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South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the
Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the last remaining strongholds of the
Gaelic language The Goidelic or Gaelic languages ( ga, teangacha Gaelacha; gd, cànanan Goidhealach; gv, çhengaghyn Gaelgagh) form one of the two groups of Insular Celtic languages, the other being the Brittonic languages. Goidelic languages historically ...
in Scotland. South Uist's inhabitants are known in Gaelic as ''Deasaich'' (Southerners). The population is about 90%
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
. The island is home to a nature reserve and a number of sites of
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
interest, including the only location in the
British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
where prehistoric
mummies A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furth ...
have been found. In the northwest, there is a missile testing range. In 2006 South Uist, together with neighbouring
Benbecula Benbecula (; gd, Beinn nam Fadhla or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a ...
and
Eriskay Eriskay ( gd, Èirisgeigh), from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland with a population of 143, as of the 2011 census. It lies between South Uist and Barra and is ...
, was involved in Scotland's biggest-ever community land buyout by Stòras Uibhist. The group also owns the "biggest community wind farm in Scotland", Lochcarnan, on South Uist which opened in 2013.Scots community wind farm secures future
/ref>


Geology

In common with the rest of the
Western Isles The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coas ...
, South Uist is formed from the oldest rocks in Britain,
Lewisian gneiss The Lewisian complex or Lewisian gneiss is a suite of Precambrian metamorphic rocks that outcrop in the northwestern part of Scotland, forming part of the Hebridean Terrane and the North Atlantic Craton. These rocks are of Archaean and Paleopr ...
brought to the surface by old tectonic movements. They bear the scars of the last glaciation which has exposed many of them. The rocks had high-grade regional
metamorphism Metamorphism is the transformation of existing rock (the protolith) to rock with a different mineral composition or texture. Metamorphism takes place at temperatures in excess of , and often also at elevated pressure or in the presence of chem ...
around 2,900 million years ago: in the Archaean eon. Some show
granulite facies Granulites are a class of high-grade metamorphic rocks of the granulite facies that have experienced high-temperature and moderate-pressure metamorphism. They are medium to coarse–grained and mainly composed of feldspars sometimes associated ...
metamorphism, but most have slightly cooler
amphibolite facies Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose (flak ...
. A number of metabasic bodies and metasediments occur locally in the gneiss. On the east side of the island between Lochboisdale and Ornish – part of the Outer Hebrides Thrust Zone – is the Corodale gneiss, dominated by
garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different s ...
-
pyroxene The pyroxenes (commonly abbreviated to ''Px'') are a group of important rock-forming inosilicate minerals found in many igneous and metamorphic rocks. Pyroxenes have the general formula , where X represents calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), iron (Fe II) ...
rock. A narrow zone of
pseudotachylyte Pseudotachylyte (sometimes written as pseudotachylite) is an extremely fine-grained to glassy, dark, cohesive rock occurring as veinsTrouw, R.A.J., C.W. Passchier, and D.J. Wiersma (2010) ''Atlas of Mylonites- and related microstructures.'' Spring ...
occurs along its western margin with the regular gneiss. The Usinish peninsula is formed from ‘mashed gneiss’, within which the banding has mainly been destroyed. Between these two gneisses is a band of
mylonite Mylonite is a fine-grained, compact metamorphic rock produced by dynamic recrystallization of the constituent minerals resulting in a reduction of the grain size of the rock. Mylonites can have many different mineralogical compositions; it is a ...
(as offshore on Stuley). Mashed gneiss occurs again in the extreme southeast. Small occurrences of Archaean
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
s are found in the centre of the island. The island is traversed by many
normal fault In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tecton ...
s: E to W, to NNW to SSE, many being NW to SE. Numerous NW to SE dykes cut through the island: quartz-dolerite, camptonite and
monchiquite Lamprophyres () are uncommon, small-volume ultrapotassic igneous rocks primarily occurring as dikes, lopoliths, laccoliths, stocks, and small intrusions. They are alkaline silica- undersaturated mafic or ultramafic rocks with high magnesium ...
dykes of Permo-
Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonifero ...
age and later
Palaeogene The Paleogene ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning o ...
tholeiitic The tholeiitic magma series is one of two main magma series in subalkaline igneous rocks, the other being the calc-alkaline series. A magma series is a chemically distinct range of magma compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic magma ...
dykes. More recent geological deposits include blown sand along the northern and western coasts and
peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...
inland along with some (glacial)
till image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...
.


