Encyclopedia:
South Uist
South Uist (
Scottish Gaelic:
Uibhist a' Deas) is an
island of the
Outer Hebrides in
Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,951. The population of the island is about 90%
Roman Catholic. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the last remaining strongholds of the
Gaelic language in Scotland.
The west is
machair (fertile low-lying coastal plain) with a continuous sandy
beach whilst the east coast is mountainous with the peaks of Beinn Mhor 2033 ft (620 m) and Hecla 1988 ft (606 m). In the north west there is a missile testing range.
Attractions on the island include the
Kildonan Museum housing the
sixteenth century Clanranald Stone and the ruins of the house where
Flora MacDonald was born.
The island is also home to the Askernish Golf Course. The oldest course in the Outer Hebrides, it was designed by
Old Tom Morris, who also worked on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
The main village on the island is
Lochboisdale, from which ferries sail to
Oban on the mainland and to
Castlebay on
Barra. The island is also linked to
Eriskay and
Benbecula by
causeways. Smaller settlements include
Daliburgh,
Howmore and
Ludag.
The land is currently owned by South Uist Estates Ltd, however the island community of South Uist, Benbecula and Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland can now purchase the land on which they live and thus determine its future.
The current landowners have agreed to sell the assets to the community and to achieve this a Community Company known as
http://www.storasuibhist.com/index.php Stòras Uibhist has been set up to purchase the land and to manage it in perpetuity.
The proposal for community ownership has received the overwhelming support of the people of the islands who look forward to participating in the opportunity to regenerate the local economy, to reverse decline and depopulation, to reduce dependency while remaining aware of the environmental needs, culture and history of the islands. The company name Stòras Uibhist symbolises hope for the future wealth and prosperity of the islands.
Nature Reserve
Loch Druidibeg in the north of the island is a
National Nature Reserve owned and managed by
Scottish Natural Heritage. The reserve covers 34.33 square kilometres of
machair,
bog, freshwater
lochs and
estuary. Over 200 species of flowering plants have been recorded on the reserve, some of which are nationally scarce. It is considered the best place in the UK for the aquatic plant Slender Naiad
(Najas flexilis) which is a
European Protected Species.
Nationally important populations of breeding waders are also present, including
redshank,
dunlin,
lapwing and
ringed plover. The reserve is also home to
greylag geese on the loch and in summer
corncrakes on the machair.
Otters and
hen harriers are also seen.
There has been considerable controversy over
hedgehogs on South Uist. The animals are not native to the islands, having been introdued in the 1970s to reduce garden pests. They now pose a threat to the eggs of ground nesting wading birds on the reserve. In 2003 Scottish Natural Heritage undertook a cull of hedgehogs in the area.
Archaeology
The SEARCH project (Sheffield Environmental and Archaeological Research Campaign in the Hebrides) on South Uist has been developing a long-term perspective on changes in settlement and house form from the
Bronze Age to the
19th century. Organisation within
Iron Age roundhouses appears to have been very different from 19th century
blackhouses in which the dwelling was shared with stock. Stock sharing living space with people is often regarded as a traditional Hebridean arrangement reflecting
Norse influence (Smith
et al., 2001).
The
archaeological site of
Cladh Hallan, the only site in
Great Britain where prehistoric
mummies have been found, is on South Uist.
Missile testing
In the north west of the island at (coor ), 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 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 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 and
Petrel, which despite their purportedly scientific remit, were operated by the
Atomic Weapons Research Establishment in Aldermaston.
The range is still owned by the
MoD operated by
QinetiQ as testing facility for missile systems such as the surface-to-air
Rapier missile and
Unmanned Air Vehicles (see
http://www.qinetiq.com/home/defence/test_and_evaluation/tande_services/singlesitefacilities/hebrides_facilities/hebrides_operations.html).
References
Smith, H., Marshall, P. and Parker Pearson, M. 2001. Reconstructing house activity areas pp 249-270. In Albarella, U (ed) Environmental Archaeology: Meaning and Purpose. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
External links
*
http://www.iochdar.co.uk Iochdar.co.uk, a website about outdoor recreation in South Uist*
http://www.southuist.com southuist.com*
http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb-heb.html Flags of the world - Hebrides*
http://www.biggarden.co.uk An Gàrradh Mòr, Historic walled garden at Cille Bhrìghde*
http://www.astronautix.com/sites/souhuist.htm Rocket launches at South Uist*
http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,11816,1036617,00.html Corporal missile inaccuracy revealed, The Guardian Sept 6 2003*
http://www.askernishgolfclub.com Askernish Golf Club*
http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/school/daliburgh/home.htm Daliburgh School*
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=&t=k&om=0&ll=57.342724,-7.359778&spn=0.004921,0.014634 Google Maps:Rocket launch site*
http://www.uistonline.com/index.htm Uist OnlineCategory:Islands of the Outer HebridesCategory:National Scenic Areas (Scotland)ca:South Uistde:South Uistfr:South Uistgd:Uibhist a Deasit:South Uistnl:Uibhist a Deasscn:South Uist