Author: John Cruse

Our journey south continued and we were scheduled to catch a ferry from the Isle of Eriskay, which is the last island in the chain of islands called “the Uists”, to the Isle of Barra.

Before we headed south we revisited Kildonan Museum to see the restoration project that was being carried out on a model Viking Long Boat as this was not open the previous day.

Since our visit we understand that the Long Boat is now displayed outside the Museum.

The island of Eriskay is connected to South Uist by a causeway. The island is known by many due to the ship, the SS Politician, floundering off its shores in 1941. This caused its local seafaring community to set sail to salvage the precious cargo of whisky, which was in short supply on the islands during the war years. They reportedly brought ashore thousands of bottles of whisky. The incident became the basis of Compton Mackenzie’s book “Whisky Galore” which was later brought to the big screen by Ealing Studios.

The ferry takes roughly 45 minutes to reach Barra and on the way there were some fantastic views. The port on Barra is close to Barra’s airport which is worth visiting as the runway is the beach.

It is interesting to note that the Scottish Government in 2024 published figures stating that the population of the Uists and connected islands that we had just visited was 4,846, whereas the population of Barra and Vatersay was only 1,264 but Barra and Vatersay are smaller so this is not unexpected.

The airport on Barra is located at the northern tip of the island and is a short takeoff and landing airport (STOL). An aircraft was arriving as we left the ferry port so we made the short trip to the airport to see the aircraft arrive. The airport opened in 1936 and its only route is to Glasgow on the Scottish mainland. It is apparently the only scheduled airline route in the world that lands on a beach.

The Hebridean weather was playing ball and it was a beautiful sunny day so we went on to visit another of the historic sites on Barra.

Cille Bharra is the remains of a medieval church that lie on the eastern slopes of Ben Eoligarry about a mile north-east of Barra Airport. The medieval church is dedicated to Saint Barr after whom, it is said, the island of Barra is named, and is set within the Eoligarry burial ground.

The church, also referred to by its anglicised name of Kilbarr Church, comprises the substantial remains of its north and south walls. The gables no longer exist. The upper parts of a doorway and its arch can be seen in the north wall. The fragments that remain suggest that the church was built in the 1100s, probably on the site of an earlier chapel dating back to the 600s and dedicated to St Finbarr of Cork. 

South east of the standing walls of the church are the more fragmentary remains of a chapel, known as the South Chapel. What little remains – part of the west gable – is the only really identifiable feature. It is thought this may have been built in the 1400s. 

The surviving walls of the church and the South Chapel have been shored up in recent years with cement-filled sandbags as a temporary measure. The eventual aim is to remove these as part of a programme to properly consolidate the ruins that remain. 

North east of the ruined church is the only standing building on the site, the North Chapel, probably built in the 1500s. Whether this was originally built as a chapel or as a burial aisle or a mausoleum is open to debate, but it certainly serves as a chapel today, as well as providing a home for a number of medieval grave slabs that have been found on the site.

Standing at the east end of the North Chapel is a replica of the Kilbar Stone, a unique Christian-Nordic Runic Stone dating back to the 900s. This carries a decorated cross on the front and a runic inscription on the reverse: “This cross has been raised in memory of Thorgeth, daughter of Steinar”. An explanatory sign notes that the original stone is held by the National Museum of Scotland and explains that efforts to return it to Cille Bharra have been under way since 1980 “the centenary year of its abduction”.

Cille Bharra has some superb views to the north and east from the upper parts of the surrounding burial ground. These extend to Eriskay and South Uist but your attention is drawn mostly to the magnificent array of white shell-sand beaches at this end of Barra and on the nearby island of Fuday.

Amongst those whose graves enjoy these remarkable views is Sir Compton Mackenzie author of, amongst other works, “Whisky Galore”, based on real events on Eriskay.

We then drove to Castlebay, where our accommodation was located, and is the main town in Barra. In the middle of the bay at Castlebay is Kisimul Castle.

Kisimul Castle was the seat of the chiefs of the Macneils of Barra who were Gaelic lordships in the Middle Ages.

It is believed that the Macneils settled in Barra in the 11th century, but it was only in 1427 that Gilleonan Macneil was recorded as the first lord. He probably built the castle that dominates the rocky islet, and in its shadow a crew house for his personal galley and crew.