Geography

The west is
machair A machair (; sometimes machar in English) is a fertile low-lying grassy plain found on part of the northwest coastlines of Ireland and Scotland, in particular the Outer Hebrides. The best examples are found on North and South Uist, Harri ...
(fertile low-lying coastal plain) with a continuous sandy
beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...
, whilst the east coast is mountainous with the peaks of Beinn Mhòr (Gèideabhal) at and Hecla at . The island is linked to
Eriskay Eriskay ( gd, Èirisgeigh), from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland with a population of 143, as of the 2011 census. It lies between South Uist and Barra and is ...
and
Benbecula Benbecula (; gd, Beinn nam Fadhla or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a ...
by
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...
s. The landscape is characterised by numerous lochs and lochans, the largest of which is
Loch Bì Loch Bì, sometimes anglicised as Loch Bee, is the largest loch on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It lies at the northern end of the island Loch Bì has an irregular shape, and measures about long by in mean bread ...
. The main village on the island is
Lochboisdale Lochboisdale ( gd, Loch Baghasdail) is the main village and port on the island of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Lochboisdale is within the parish of South Uist, and is situated on the shore of Loch Baghasdail at the southern end of the A ...
(''Loch Baghasdail''), from which
Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne ( gd, Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west ...
operates ferries to
Mallaig Mallaig (; gd, Malaig derived from Old Norse , meaning sand dune bay) is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line (Fort Willi ...
(''Malaig)'' on the Scottish mainland (some sailings to Oban in winter when the only large vessel able to dock at Mallaig, MV Lord of the Isles, is covering elsewhere on the Calmac network for vessels in drydock, or in drydock herself). The company previously operated services to Castlebay (''Bàgh a' Chaisteil'') on
Barra Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is name ...
, however as of the 2016 fleet reshuffle these have been removed. There is a separate service to Ardmhòr (Barra) operating from Eriskay numerous times a day. (Smaller settlements include
Daliburgh Daliburgh ( gd, Dalabrog) is a crofting township on South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Daliburgh is situated west from Lochboisdale, has the second largest population of any township in South Uist, and is also in the parish of South ...
(''Dalabrog''),
Howmore Howmore ( gd, Togh Mòr / Tobha Mor) lies on the island of South Uist to the southwest of Loch Druidibeg. The mountain of Haarsal rises to to the east and immediately south is the smaller settlement of Howbeg. Howmore is also within the paris ...
(''Tobha Mòr'') and Ludag (''An Lùdag'').


Climate

South Uist has an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfb'').


Etymology

Mac an Tàilleir (2003) suggests that the derivation of ''Uist'' may be "corn island". However, whilst noting that the ''vist'' ending would have been familiar to speakers of
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
as meaning "dwelling", Gammeltoft (2007) says that the word is "of non-Gaelic origin" and that it reveals itself as one of a number of "foreign place-names having undergone adaptation in Old Norse". In contrast, Clancy (2018) has argued that ''Ívist'' itself is an Old Norse
calque In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language wh ...
on an earlier Gaelic name, ''*Ibuid'' or ''Ibdaig'', which corresponds to
Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
’s ''Eboudai''.


History


Early history

South Uist was clearly home to a thriving
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
community. The island is covered in several neolithic remains, such as
burial cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
s, and a small number of standing stones, of which the largest—standing tall—is in the centre of the island, at the northern edge of Beinn A' Charra. Occupation continued into the
Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and  ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...
, as evidenced by a number of Beaker finds throughout the island. Later in the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
, a man was
mummified A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furt ...
, and placed on display at
Cladh Hallan Cladh Hallan ( gd, Cladh Hàlainn, ) is an archaeological site on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. It is significant as the only place in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found. Excavations were carrie ...
, parts occasionally being replaced over the centuries; he was joined by a woman three hundred years later. Together they are the only known
prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
mummies in the British Isles. Towards the end of the Bronze Age, the mummies were buried, and a row of roundhouses built on top of them. Burials underneath buildings during this time are seen elsewhere on South Uist. At Hornish Point (''Cnoc Mòr'') a burial was found under a roundhouse, consisting of an individual, likely male and aged 12. The skeleton had been dismembered, probably some time after death when the body was partly decomposed. Cannibalism was ruled out as there were none of the marks of skinning, filleting and butchering which would be expected if it was cannibalism. Cladh Hallan was not abandoned until the late
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
. At around that time, in the 2nd century BC, a
broch A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. Brochs belong to the classification "complex Atlantic roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s. Their origin is a matter of some controversy. Origin ...
was built at Dun Vulan; archeological investigation suggests the inhabitants often ate
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
. After the 2nd century AD, the Dun Vulan broch was converted into a three-roomed house. At a similar time, a wheelhouse was constructed at Kilpheder; within a cupboard (in the wheelhouse) was found an enameled bronze
brooch A brooch (, also ) is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments, often to fasten them together. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold or some other material. Brooches are frequently decorated with vitreous enamel, ...
, of a style fashionable in the
Roman Britain Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...
of 150 AD.


