Western Isles (pop. 26,140), also known as the Outer Hebrides, are a group of islands lying off the western coast of Scotland. The Western Isles make up a single council area, the primary unit of local government in Scotland. The populated islands comprise Lewis and Harris (a single land mass), North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, Vatersay, Berneray, and Eriskay. The islands have an area of 1,120 square miles (2,895 square kilometers). Stornoway, on Lewis, is the administrative center.
One in four of the Gaelic speakers in Scotland lives in the Western Isles. Gaelic is the everyday language in many areas. In Gaelic, the islands are known as Eilean Siar.
Economy.
Crofting is still the main part of the economy in rural areas. A crofting township is a large farm divided among a number of tenants. Each tenant has a self-contained holding, typically of about 10 acres (4 hectares), which includes arable land and pastureland. Crofters work mainly to produce cattle and lambs.
In Lewis, some of the crofts have foot-operated looms producing Harris tweed. Other crofters work in spinning and finishing mills in Stornoway. North Uist produces some knitwear. A factory at Arnish Point, Stornoway, produces steelwork for the offshore oil industry.
Fishing is of great importance to the islands’ economy. Shellfish have replaced herring as the most important catch, including prawns, lobsters, and scallops. Fish farming is a growing industry.
Tourism has become increasingly important. New car ferries have made the islands accessible for tourists.
Land.
Western Isles lie to the west of the Scottish mainland, opposite Highland Region. The islands extend for about 140 miles (220 kilometers) from Butt of Lewis in the north to Barra Head in the south.
Northern Lewis is a low plateau, covered by peat in the center. The plateau is broken by lochs (lakes) and low hills. In the south, the plateau ends in a ridge of hills on the border between Lewis and Harris. The highest of these hills is The Clisham, which reaches 2,621 feet (799 meters). Bare hills dominate southern Harris and the eastern edges of North Uist and South Uist. Barra also has a number of bare hills.
Running southward from the west coast of Harris is a series of white shell-sand beaches. In Uist, low plains lie on the western fringes, next to the shell-sand beaches. These plains, called machairs, are the islands’ main areas for growing cereals. Apart from the sandy beaches in the west, all the islands have rocky coastlines.
The most important river is the Grimersta, in western Lewis. It is one of the finest salmon rivers in Scotland. The islands have many small lochs containing brown trout, sea trout, and some salmon.
History.
During the A.D. 800’s, Vikings raided and then settled in Western Isles. The clan (family group) called Macleod, on Lewis, descended from the Vikings.
After the Jacobite uprising of 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart was a fugitive in South Uist. He was helped by Flora Macdonald, whose family came from Milton, on South Uist. Clan society collapsed after the uprising.
By the early 1800’s, the islands had become overpopulated. Two disasters affected the islands—the collapse of an industry processing kelp (seaweed) and the blight that destroyed the potato fields during the 1840’s. After these events, many people immigrated to North America or Australia.
After Parliament passed the Crofters’ Holdings Act of 1886, much of the cleared land on Harris was resettled with crofting townships. About 1,500 new crofts were created at that time. Beginning in 1955, the Crofters’ Commission made grants for land improvement and fencing. Its work led to higher farming standards.