The Macneils were a seafaring clan. A descendant, ‘Ruari the Turbulent’, was arrested for piracy of an English ship during James VI’s reign in the later 1500s.

The Macneils of Barra claimed Irish descent from the legendary Niall of the Nine Hostages, high king of Ireland in the 5th century and great-grandfather of St Columba.

By the 1400s, their clan chief was part of an elite group of lesser lords who were members of the Council of the Isles. This body advised the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles, usually meeting at Finlaggan, on Islay.

The Macneils didn’t emerge as lords of Barra until Lord Alexander MacDonald granted the island to Gilleonan Macneil in 1427 – but they may have had some control over it in earlier medieval times.

It is thought that heavy debts forced the Macneil chiefs to sell Barra in 1838. But a descendant, Robert Lister Macneil, the 45th Chief, bought the estate in 1937, and set about restoring his ancestral seat. It passed into state care in 2000.

Unfortunately the castle was closed for restoration so we were unable to visit.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2025

Our first visit of the day was to Bornais Machair which is one of the largest and most important Norse settlements in Scotland.

The settlement of Bornais consists of a complex of mounds which protrude from the relatively flat machair plain. The sandy plain has proved an attractive settlement from the Beaker period (around 2,500 B.C.E) onwards. It appears to have been intensely occupied from the late Bronze Age (1600-1200 B.C.E.) to the end of the Norse Period (1266).

Excavation has revealed structures dating from at least the second century AD and the settlement appears to have been continuously occupied up to the fourteenth or fifteenth century AD. Three substantial and two relatively insubstantial mounds are visible.

The principal focus in the Norse period was mound 2 where a large house or hall was found. This represents the home of an important Viking Lord and would have housed his family and large retinue of dependents. The principal features of the house were a large central area, where the hearths were lit, and a raised bench which surrounded it. Large quantities of tools, cooking vessels and ornaments were found scattered across the floor and these included a bone cylinder in the distinctive Norse Ringerike style.

It is thought that the other mounds were occupied between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries and were the location for families of lower status who lived in smaller dwellings. The large size of this settlement is unusual and suggests that it was an important centre for the communities of South Uist.

Large quantities of finds have been recovered and included many iron and bone tools and the remains of hundreds of broken pots. Important materials include coins and ceramics from southern England, a distinctive green marble from Greece, bronze pins from Ireland, soapstone from Shetland, ivory from Greenland, bone combs and other objects from Norway. Clearly the community was connected to other areas and was likely regularly visited by people moving along the west coast of Britain.

We then moved on to the cairn at Milton in remembrance of Flora MacDonald that has been erected by the Clan Macdonald.

Flora Macdonald is one of the most romantic characters in Scottish history due to her helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape Scotland after the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The grandson of James II of England, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, had led the second Jacobite Uprising of 1745 to overthrow King George II.

The part that Flora played in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie ‘over the sea to Skye’ is immortalised in the “Skye Boat Song” published in 1884. After his defeat at the battle of Culloden Moor, Bonnie Prince Charlie was forced to flee for his life. After two months on the run, he arrived at South Uist where he met 24-year-old Flora. As both her stepfather and her fiancee, Allan Macdonald, were in the Hanovarian army of King George II, she would have seemed an unlikely ally. However after some initial hesitation, she agreed to help the Prince escape.

She managed to get permission from her stepfather, the commander of the local militia, to travel from Uist to the mainland accompanied by two servants and a crew of six boatman. The Prince was disguised as Betty Burke, an Irish spinning maid. They set sail in a small boat from Benbecula on 27 June 1746, not to the mainland but to Skye, landing at Kilmuir at what is today called Rudha Phrionnsa (Prince’s Point).

After hiding overnight in a cottage they made their way overland to Portree where the Prince was able to get a boat to the island of Raasy and from there to France. The Prince was said to have presented Flora with a locket containing his portrait. They never met again and the Prince died in Rome in 1788.

When news of the escape broke, Flora was arrested and imprisoned at Dunstaffnage Castle, Oban and then briefly in the Tower of London. She was released in 1747 and returned to Scotland.

But this was not the end of Flora’s adventures. In 1750 she married Allan MacDonald. Her fame was already spreading; in 1773 she was visited by the celebrated poet and critic Samuel Johnson. However, with her husband in debt, in 1774 the family emigrated to North Carolina with their elder children, leaving the younger ones behind in Scotland.