Kingdom of the Isles

In the 9th century, Vikings invaded South Uist, along with the rest of the Hebrides, and the
gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
kingdom of
Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is now ...
to the south, and established the
Kingdom of the Isles The Kingdom of the Isles consisted of the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Firth of Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norse as the , or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the or Nort ...
throughout these lands. A short
Ogham Ogham ( Modern Irish: ; mga, ogum, ogom, later mga, ogam, label=none ) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish langu ...
inscription has been found in
Bornish Bornish ( gd, Bòrnais) is a village and community council area on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Bornish is also within the civil parish of South Uist. The A865 passes through Bornish, on the route between Lochmaddy and Lochboisda ...
, inscribed on a piece of animal bone, dating from this era;''An Ogham-Inscribed Plaque from Bornais, South Uist'',
Katherine Forsyth Katherine S. Forsyth is a Scottish historian who specializes in the history and culture of Celtic-speaking peoples during the 1st millennium AD, in particular the Picts. She is currently a professor iCeltic and Gaelicat the University of Glasgo ...
in ''West over Sea: Studies in Scandinavian Sea-Borne Expansion and Settlement Before 1300'', edited by Gareth Williams, 2007, Koninklijke Brill, p. 471-472
it is thought that the Vikings used it as a gaming token, or perhaps for sortilege. Following Norwegian unification under King
Harold Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagreModern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from  872 to 930 and was the first King of Norw ...
, the Kingdom of the Isles became a crown dependency of the Norwegian king; to the Norwegians it was ''Suðreyjar'' (meaning ''southern isles'').
Malcolm III of Scotland Malcolm III ( mga, Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, label=Medieval Gaelic; gd, Maol Chaluim mac Dhonnchaidh; died 13 November 1093) was King of Scotland from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" ("ceann mòr", Gaelic, literally "big head" ...
acknowledged in writing that Suðreyjar was not Scottish, and King Edgar
quitclaim Generally, a quitclaim is a formal renunciation of a legal claim against some other person, or of a right to land. A person who quitclaims renounces or relinquishes a claim to some legal right, or transfers a legal interest in land. Originally a c ...
ed any residual doubts. At Kilpheder, the roundhouses were abandoned in favour of Norse longhouses; at Bornish, a few miles to the north, a more substantial Norse settlement was built. As indicated by archaeological finds, residents had access to a wide trading network, stretching throughout the Norwegian empire, as well as adjacent lands like Ireland. However, in the mid-12th century,
Somerled Somerled (died 1164), known in Middle Irish as Somairle, Somhairle, and Somhairlidh, and in Old Norse as Sumarliði , was a mid-12th-century Norse-Gaelic lord who, through marital alliance and military conquest, rose in prominence to create the ...
, a Norse-Gael of uncertain origin, launched a coup, which made Suðreyjar entirely independent. Following his death, Norwegian authority was nominally restored, but in practice the kingdom was divided between Somerled's heirs (), and the dynasty that Somerled had deposed (the
Crovan dynasty The Crovan dynasty, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century, was the ruling family of an insular kingdom known variously in secondary sources as the Kingdom of Mann, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. The ...
). The MacRory, a branch of Somerled's heirs, ruled Uist, as well as
Barra Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is name ...
,
Eigg Eigg (; gd, Eige; sco, Eigg) is one of the Small Isles in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Isle of Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an a ...
, Rùm, the
Rough Bounds The Rough Bounds ( gd, Na Garbh Chriochan), in the Scottish Highlands, is the area of West Inverness-shire bounded by Loch Hourn, Loch Shiel, and Loch Moidart, consisting of the districts of Knoydart, North Morar, Arisaig and Moidart. The are ...
, Bute, Arran and northern Jura. A small monastery was established at
Howmore Howmore ( gd, Togh Mòr / Tobha Mor) lies on the island of South Uist to the southwest of Loch Druidibeg. The mountain of Haarsal rises to to the east and immediately south is the smaller settlement of Howbeg. Howmore is also within the paris ...
.


