South part of Outer Hebrides by Sentinel-2

"Uist" is a group of six islands and are part of the Outer Hebridean Archipelago, part 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 coas ...

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 th ...

North Uist North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Etymology In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...

and

South Uist South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. 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 ...

( or ; gd, Uibhist ) are two of the islands and are linked 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 ...

s running via the isles of

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 Grimsay. From south to north, the inhabited islands in the island group are ( Eriskay), (South Uist), Grimsay (South), (

), (

Flodaigh Flodaigh is a tidal island lying to the north of Benbecula and south of Grimsay in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is connected to Benbecula by a causeway. The island is 145 hectares and in 2001 had a population of 11 and 7 in 2011. The census ...

), ( Grimsay (North)), , (North Uist), ( Baleshare) and ( Berneray). The islands, collectively, have a population of 4,723.

Major settlements

The new South Uist Care Hospital at Daliburgh - geograph

The main settlements in Uist are:

South Uist

* ( Daliburgh) * ( Lochboisdale) * ( Snishvale) * ( Stoneybridge) * ( Eochar) * ( Polochar) * ( Eriskay)

Benbecula

* (

Balivanich Balivanich ( gd, Baile a' Mhanaich) is a village on the island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. It is the main centre for Benbecula and the adjacent islands of North Uist, South Uist and several smaller islan ...

) * ( Creagorry) * ( Liniclate)

North Uist

* (

Carinish Carinish ( gd, Càirinis), is a hamlet on North Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is in the south of the island, about from the causeway to Benbecula. The hamlet is known for the Carinish Stone Circle and the Trinity Temple. Carinish is ...

) * ( Bayhead) * ( Sollas) * ( Lochmaddy) * (Balemore)

16th century

Geography

Writing in 1549, Sir Donald Monro, High Dean of the Isles stated of "Ywst" that it was a fertile country full of high hills and forests on the east coast with five parish kirks. He also noted that in the north of "Ywst ther is sundrie covis and holes in the earth, coverit with heddir above, quhilk fosters maney rebellis in the countrey".Monro (1549) no. 154

Fishing

Monro referred to the "infinite number of fresh water loches", including

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 brea ...

, which is South Uist's largest loch and at long it all but cuts the island in two. Monro stated that "the sea has gotten enteries to this fresche water loche" and described the "thicke dyke of rough staines" that had been created to prevent salt water ingress. This apparently resulted in numerous fish being caught in the stones, including "fluikes, podloches, skatts, and herings" and he described another "kynd of fishe, the quhantitie and shape of ane salmont, but it has na skaills at all; the under haffe, narrest his vombe is quhite, and the upmaist haffe narrest his back is als black as jett".

Land tenure

Monro's description was:

This countrey is bruiked by sundrey captains; to witt, the south southwest end of it, callit Bayhastill, be M’Neill of Barray, the rest of the ile, namit Peiter’s parochin, the parochin of Howes, and the mayne land of the mid countrey callit Mackermeanache, perteins to Clanronald, halding of the Clandonald. At the end heirof the sea enters, and cuts the countrey be ebbing and flowing through it: and in the north syde of this there is ane parochin callit Buchagla, perteining to the said Clandonald. At the north end thereof the sea cuts the countrey againe, and that cutting of the sea is called Careynesse, and benorth this countrey is called Kenehnache of Ywst, that is in Englishe, the north head of Ywst, whilk term is twa paroche kirks, and is mair of profit than the rest of haill of Ywst, perteining to Donald Gormesone.

Bonnie Prince Charlie

was the island from which

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 family ...

aided the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart ( Bonnie Prince Charlie) to Kilbride, Skye in June 1746, following his defeat at 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 (1745), Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a Kingdom of Great Bri ...

Notes

References

External links

Panoramas of Uist
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Local Site Dedicated to Uist
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