Western Isles

I

Introduction

Western Isles (Gaelic, Eilean Siar), island group and administrative region, north-western Scotland, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of the Scottish mainland. It comprises the group of about 50 islands, islets, and barren reefs that forms the Outer Hebrides archipelago and has an area of 2,901 sq km (1,120 sq mi). The chain of islands stretches approximately 210 km (130 mi) north to south, and is separated from the Inner Hebrides and the Scottish mainland to the east by The Minches, an arm of the Atlantic. Harris and southern Lewis are hilly. All the islands are characterized by few trees, mainly heather moorland, little lochs, and long sandy beaches; three are linked by a causeway and a bridge. They are visited mainly by anglers, naturalists, and archaeologists attracted by their wealth of natural history and prehistoric remains.

II

Land and Resources

The islands are made up of Precambrian granite rocks. The soil tends to be poor and thin, and in some areas very difficult to drain so crop types are limited. Lewis is the largest and most northerly of the inhabited islands (see Lewis and Harris). It is an island of scattered remote crofts. The highest point is Mealisval 557 m (1,885 ft) above sea level, with views of the Flannan Isles and of St Kilda, which is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is a National Nature Reserve. Gannets, puffins, and fulmars abound. When they were inhabited the islanders used to climb the steep rock stacks to collect young gannets to eat. Conachair has the highest sea cliffs in the United Kingdom. Harris is a mountainous island, particularly in the north; the highest point is Clisham 799 m (2,622 ft) above sea level. The island is a popular area with walkers, climbers, and anglers. North Uist has a deeply indented coastline and is rich in wildlife. Otters, seals, wildcats, and red deer can all be seen. Benbecula is a flat area of sea and inland lochs with a small area of fertile land protected by sand dunes. South Uist is the second largest of the Outer Hebrides. The western coast has fine dunes and a sandy shoreline. Ben Mhor 620 m (2,034 ft) and Hecla 606 m (1,988 ft) are the principal hills.

The Western Isles have a mild climate for their latitude. May and June are the driest months. Temperatures average 3° C (37° F) in January and 13° C (55° F) in July.

III

Population and Administration

The region has an population of 26,502 (2001). The main administrative centre is Stornoway (population, 1991, 5,975) on the Isle of Lewis. Tarbert (Tairbeart, 484) is the main settlement on Harris, and Lochmaddy (201) is the chief centre of North Uist (population, 1991, 1,404), the third-largest island. Balivanich (1,193) is the main settlement on Benbecula, Lochboisdale (281) on South Uist, and Castlebay (540) on Barra, the most southerly of the main islands. Many of the islands in the Western Isles are uninhabited.

During the Highland Clearances of the 19th century, the islands were severely depopulated. Lack of job opportunities, particularly for young people, means that emigration has continued to take place since. Gaelic is spoken by 68 per cent of the population. It is a region where religion plays a central part in the lives of most people and Sunday is strictly observed; the southern area is mainly Roman Catholic.

The police authority is the Northern Constabulary, which has its headquarters in Inverness. The Western Isles unitary authority falls under the jurisdiction of the Sheriffdom of Grampian, Highland and Islands and there are sheriff courts at Lochmaddy, and Stornoway.

The Western Isles Authority area was created under the 1975 Scottish local government reforms by the merger of parts of the former counties of Ross and Cromarty and Inverness-shire. The Western Isles are administered by an all-purpose unitary authority, the Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar), which was established under the local government reforms implemented in 1975. The Western Isles Council was not affected by the administrative changes implemented on April 1, 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill 1994, which introduced a unitary system of local government to the Scottish mainland.

IV

Economy

The inhabitants are employed in the service industries, fishing, and manufacturing Harris tweed, and in agriculture. The main form of agriculture is crofting, that is, small-scale arable farming and shared grazing land. Unemployment is high, but local agencies such as the Western Isles Enterprise Board and the Western Isles Council have initiated several projects to ameliorate this problem. Growth industries such as tourism, renewable energy production, and information communications technology are being developed; Arnish Point on Lewis was a base for oil- and gas-related development until the mid-1990s.

Lewis is served by ferry from Ullapool on the mainland to Stornoway, which has a good natural harbour. There is an air service between Glasgow and Stornoway. Harris is connected by road to Lewis, and can also be reached by car ferry from Uig on Skye. Lewis and Harris are famous for their Harris tweed, which is still woven at home and finished in small factories. Apart from crofting, seaweed processing for the extraction of alginates, tourism, and Ministry of Defence-related jobs are the main focus of the economy on North and South Uist and Benbecula. Lewis, Benbecula, and Barra all have air services. There are car ferries between the mainland at Ullapool, Oban, and Mallaig, to Lewis, South Uist, and Barra. Harris and North Uist both have ferries to Uig on Skye. Ferries also connect Harris and North Uist, and South Uist and Barra.