Lordships

In the 13th century, despite Edgar's
quitclaim Generally, a quitclaim is a formal renunciation of a legal claim against some other person, or of a right to land. A person who quitclaims renounces or relinquishes a claim to some legal right, or transfers a legal interest in land. Originally a c ...
, Scottish forces attempted to conquer parts of Suðreyjar, culminating in the indecisive
Battle of Largs The Battle of Largs (2 October 1263) was a battle between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde near Largs, Scotland. Through it, Scotland achieved the end of 500 years of Norse Viking depredations and invasions despite bei ...
. In 1266, the matter was settled by the
Treaty of Perth The Treaty of Perth, signed 2 July 1266, ended military conflict between Magnus VI of Norway and Alexander III of Scotland over possession of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man. The text of the treaty. The Hebrides and the Isle of Man had become ...
, which transferred the whole of Suðreyjar to Scotland, in exchange for a very large sum of money. The Treaty expressly preserved the status of the rulers of Suðreyjar; the MacRory lands, excepting Bute, Arran, and Jura, became the ''Lordship of
Garmoran Garmoran is an area of western Scotland. It lies at the south-western edge of the present Highland Region. It includes Knoydart, Morar, Moidart, Ardnamurchan, and the Small Isles. History The medieval lordship of Garmoran was ruled by the MacRua ...
'', a quasi-independent crown dependency, rather than an intrinsic part of Scotland. Following this, the Norse longhouses were gradually abandoned, in favour of new
Blackhouse A blackhouse ( ga, teach dubh ; gd, t(a)igh-dubh ) is a traditional type of house which used to be common in Ireland, the Hebrides, and the Scottish Highlands. Origin of the name The origin of the name blackhouse is of some debate. On the Is ...
s and a new parish church was built at Howmore for South Uist. At the turn of the century,
William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
had created the position of
Sheriff of Inverness The Sheriff of Inverness was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order and bringing criminals to justice in Inverness, Scotland. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the J ...
, to be responsible for the Scottish highlands, which theoretically now extended to Garmoran. In 1293, however, king
John Balliol John Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as ''Toom Tabard'' (meaning "empty coat" – coat of arms), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...
established the
Sheriffdom of Skye The Sheriff of Skye was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order in Skye, Scotland and bringing criminals to justice. The sheriffdom was created in 1293 by King John of Scotland in an effort to maintain peace in the ...
, which included the Outer Hebrides. Nevertheless, following his usurpation, the Skye sheriffdom ceased to be mentioned, and the Garmoran lordship (including Uist) was confirmed to the MacRory leader. In 1343, King David II issued a further charter for this to the latter's son. Just three years later the sole surviving MacRory heir was
Amy of Garmoran Amy of Garmoran also known as Amie MacRuari and Euphemia was a 14th-century Scottish noblewoman who was the sister of Raghnall mac Ruaidhri, Lord of Garmoran and the spouse of John of Islay.Lee (1920) p. 61 After her marriage had produced three ...
. The southern parts of the Kingdom of the Isles had become the ''
Lordship of the Isles The Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( gd, Triath nan Eilean or ) is a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title ...
'', ruled by the MacDonalds (another group of Somerled's descendants). Amy married the MacDonald leader,
John of Islay :''This article refers to John I, Lord of the Isles; for John II, see John of Islay, Earl of Ross'' John of Islay (or John MacDonald) ( gd, Eòin Mac Dòmhnuill or gd, Iain mac Aonghais Mac Dhòmhnuill) (died 1386) was the Lord of the Isles ( ...
, but a decade later he divorced her, and married the king's niece instead (in return for a substantial
dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...
). As part of the divorce, John deprived his eldest son, Ranald, of the ability to inherit the Lordship of the Isles, in favour of a son by his new wife. As compensation, John granted Lordship of Uist to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey, while making Ranald Lord of the remainder of Garmoran. However, on Ranald's death, disputes between Godfrey and his nephews (the elder of whom founded Clan Ranald) led to an enormous amount of violent feuding. In 1427, frustrated with the level of violence in the Highlands,
King James I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...
demanded that Highland leaders should attend a meeting at
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
. On arrival, many of the leaders were seized and imprisoned; Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey, was considered to be one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quick
show trial A show trial is a public trial in which the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt or innocence of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal the presentation of both the accusation and the verdict to the public so th ...
, was immediately executed., p. 65 King James declared the Lordship of Uist forfeit.


Fracture

Following the forfeiture, and in that same year,
the Lord of the Isles ''The Lord of the Isles'' is a narrative poem by Walter Scott in six cantos with substantial notes. Set in 1307 and 1314 Scotland it covers the story of Robert the Bruce from his return from exile in Ireland to the successful culmination of his ...
granted
Laird Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...
ship of the southern third of South Uist (traditionally called ''Lochboisdale''), together with
Barra Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is name ...
, to Giolla Adhamhnáin mac Néill, leader of the MacNeils. At around this time Calvay Castle was built, guarding Lochboisdale. The remainder of South Uist remained with the Scottish crown until 1469, when James III granted Lairdship of it to John of Ross, the Lord of the Isles; in turn, John passed it to his own half-brother,
Hugh of Sleat Hugh of Sleat ( 1437 – 1498), pronounced "Slate", who is known as Ùisdean () in Gaelic, was an illegitimate son of Alexander MacDonald, 10th Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles. He was a member of the Highland and Western Isles Clan Donald. Hugh ...
(the grant to Hugh was later confirmed by the king—
James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...
—in a 1493 charter). Hugh died a few years later, in 1498, and for reasons that are not remotely clear, his son—John of Sleat—immediately resigned, transferring all authority to the king. On 3 August that same year,
king James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...
awarded the central third of South Uist (traditionally known as ''Kilpheder''), by charter to
Ranald Bane Ranald is an English Hanks; Hodges 2006 pp. 407–408; Hanks; Hodges 2003; Hanks; Hodges 1997 pp. 204, 205. and Scots masculine given name. It is an Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic name ''Raghnall''. A short form of ''Ranald'' is ' ...
, leader of Clan Ranald.Angus & Archibald Macdonald. ''The Clan Donald'' volume 2, The Northern Counties Publishing Company Ltd, 1900, p. 238 Two days later, the king gave Ranald Bane a charter for the northern third (traditionally known as ''Skirhough'') as well. Ranald Bane, or his heirs, built Casteal Bheagram, on Loch an Eilean in Skirhough, as their local stronghold.


