenancy of the croft, the crofter usually also has a share in a huge area of 'common grazing' along with the other members of the crofting community - commonly called a township. They also work together in such activities as fencing, sheep dipping or cutting peat.
In reality, crofting does not provide a viable means of living. Very few crofters rely solely on their smallholding for an income and most need to have several occupations (including running a Bed & Breakfast establishment) to make ends meet. But without the family croft whole communities would just pack up and leave, so crofting functions as a means of preventing the depopulation of remote rural areas. The crofter's lot may change for the better, however, thanks to the Scottish Parliament's new Land Reform Bill which includes a special right to buy for crofting communities.
Harris Tweed
Few visitors to Harris will not have heard of its most famous export, Harris Tweed. But how did it emerge from its humble origins to become a product synonymous with high-quality craftsmanship and a de rigeur item of clothing for any self-respecting aristocrat?
Traditionally the tweed was made by fishermen's wives to clothe their own families using wool from their own sheep. They carried out the whole process themselves by hand. First the wool was washed, then dyed using native plants and bushes, tree bark and lichen, then carded, spun, warped, woven and finally waulked, or made soft, by beating it on a table. Many women could produce more than they needed and the surplus was available for sale or barter. The cloth was made throughout the Outer Hebrides and originally was not known as Harris Tweed, but simply as clo mòr (or big cloth).
All that changed in 1842 when the Countess of Dunmore, who owned a large part of Harris, took great interest and introduced many of her aristocratic friends to Harris Tweed. Very soon, much of the surplus tweed was being sold and becoming quite a fashion statement in high places. By the beginning of the 20th century demand was exceeding supply, stimulated by Royal patronage, and faster and more efficient ways of carrying out the ancillary processes were being developed by some of the larger producers. This led, in 1909, to the setting up of the Harris Tweed Association Ltd, to ensure quality control and to protect the interests of the independent crofter/ weavers. So Harris Tweed came officially into being, with its famous Orb trademark, originating from the Coat of Arms of the Countess of Dunmore.
To earn this official stamp of authenticity Harris Tweed must be made from pure Scottish wool, dyed, spun and finished in the Outer Hebrides, and hand woven by the islanders in their own homes. There are now about 750 independent weavers and about 400 millworkers employed in the islands, and each weaver can produce three webs of tweed a week (a web measures 80-90 yds in length). In total the industry produces around 5,000,000 yds of tweed annually, depending on demand. The main production centre is now Lewis, but all over the island you can see the woven tweed lying at the gates of crofts waiting to be collected and sent all over the world.
The Forest Of Harris
The Forest of Harris is a vast tract of mountain wilderness extending north from West Loch Tarbert to Loch Resort that forms the de facto boundary with Lewis. Known as the North Harris Estate, and owned and managed by the family of the Bulmer cider empire, it is one of the most isolated and unspoilt upland landscapes in Scotland and, because of its remoteness, receives very few visitors. For experienced hillwalkers, however, it is a paradise offering rugged mountains, dramatic escarpments, airy ridges and desolate glens. There are endless walking possibilities including a horsehoe walk around Clisham and a long walk through Glen Ulladale to Kinlochresort, a former crofting community now abandoned, but once described as the remotest habitation in Britain. Apart from hillwalking the only other human activities now occurring in this wilderness are fishing and sheep and deer farming. As much of the area is in private ownership it is advisable to seek permission for access from Amhuinnsuidhe Castle (Tel. 01859-560262), or get further advice from the TIC in Tarbert (Tel. 01859-502011).
Rock 'n' roll suicide
Like Newbury Bypass in England, the proposed Lingarabay superquarry represents a cause célèbre in the classic debate between the clashing interests of environment and development. Redland Aggregates originally proposed to develop the east face of Roineabhal (460 m) as a huge quarry providing a vast source of aggregate material for the construction industry in an economically impoverished part of Scotland perceived to be far removed from the mass tourism market.
However, the proposal provoked a local, national and international outcry as environmental groups objected to the likely visual, landscape and ecological impacts in a unique and essentially unspoilt mountain environment designated a National Scenic Area and representative of some of the oldest rock in the world. A Public Enquiry followed in 1994-95 at which Redland presented the case for long-term local employment and the preference of one large quarry in a remote area rather than many smaller projects on the highly populated mainland. Objectors set out the concerns for the damage to a resource of national importance and the precedent it would set for environmental protection both within and outwith the industry in the future if planning legislation were to be overcome.
Following a lengthy follow up the Secretary of State rejected the proposal in 2000. Redland Aggregates who have now been taken over by French company, Lafarge, are now appealing against the decision. In the latest twist in the saga Scottish Natural Heritage and other action groups are now believed to be lobbying the UK government and European Parliament to reinforce the environmental value of the site by designation as a Special Area for Conservation under the EC Habitats Directive, thereby making it illegal to develop the site for industrial purposes. In a case where each side attempts to out-manoeuvre the other the outcome is still far from clear and the saga continues.
Out to lunch
Travelling in the Outer Hebrides can be a very different experience from visiting other parts of Scotland. The pace of life is very different here and the needs of tourists have to come second to the ways of local people. Take the example of a passenger flight from Glasgow to Benbecula, which was delayed for 30 minutes when the plane had to circle because the air traffic controller was out to lunch!
A Fishy Tale
In the 1820s a dead body was washed up in Culla Bay, near Griminish on Benbecula. It was said to have had the upper body of a well-developed four-year-old child, with long, dark glossy hair, and the lower half was like a salmon, but without scales. Many people came from all around to look at the bizarre creature, before the landlord of the estate ordered a coffin and shroud and it was given a decent burial on the shore of Culla Bay. What exactly this creature was has remained a mystery to this day.
Tight little island
Between Eriskay and South Uist is the wreck of the famous SS Politician, the island's other claim to fame. In 1941 the 12,000 ton ship went aground just off the island of Calvey and sank with its cargo, which included 20,000 cases of whisky. This not only provided many islanders with a supply of whisky for many years, but also provided the plot for Compton Mackenzie's book Whisky Galore!, which was later made into the famous Ealing comedy of the same name (it was called Tight Little Island in the US) and filmed on Barra. Part of the wreck can be seen at low tide, and there's more information on the famous incident on display in the appropriately named Am Politician pub (open 1230-1430), in the main settlement of Baile (Balla).