The MacDonalds arrived in the New World just as the American Revolution was brewing. Flora and her family, like many Highlanders, took the side of the British. Flora’s husband Allan joined a regiment of Royal Highland Emigrants but was captured at the battle of Moore’s Creek. Flora was forced into hiding while the American rebels destroyed the family plantation and she lost everything.

In 1779 Flora was persuaded to return with her daughter to Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. But her adventures continued. The ship she was travelling on was attacked by French privateers. This remarkable lady is said to have refused to go below during the fighting and was wounded in the arm.

On his release in 1783, her husband Allan followed her back to Scotland. Flora MacDonald died on 5 March 1790 and is buried at Kilmuir on Skye, her body supposedly wrapped in a sheet in which Bonnie Prince Charlie had slept.

South Uist was living up to the “four seasons in one day” reputation of the Outer Hebrides but, as we arrived at our accommodation, we did get a rainbow to end our day.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2025

Today we were again moving south so made our last visit on North Uist to the Trinity Temple (Teampull Na Trionaid in Gaelic). Trinity Temple is situated on the south of the island and on the way to the Isles of Grimsay and Benbecula, and ultimately, our next accommodation on the Isle of South Uist.

It should be noted that ‘The Uists’ are made up of six islands being Berneray, North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uists and Eriksay, in that order north to south. Gaelic is still widely spoken on the islands of The Uists by its population of 4,846 (2024 figures from the Scottish Government).

The photo above is Trinity Temple as it is today. It is an historic ruin of a medieval monastery and college, believed to be founded by Beathag, a Black Nun and daughter of Somerled, a Norse-Gaelic Lord. It was also thought to be an important centre of learning in the Middle Ages, and possibly until well beyond the Reformation.

It is believed that Trinity Temple was subsequently enlarged in the second half of the 1300s by Amy MacRuan, the first wife of John, Lord of the Isles, before being reconstructed in the 1500s. After the Reformation, the church fell out of use, and despite stories of a continuing role as a school in the 1700s and presence of sculpture within the church in the early 1800s, the church was in a ruinous state by the time it was visited by MacGibbon and Ross while compiling their Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, published in 1896.

Close to the Trinity Temple is a sign marking the Battle of Carinish.

The Battle of Carinish is said to have been the last battle fought in Scotland using only traditional weapons. The resident clan at the time was the MacDonalds. A dispute arose when one of them decided to divorce his wife, a MacLeod from Harris. The result was the arrival of a strong raiding party of the MacLeods, and the battle seems to have taken place here because the MacDonalds were seeking sanctuary for themselves and their belongings within the precincts of the Trinity Temple. The battle was a victory for the resident MacDonalds and the subsequent naming of part of the battlefield as the ‘ditch of blood’ is an indication that few, if any, of the raiding party survived to see Harris again.

We then went south to the Isle of Benbecula crossing the North Ford Causeway (built in 1960) which also connects to the Isle of Grimsay.

Our next visit of the day was to the medieval graveyard and chapel of Baile Nan Cailleach on the Isle of Benbecula.

In the late 12th century with the end of Norse colonisation and settlement, the first outlines of church history on Benbecula emerge. From Somerled (died 1164) descended the leading dynasties that were to rule the Hebrides and the territory of the Lordship of the Isles until the late 15th century. A key aspect of their power was patronage of the church and in particular their support of Iona.

A new Benedictine community of monks was established on Iona in 1203 by Reginald, son of Somerled, which gained control over all the churches in the Hebrides. Over time it also acquired lands in the Uists, including Baile a’ Mhanaich, ‘the township belonging to the monks’. Reginald also founded a convent of Augustinian canonesses on Iona with his sister, Behoc, as the first prioress. His son, Donald, was one of its earliest benefactors. Having travelled to Rome to repent to the Pope for a wild and violent life, Donald returned to Scotland to make amends through church patronage. This included granting the island of Heisgeir to the nuns of Iona. The other portion of land in the Uists granted to the Iona convent was Baile nan Cailleach, hence its name, meaning the ‘township belonging to the nuns’. The dedication of the chapel – Teampull Mhuire – to the Virgin Mary, underlines this link.