John Moidartach and his sons

Some time after Ranald Bane's nephew, John Moidartach, succeeded as laird, he fell out of favour with
King James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and dur ...
. By 1538, James had transferred lairdship of Kilpheder to John's younger half-brother, Farquhar; the king gave him Skirhough shortly afterwards. In 1563, Farquhar sold his portion of South Uist to a distant relation, James MacDonald (heir of the second son of John of Islay); that same year,
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
, issued a charter confirming James MacDonald as laird of these lands. In the following year, Farquhar was murdered by John Moidartach's sons.''Clan Donald'', Donald J MacDonald, MacDonald Publishers (of Loanhead, Midlothian), 1978, p.301 The year after that, as opponents of the
Scottish reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
, Moidartach and his family took the side of
the Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
during the
Chaseabout Raid The Chaseabout Raid was a rebellion by James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, against his half sister, Mary, Queen of Scots, on 26 August 1565, over her marriage to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. The rebels also claimed to be acting over other causes ...
, and were consequently back in royal favour; the Queen prohibited them from being punished for Farquhar's murder. By the last decades of the century, John Moidartach had obtained a practical hold on Farquhar's former lands, though seemingly as a tenant of James MacDonald's heirs. In 1584 John died, and was buried at Howmore; a decorated stone from the site (the ''Clanranald Stone'') is thought to have been his headstone. In 1596, concerned by the active involvement of highland leaders in Irish rebellions against Queen Elizabeth of England, king
James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...
(Elizabeth's heir) demanded that they send well-armed men, as well as attending themselves, to meet him at
Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...
on 1 August, and produce the charters for their land. As neither John Moidartach's heirs, nor those of James MacDonald, did so, Skirhough and Kilpheder became forfeit, by the corresponding Act of Parliament. Consequently, the king awarded them to Donald Gorm Mòr, the heir of Hugh of Sleat, as a reward; he had been one of the few Highland leaders who obeyed the king's summons. Donald Gorm Mòr
subinfeudated In English law, subinfeudation is the practice by which tenants, holding land under the king or other superior lord, carved out new and distinct tenures in their turn by sub-letting or alienating a part of their lands. The tenants were termed ...
Skirhough and Kilpheder back to Clan Ranald, for £46 per annum.


Reunification

The leader of the MacNeils did not submit to the 1609 Statutes of Iona. Using this as justification, Clan Ranald drove the MacNeils out of Lochboisdale, and were subsequently awarded a charter for it, in 1610. In 1622, Donald Gorm Mòr's successor, Donald Gorm Òg, is found requesting that the Privy Council physically punish the Clan Ranald leadership for not removing their families and tenants from Skirhough; presumably they hadn't been paying the rent.Angus & Archibald Macdonald. ''The Clan Donald'' volume 2, The Northern Counties Publishing Company Ltd, 1900, p. 320-321 By way of settlement of the dispute, Donald Gorm Og was granted lairdship over Lochboisdale as well; thus Donald Gorm Og became laird of the whole of South Uist, while Clan Ranald held it as his feudal vassals. In 1633, Donald Gorm Òg decided to simply sell lairdship of South Uist to the Earl of Argyll; in January 1634, this arrangement was confirmed by a crown charter. In 1661, as a leading opponent of king
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
, the Earl's son —
the Marquess of Argyll ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
— was convicted of high treason, and his lands became forfeit. Thus, in 1673, it was the king demanding that Clan Ranald pay their outstanding rent for South Uist.


Debt, poverty and loss

In 1701, Allen MacDonald, the leader of Clan Ranald, built Ormaclete Castle as his new main residence in UIst. In 1715, some
venison Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, ...
caught fire in the kitchen, which led to the whole castle burning down. Like many of the MacDonald leaders, Allen was a supporter of the
Jacobite rebellion , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...
, and a few days later, at the Battle of Sheriffmuir, was himself killed. After this, the Clan Ranald leadership moved their main home in Uist back to Benbecula. During the
Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Franci ...
, Ranald MacDonald, the son of the Clan Ranald leader, amassed large amounts of debt by funding the Jacobite army. In the following year,
Bonnie Prince Charlie Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
was able to hide at Calvay Castle, after fleeing from the
Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...
, until he was able to escape with the aid of
Flora MacDonald Flora MacDonald ( Gaelic: ''Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill'', 1722 - 5 March 1790) was a member of Clan Macdonald of Sleat, best known for helping Charles Edward Stuart evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Her famil ...
. Though an act of attainder (and forfeit) was subsequently passed against Ranald, it had no effect, due to accidentally naming him as ''Donald'' MacDonald. Ranald's debts proved burdensome for his family, but his grandson,
Ranald George MacDonald Ranald George Macdonald (29 August 1788 – 11 March 1873) was a Scottish clan chief and Member of Parliament. Macdonald was the son of John Macdonald, 18th Chief of Clanranald, by Katherine, the daughter of Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield.< ...
, was able to keep them at bay thanks to the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
; the wars had restricted the supply of certain minerals, turning the production of
soda ash Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...
by burning
kelp Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwat ...
into a highly profitable activity. Kelp harvesting (and burning) became one of the principle economic activities of the population of South Uist, but when the wars ended, competition from imported
barilla ''Barilla'' refers to several species of salt-tolerant (halophyte) plants that, until the 19th century, were the primary source of soda ash and hence of sodium carbonate. The word "barilla" was also used directly to refer to the soda ash obtained ...
resulted in the kelp price collapsing. In 1837, facing bankruptcy, Ranald sold South Uist to Lt. Colonel John Gordon of
Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in ...
. Already accustomed to treating people as slaves, and seeing the financial advantages to livestock farming, Gordon was ruthless, evicting the population with short notice. On 11 August 1851, he demanded that everyone in South Uist attend a public meeting at Lochboisdale; according to an eyewitness, he dragged the attendees from the meeting, sometimes in handcuffs, and threw then onto waiting ships, like cattle. Having "cleared" much of the land, he replaced the population with flocks of
Blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...
sheep, bringing in
Lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of ...
farmers to care for them. The former population largely moved to Canada; the remaining populace of South Uist represented less than half of the 1841 total.''South Uist:Archaeology and History of a Hebridean Island.'' Pearson, Shaples, Symonds. 2004.


