"Uist" is a group of six islands and are part of the Outer Hebridean Archipelago, part of the
Outer Hebrides of
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 ...
.
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 a ...
and
South Uist ( or ; gd, Uibhist ) are two of the islands and are linked by
causeways running via the isles of
Benbecula and
Grimsay.
From south to north, the inhabited islands in the island group are (
Eriskay), (South Uist),
Grimsay (South), (
Benbecula), (
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
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit ...
), (
Grimsay (North)), , (North Uist), (
Baleshare) and (
Berneray).
The islands, collectively, have a population of 4,723.
Major settlements
The main settlements in Uist are:
South Uist
* (
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 Ui ...
)
* (
Lochboisdale)
* (
Snishvale)
* (
Stoneybridge)
* (
Eochar
Iochdar ( gd, An t-Ìochdair), also spelled ''Eochar'', is a hamlet and 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 is the largest of several crofting ...
)
* (
Polochar)
* (
Eriskay)
Benbecula
* (
Balivanich)
* (
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
A bayhead or baygall is a specific type of wetland or swamp habitat.Watson, Geraldine Ellis (2006) Big Thicket Plant Ecology: An Introduction, Third Edition (Temple Big Thicket Series #5). University of North Texas Press. 152 pp. Natural Communi ...
)
* (
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, 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.
See also
*
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Benbecula was the island from which Flora MacDonald aided the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (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 ...
) to Kilbride, Skye in June 1746, following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden.
Notes
References
See also
* List of Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides is a chain of more than 100 islands and small skerries located about west of mainland Scotland. There are 15 inhabited islands in this archipelago, which is also known as the Western Isles and archaically as the Long Isle ...
*
* Force-fire
External links
Panoramas of Uist
(QuickTime required)
Local Site Dedicated to Uist
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