Patronage enabled the church to fulfil its core function of spiritual and pastoral care, through a resident-ordained clergy and access to Mass and the sacraments. It is unclear how this operated within the islands at a local level but the burial ground of Cladh Mhuire, situated at Baile Nan Cailleach, would have been integral to it.

We then went south again, leaving the Isle of Benbecula to cross to the Isle of South Uist. Just off the main road on Isle of South Uist is a sculpture of the Madonna and Child called “Our Lady of the Isles”.

The sculpture was commissioned shortly after the Ministry of Defence proposed a missile testing range be constructed. This caused much concern that it would destroy much of the island’s way of life, culture and language. Resistance to the proposal was led by Canon John Morrison, the local parish priest. The sculpture was intended to be both an expression of the devotion of the people of South Uist to the Blessed Virgin Mary but was also intended to be a public and permanent reminder to “strangers” that they were entering a different world. People of all denominations supported the project through fundraising and the giving of their labour to construct the road and the foundations for the 40 tonne sculpture.

Guided missiles are test fired from South Uist and tracked by a station at St Kilda. It allows the Armed Forces to test the capabilities, accuracy and reliability of its air and sea weapons before they are used in combat.

The missile range was going to be closed and, surprisingly, the plans were greeted with howls of disapproval from the locals with claims that the island’s economy would be ruined as a result. This was very different to when it was proposed in 1957. It seems that the future of the range has been secured and it will remain in service until at least 2028.

After this visit, we moved on south to our next accommodation.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2025

Our first visit of the day was to Barpa Langais which is the best preserved Neolithic chambered cairn in the Outer Hebrides. It is typical of tombs built all over the islands by Neolithic farming communities and, in this case, is about 25 metres in diameter.

It contains a great mass of stones which would have dominated the surrounding landscape and would have had a relatively small burial chamber. It may have been a communal tribal resting place not just for a single leader. Many such tombs have passages which face midwinter sunrise or sunset but the entrance of the Langais cairn does not follow that pattern.

Barpa Langais has never been investigated by modern archaeologists but more than a century ago, pottery, charcoal and cremated human bones were found scattered on the floor with fragments of Beaker pottery also being found there.

This part of Uist has produced some of the earliest evidence for the presence of Man in the Outer Hebrides so far. In the Middle Stone Age, or Mesolithic period, a small band of hunters and gatherers set up seasonal camp here on the slopes of Langais. They built shelters which left traces of small post-holes in the ground and lit fires, the ashes of which survived to this day under the engulfing peat. They made stone tools which were strong enough to hunt seal and salmon and delicate enough to scrape the skins and make clothing.

In time, these harvesters of the island’s wild resources began to take their first steps to becoming farmers. Adopting a more settled lifestyle meant that new luxuries like pottery became possible.

Our next visit was to the Iron Age Broch of Dun an Sticir.

In this tidal loch are two islands connected by stone-built causeways. The outer islet has been used as a secure stronghold since prehistoric times. During the Iron Age, more than 2,000 years ago, a massive galleried dun or broch was built. which would nave been occupied by the local tribal chieftain.

The site of Dun an Sticir has never been investigated so the picture above is conjecture. That said, it is though that in the turbulent later Middle Ages a rectangular hall was inserted into the pre-existing circular dun, and the islands once again served as the residence and refuge of the local magnates.

It is not known how far back the islands were inhabited or even if they are artificial. Other islets in North Uist have been found to go back more than 5,500 years to the Neolithic period. Access may have only been by boat before the causeway was built.

It is thought that between the 9th and 13th centuries AD the Outer Hebrides were under the overlordship of the Norsemen who abandoned the old centres of power in favour of new sites. By the 16th century it is thought that Dun an Sticir had again become the centre of an important lordship. A new hall was built inside and around the old broch, and the larger island, the ‘Island of Bad Council’ also contained as least one substantial building. This apparently echoes Finlaggan on Islay where the Lords of the Isles held council.

In 1601, Dun an Sticir was the scene of dramatic events when Hugh MacDonald was seized by his enemies and taken to his death on Skye. Apparently Hugh MacDonald was regarded as a powerful and treacherous man and plotted against his uncle, Donald Gorm Mor, the Clan Chief, who did not have children. The title of Clan Chief would pass to Hugh’s older brother, so Hugh resolved to usurp the title. Unfortunately for Hugh, when he sent two letters, one to his hired assassins, and the other to the Clan Chief, each letter was sent to the wrong person. Donald Gorm Mor was now aware of his nephew’s treachery and sent a party led by clansman Donald MacDonald to arrest Hugh. Hugh had taken refuge at Dun an Sticir, disguised as a woman. He was taken to Duntulm Castle on Skye and thrown into a dungeon with a meal of salt beef. Without any water it is reported he died of thirst.