Later history

Lochboisdale became a major herring port later in the 19th century. In 1889, counties were formally created in Scotland, on shrieval boundaries, by a dedicated Local Government Act; South Uist therefore became part of the new
county of Inverness Inverness-shire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in populati ...
. Following late 20th-century reforms, South Uist became part of the Highland Region. The population level remained steady after the 19th-century clearances (in 2004 it was 2,285). Following a series of different landowners, South Uist was owned by South Uist Estates Ltd from 1960. In 2006, the local community bought all of the company's shares, via the special purpose vehicle ''Sealladh na Beinne Mòire''.


Missile testing

In the north west of the island at (), a missile testing range was built in 1957–58 to launch the Corporal missile, Britain and America's first guided nuclear weapon. This development went ahead despite significant protests, some locals expressing concern that the
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
language would not survive the influx of English-speaking Army personnel. The British Government claimed that there was an 'overriding national interest' in establishing a training range for their newly purchased Corporal, a weapon that was to be at the front line of
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
defence. The Corporal missile was tested from 1959 to 1963, before giving way to Sergeant and Lance tactical nuclear missiles. The 'rocket range' as it is known locally has also been used to test high-altitude research rockets,
Skua The skuas are a group of predatory seabirds with seven species forming the genus ''Stercorarius'', the only genus in the family Stercorariidae. The three smaller skuas, the long-tailed skua, the Arctic skua, and the pomarine skua are called ...
and
Petrel Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. Description The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group (all except the albatross f ...
. Local opposition to the range inspired the 1957 novel ''
Rockets Galore ''Rockets Galore!'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Michael Relph and starring Jeannie Carson, Donald Sinden and Roland Culver. The sequel to ''Whisky Galore! (1949 film), Whisky Galore!'', it was much less successful than its predecess ...
'' by
Compton Mackenzie Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish independence, Scottish nation ...
. The
Deep Sea Range The Deep Sea Range is an RAF missile range in the Outer Hebrides. It has also been known as the Hebrides Guided Weapon Range and the South Uist Missile Range. History The range was operated by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), ...
is still owned by the
MoD Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...
operated by QinetiQ as a testing facility for missile systems such as the surface-to-air
Rapier missile Rapier is a surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army to replace their towed Bofors 40/L70 anti-aircraft guns. The system is unusual as it uses a manual optical guidance system, sending guidance commands to the missile in flight over ...
and
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s. In 2009 the MOD announced that it was considering running down its missile testing ranges in the Western Isles, with potentially serious consequences for the local economy.


Ownership of South Uist

After a protracted campaign, South Uist residents took control of the island on 30 November 2006 in Scotland's biggest community land buyout to date. The previous landowners, a sporting syndicate, sold the assets of the estate for £4.5 million to a Community Company known as ''Stòras Uibhist'', which was set up to purchase the land and to manage it. The buyout resulted in most of South Uist, and neighbouring Benbecula, and all of Eriskay coming under community control. The proposal for community ownership received the overwhelming support of the people of the islands, who "look forward to regenerating the local economy, reversing decline and depopulation, and reducing dependency, while remaining aware of the environmental needs, culture and history of the islands". The company claims its name—''Stòras Uibhist'' (meaning 'Uist Resource')—symbolises hope for the future wealth and prosperity of the islands. The organisation's website states that ''Stòras Uibhist'' comprises South Uist Estates Ltd, South Uist Renewable Energy (the wind farm) and Lochboisdale Development Limited ("which is responsible for the newly built Marina in the port of Lochboisdale").


