Highlands and Islands
A Off the west coast of Scotland, in the Atlantic Ocean, lies a chain of islands known as the Outer Hebrides or Western Isles. The main inhabited islands are Lewis, Harris, North Uist and South Uist, Benbecula, Berneray and Barra. The Isle of Lewis is the most northern and largest of the Western Isles, and to its south, a small strip of land connects it to the Isle of Harris, making the two islands one land mass. To the south west of Harris are the two Uists with Benbecula wedged in between them. These three islands are connected by bridges and causeways. The small island of Berneray is connected to North Uist by a causeway and it is the only populated island in the waters around Harris. Eriskay is a tiny island, also populated, lying between South Uist and Barra. Off the tip of Barra lie the Barra Isles, formerly known as the Bishop’s Isles, comprising a group of small islands which include Mingulay, Sandray, Pabbay and Vatersay, and at the southernmost tip of the chain, lies an island by the name of Berneray, not to be confused with the island of the same name observed across the bay from Harris.
B Lewis is lowlying and covered in a smooth blanket of peatland. Harris is an island of contrasts. It displays a rocky coast to the east, yet white, sandy beaches to the west, backed by fertile green grassland (‘machair’), pockmarked with freshwater pools (lochans). North Uist is covered with peatland and lochans, whilst South Uist is mountainous to the east with machair and sandy beaches to the west. Benbecula is relatively flat and combines machair, peatland and lochans, with sandy beaches and deeply indented sea lochs. Like Harris, Benbecula and Barra exhibit a rocky coastland to the east and lowlying machair to the west with sandy beaches similar to those seen on Berneray, which is a flat isle, except for a few hills, and sand dunes.
C Although part of Scotland, the Western Isles have a distinctive culture. Whilst English is the dominant language of mainland Scotland, Gaelic is the first language of more than half the islanders, and visitors to the islands can expect a Gaelic greeting. Gaelic signing and labelling reinforces the unique identity of the islands and helps to promote tourism and business. Place names on road signs are in Gaelic with only the main signs displaying English beneath. Visitors to the Western Isles may be surprised to find that the shops are closed on Sundays. The strong Christian tradition of the islands means that for the most part, the Sabbath is respected as a day of rest and leisure, especially on Lewis and Harris.
D There are approximately 27,000 people in the Western Isles and onethird of these live in and around the capital town of Stornoway, on the east coast of the Isle of Lewis. The town is served by an airport and ferry terminal making it the hub for Western Islands’ travel. Stornoway is best known for its worldfamous Harris Tweed industry, which developed from a Murray tartan commissioned by Lady Dunmore in the 1850s. Only wool that has been handwoven and dyed in the Outer Hebrides is permitted to carry the Harris Tweed logo. Other areas of economic activity include fishing, tourism, transport and renewable energy. Almost twothirds of the population live on a croft, which is a particular type of smallholding peculiar to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Crofters are tenants of a small piece of agricultural land, typically a few hectares, that usually includes a dwelling which the crofter either owns or rents from the landowner. The land must be used for the purposes of crofting, which can be described as smallscale mixed farming. Crofting activities include grazing sheep (lamb) and to lesser extent cattle (beef), growing potatoes, vegetables and fruit, keeping chickens, and cutting peat for burning on the house fire. Crofting can be likened to subsistence living, that is to say, living off what you can rear, grow and make, with anything spare going to market or shared with the community. Some people see crofting as a means of escaping the ‘rat race’ and getting closer to nature, though this romanticized view is naive. It is difficult to survive from crofting alone and most crofters have to supplement their incomes with a parttime job. Crofting as a way of life has been in decline. However, this trend may be about to reverse, led by consumer demand for highquality produce, grown sustainably with the least environmental impact.