The history behind many of these ruins is fascinating and brings the ruins to life when it is sometimes difficult to see what a pile of stones represented.

Word and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024

Our first stop was Leverburgh where we caught the 8.15am ferry to Ardmaree on the Isle of Berneray. The Isle of Berneray is a small island (roughly 2 miles by 3 miles) and is joined to North Uist by a causeway. The island has approximately 130 inhabitants with crofting and fishing as the mainstays of the economy.

The ferries between the islands of the Outer Hebrides are smaller than the one from the Scottish mainland across the Minch to Stornoway. If you have good weather, and we got lucky as the sun was shining on the day of our crossing to Berneray, the views are spectacular. As we went south though, we were to experience the legendary Outer Hebrides four seasons in a day.

We drove from the pier on Berneray across the causeway to the Isle of North Uist where our next accommodation was situated in an area called Langass.

The Lodge we were staying in had extensive grounds so we decided to take a walk. Near to the Lodge was a tower sitting in the middle of a loch so we went to investigate.

The Loch was Loch Scolpaig and we were not able to get too close as much of the ground around the Loch was boggy. The tower was erected in 1830 by Dr Alexander MacLeod who was the factor of the North Uist Estate. The reason for its construction was to provide employment for local people to help them during a period of famine. The North Uist Estate was granted to the MacDonald family of Sleat, Isle of Skye in 1495 and in 1855 it was sold to Sir John Powlett Ord. The current owners are the Granville family who own and manage the estate through a factor and the North Uist Trust. The estate supports more than 400 crofters and provides stalking, shooting and fishing as well as providing guided walks and boat trips.

After the Loch we walked to higher ground to enjoy the views. It is said that on a good weather day one can see St Kilda from this area even though it is 40 miles. Maybe that is possible but we couldn’t on the day we visited even though the weather was pretty good.

We hiked up the hills on our way back to the Lodge where we were staying and the ground underfoot was generally wet which was fine until the sole completely ripped off one of my Berghaus hiking boots. We were probably 30-40 minutes hike from the Lodge, so with it being wet underfoot we headed for the road which would lead us back to the Lodge.

Once on the road the inevitable happened and the other sole ripped off. The boots were 18 years old and I hadn’t worn them for about a year. The rubber soles and the welding holding them together had got hard and perished. We managed to get back to the Lodge although walking even on a road with no soles was uncomfortable and not a pretty sight.

This curtailed our exploring for the day but gave us time to plan for the next day’s visits.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024

After our epic trip to St Kilda the day before we spent our last day on the Isle of South Harris.

We drove south east for our first visit which was to St Clement’s Church at Rodel which is on a site of an old religious settlement.

The church as it appears today was largely the work of Alasdair Crotach (Alexander VII of Harris) in the 1520s.

Alastair Crotach is buried in the church, as is his son William, both in wall tombs which are recognised as the most impressive in the Western Isles. After a period of neglect, the church was rebuilt in 1784 by Captain Alexander Macleod of Berneray and Harris and repaired by him after a fire in 1787. The church was again restored by the Countess of Dunmore in 1873. Since then it has been maintained by the Historic Buildings section of the Scottish Development Department. The church is no longer used for regular religious services but is open to visitors.

The surrounding graveyard has several Caibeil – private burial enclosures. Some of these are for local families, and enclose memorial tablets for Sir Norman MacLeod of Berneray, his son William of Luskentyre and his grandson Donald, nicknamed the Old Trojan.

Burials were carried out in Rodel Churchyard until recent times and give the visitor an insight into the history of the families of this part of Harris.

After our visit to St Clement’s Church, for our second visit of the day, we drove north to Tarbert as this was where the shops selling authentic Harris Tweed were situated. Harris Tweed can only be produced on the Isle of Harris – often by individuals using looms in their own houses. It is a very old tradition. Sue bought some Harris Tweed from the extensive range on display. Her intention is to make a jacket from it. (Shhh, it’s still in the cupboard.)