Economy

Tourism is important to the island's economy and attractions include the Kildonan Museum, housing the 16th-century Clanranald Stone, and the ruins of the house where
Flora MacDonald Flora MacDonald ( Gaelic: ''Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill'', 1722 - 5 March 1790) was a member of Clan Macdonald of Sleat, best known for helping Charles Edward Stuart evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Her famil ...
was born. South Uist is home to the Askernish Golf Course. The oldest course in the Outer Hebrides, Askernish was designed by
Old Tom Morris Thomas Mitchell Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908), otherwise known as Old Tom Morris, and The Grand Old Man of Golf, was a Scottish golfer. He was born in St Andrews, Fife, the "home of golf" and location of the St Andrews Links, and died ...
, who also worked on the Old Course at St Andrews. Morris was commissioned by Lady Gordon Cathcart in 1891. The Askernish course existed intact until the 1930s, but was partly destroyed to make way for an aircraft runway, then abandoned, and ultimately lost. Its identity remained hidden for many years before its apparent discovery, a claim disputed by some locals. Restoration of the course to Morris's original design was held up by disagreements with local crofters, but after legal challenges were resolved in the courts, the course opened in August 2008. The summer music school, Ceòlas, takes place every year from the first Sunday of July in Daliburgh School on the island. In 2019, it was estimated that the school contributed around £210,000 to the local economy. It is then followed by the local children's summer school, Fèis Tir a'Mhurain. The Explore South Uist Web site discusses attractions to tourists: Loch Druidibeg a National Nature Reserve, the Cladh Hallan Roundhouses archaeological site, Ormacleit Castle (completed in 1708 and destroyed by fire in 1715), Uist Sculpture Trail "of seven commissioned works by artists", the Statue of Our Lady of the Isles, the Askernish Golf Course, Flora MacDonald's Monument, Kildonan Museum and Crafts and some Standing Stones. The community group owner of South Uist, the Stòras Uibhist, owns the Lochcarnan 6.9MW wind farm project which began operation in 2013. It is composed of three Enercon E-70 2.3MW turbines. In 2019, the operation required re-financing which was easily obtained. A spokesperson for Stòras Uibhist said that the wind farm is important because it "generates income we can reinvest back into the communities ... to boost the economy, protect local crofting practices and generate employment opportunities".


Wildlife and conservation

The west coast of South Uist is home to the most extensive cultivated
machair A machair (; sometimes machar in English) is a fertile low-lying grassy plain found on part of the northwest coastlines of Ireland and Scotland, in particular the Outer Hebrides. The best examples are found on North and South Uist, Harri ...
system in Scotland, which is protected as protected a both a
Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
and a
Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...
under the
Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...
programme. Over 200 species of flowering plants have been recorded on the reserve, some of which are nationally scarce. South Uist is considered the best place in the UK for the aquatic plant Slender Naiad ''(
Najas flexilis ''Najas flexilis'' is an aquatic annual plant native to parts of North America and Europe. It is native to northern and central Europe from Norway to Ireland to Switzerland, and from there across Russia (including Siberia). It is also considered ...
)'', which is a
European Protected Species European Protected Species (EPS) are species of plants and animals (other than birds) protected by law throughout the European Union. They are listed in Annexes II and IV of the European Habitats Directive. The lists include several hundred species ...
. Nationally important populations of breeding waders are also present, including redshank,
dunlin The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader, formerly sometimes separated with the other "stints" in the genus ''Erolia''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown ...
,
lapwing Lapwings (subfamily Vanellinae) are any of various ground-nesting birds (family Charadriidae) akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. A gro ...
and
ringed plover The common ringed plover or ringed plover (''Charadrius hiaticula'') is a small plover that breeds in Arctic Eurasia. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from ...
. The island is also home to
greylag geese The greylag goose or graylag goose (''Anser anser'') is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae and the type species of the genus ''Anser (bird), Anser''. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and ...
on the lochs, and in summer corncrakes on the machair.
Otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
s and
hen harrier The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Eur ...
s are also seen. Loch Druidibeg in the north of the island was formerly (until 2012) a national nature reserve owned and managed by
Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and ...
(SNH). The area, which is now protected as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
, covers 1,675 hectares of
machair A machair (; sometimes machar in English) is a fertile low-lying grassy plain found on part of the northwest coastlines of Ireland and Scotland, in particular the Outer Hebrides. The best examples are found on North and South Uist, Harri ...
, bog, freshwater
loch ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots and Irish language, Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is Cognate, cognate with the Manx language, Manx lough, Cornish language, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh language, Welsh w ...
s,
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
, heather moorland and hill. Ownership of the SSSI was transferred from SNH to the local community-owned company Stòras Uibhist. An area of the south west coast of the island is designated as the ''South Uist Machair National Scenic Area'', one of 40 such areas in Scotland which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The designated area covers 13,314  ha in total, of which 6,289 ha is on land, with a further 7,025 ha being marine (i.e. below low tide level). There has been considerable controversy over
hedgehogs A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction ...
on South Uist. The animals are not native to the islands, having been introduced in the 1970s to reduce garden pests. It is claimed that they pose a threat to the eggs of ground-nesting wading birds on the island. In 2003 the Uist Wader Project — headed by Scottish Natural Heritage — began a cull of hedgehogs in the area. Following a campaign and concerns over animal welfare, this cull was called off in 2007; instead, hedgehogs are being captured and moved to mainland Scotland. Along with the island's situation on the North Atlantic Ocean, its machair is considered to be one of the most vulnerable coasts in Scotland due to relative
sea level rise Globally, sea levels are rising due to human-caused climate change. Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by , or 1–2 mm per year on average.IPCC, 2019Summary for Policymakers InIPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cry ...
and the potential effects of
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
. Specifically, research has shown that the most vulnerable areas include Ìochdar, Stoneybridge, Cille Pheadair, and Orasay.


Gaelic

At the 2011 Census it was found that 1,888
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
speakers live on South Uist and Benbecula, this being 60% of the two islands' population. 'Na Meadhoinean', Middle District in South Uist, is the strongest Gaelic-speaking community in the world, at 82%.


Notable residents

* Angus Peter Campbell (born 1952) poet, novelist, journalist, broadcaster and actor. *
Kathleen MacInnes Kathleen MacInnes, or Caitlin NicAonghais in Scottish Gaelic, (born 30 December 1969) is a Scottish singer, television presenter and actress, who performs primarily in Scottish Gaelic. She is a native of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and ...
(born 1969), singer, TV presenter and actress *
Danny Alexander Sir Daniel Grian Alexander (born 15 May 1972) is a former politician who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury between 2010 and 2015. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey constituency from 2005 u ...
(born 1972),
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
; lived at West Geirnish on South Uist for three years as a child"Alexander hears jobs and cuts fears"
(27 Aug 2010) Aberdeen. ''Press and Journal''.
*
Flora MacDonald Flora MacDonald ( Gaelic: ''Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill'', 1722 - 5 March 1790) was a member of Clan Macdonald of Sleat, best known for helping Charles Edward Stuart evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Her famil ...
(1722–1790), born at Milton; known for her help of Bonnie Prince Charlie * Etienne Macdonald Although not a resident of the island, the family of this marshall of
Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
originated in Howbeg, South Uist *
Angus McPhee Angus McPhee or MacPhee (1916–1997) was a Scottish Outsider Artist, who lived as a young man in the community of Eochar (Sc.Gaelic: Iochdar) on the island of South Uist, part of the Outer Hebrides. He made his art by weaving found vegetation ...
(1916–1997), born at Iochdar; outsider artist * Margaret Fay Shaw (1903–2004), American photographer and folklorist


See also

*
List of islands of Scotland This is a list of islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by ...
* Bun Sruth, a loch in the southeast *
Easaval Easaval (Scottish Gaelic: Easabhal) is one of the smallest hills on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, with a height of . It is a small rounded hill located south of Lochboisdale near Pollachar in the southernmost part ...
, a hill in the south *
Iochdar Iochdar ( gd, An t-Ìochdair), also spelled ''Eochar'', is a hamlet (place), hamlet and community council, community on the west coast of the island of South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Iochdar is also in the parish of South Uist. It i ...
, a hamlet on the west coast *
Kilaulay Kilaulay (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cill Amhlaigh'' / ''Cill Amhlaidh'' ) is a crofting township on the island of South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Kilaulay is located on the north-west corner of the island, situated about west of Eochar. ...
, a township on the northwest coast *
Ushenish Ushenish is a headland on the remote east coast of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Ushenish Lighthouse The Ushenish Lighthouse is an active lighthouse located in South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. History Ushenish Lighthouse ...
, a headland on the east coast *
Scottish island names The modern names of Scottish islands stem from two main influences. There are many names that derive from the Scottish Gaelic language in the Hebrides and Firth of Clyde. In the Northern Isles most place names have a Norse origin. There are also ...


Footnotes


References


Bibliography

* Ballin Smith, Beverley; Taylor, Simon; and Williams, Gareth (2007) ''West over Sea: Studies in Scandinavian Sea-Borne Expansion and Settlement Before 1300''. Leiden. Brill. *


External links

* *
The_Island_Where_God_Speaks_Gaelic_Raidió_Teilifís_Éireann
_documentary_from_1971.html" ;"title="Raidió Teilifís Éireann">The Island Where God Speaks Gaelic Raidió_Teilifís_Éireann">The_Island_Where_God_Speaks_Gaelic_Raidió_Teilifís_Éireann
_documentary_from_1971
Archaeological_Aerial_Photographs
*
South_Uist_a_Hebridean_First
:_Flag_Institute_press_release_30_June_2017
An_Gàrradh_Mòr,_Historic_walled_garden_at_Cille_Bhrìghde

The_world_in_a_spin:_representing_the_Neolithic_landscapes_of_South_Uist
in_Internet_Archaeology

*_ {{Coord.html" ;"title="Raidió Teilifís Éireann
documentary from 1971">Raidió Teilifís Éireann">The Island Where God Speaks Gaelic Archaeological_Aerial_Photographs
*
South_Uist_a_Hebridean_First
:_Flag_Institute_press_release_30_June_2017
An_Gàrradh_Mòr,_Historic_walled_garden_at_Cille_Bhrìghde

The_world_in_a_spin:_representing_the_Neolithic_landscapes_of_South_Uist
in_Internet_Archaeology

*_ {{Coord">57.html" ;"title="Raidió Teilifís Éireann
documentary from 1971
Archaeological Aerial Photographs
*
South Uist a Hebridean First
: Flag Institute press release 30 June 2017
An Gàrradh Mòr, Historic walled garden at Cille Bhrìghde

The world in a spin: representing the Neolithic landscapes of South Uist
in Internet Archaeology

* {{Coord">57">16, N, 7, 19, W, region:GB_type:isle, display=title Uist islands Islands of the Outer Hebrides Community buyouts in Scotland National scenic areas of Scotland Important Bird Areas of Scotland Highland Estates de:Kilpheder