The next day we went south to catch the ferry from Leverburgh to the Isle of Berneray and then on to the Isle of North Uist for our next accommodation.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024

We had an early start for our trip to St Kilda as the boat (Kilda Cruises) left at 7.30am from the pier at Leverburgh which was a short drive from our accommodation. It was scheduled to return a 7.30 pm and as there were no facilities on the boat, or at St Kilda, we had to take our own lunch including some ginger for seasickness as it could be very rough.

The good news as we reached the pier was that the weather was good so we were going to the St Kilda Archipelago.

The St Kilda Archipelago is an isolated group of islands and is all that remains above the sea of a large volcano thought to have been active about 60 million years ago. The underlying rocks – granite, gabbro and dolerite – have been eroded by ice, rain and the sea to form an impressive coastline of four main islands and offshore stacs. Hirta boast the highest sea cliff in the British Isles at Conachair (376m), while Stac An Armin (191m) is the highest sea stac.

It is believed that St Kilda was settled by humans between four and five thousand years ago. St Kilda’s distance of 41 miles from the Outer Hebrides allowed for the development of a unique style of self-sufficient island life that remained much preserved until the archipelago’s eventual abandonment in 1930.

There are traces of Neolithic sites and of Norse presence prior to the settlement of the Gaelic speaking Scots. At its peak the population approached 200 people who carved out a life in this remote place.

The St Kildan’s diet was not fish, as one might expect, as the seas were too treacherous. Instead they survived on seabirds – gannets and fulmars mostly – which they caught and used for food and many other things. The meat was stored, the eggs eaten, the oil was used as fuel for lamps and the feathers were sold to the few visitors that came to the islands. The St Kildans were very economical and used the birds beaks for brooch-pins, the bones for needles and the gannet skins were fashioned into shoes.

In 1697, the Scottish writer Martin Martin, who wrote about the Western Isles, visited and found a vibrant community who he described as “…much happier than the generality of mankind…”. However, life was hard and became even harder as the population declined and contact with the outside world increased in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Disease caused many deaths on the island and stories of a better and easier life on the mainland, Australia and Canada encouraged many to leave. With fewer able-bodied people, the life for those who stayed became harder. Towards the end of the 1920s, the crops failed several times and the islanders nearly starved to death. The decision to evacuate was made and on the 29th August 1930 the remaining 36 islanders were removed to the Scottish mainland.

The islands are now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and are managed in partnership with the Ministry of Defence who lease land for an important radar tracking station. Currently home only to a few members of the defence and conservation communities, St Kilda welcomes many visitors throughout the year who are drawn to the islands for the wonderful wildlife and fascinating history.

The Kirk (church) was built in the late 1820s and has a schoolroom attached which was built in 1898. The Factor’s house was built in the 1860s. The Factor’s job was to represent the Laird and visit each summer to collect the rent.

The islanders lived in Blackhouses built in the 1830s, but 16 improved cottages were built around 1860 after a gale which resulted in a lot of damage. The improved houses were occupied until the evacuation. Six have been re-roofed and are used by the National Trust for Scotland.

One of the re-roofed houses is now a small museum and it is interesting to note that the Main Street, when inhabited, had a post office. I wonder how long it took for the post to be taken to the mainland for delivery as visitors were few and far between.

The islands also have First World War history. In 1918 a German U-Boat shelled the village to destroy a radio mast. A gun and ammunition store were installed and the gun is still there, although a bit rusty.

The extreme isolation of St Kilda means that a limited range of plants and animals exist here. The St Kilda wren lives amongst the ruins of Hirta or on the steep cliffs and is larger than its mainland relative. The St Kilda field mouse still thrives and is nearly twice as big as the mainland mice.

A flock of primitive sheep, found nowhere else in the world, survived on the island of Soay and after the evacuation some were transferred to Hirta where they are completely wild.

The other wildlife that are on and around the islands and stacs are the seabirds. The islands have one of the world’s largest gannet colonies, on Boreray; the oldest and largest colony of Fulmars in Britain; and the biggest colony of Puffins in Britain. These have presumably increased since the islands have been evacuated and the birds are not being used for food.

On our way back to Leverburgh, the boat sailed around the other islands and stacs where one could see another breed of sheep that were left when the islands were evacuated and are also living wild.

The St Kilda archipelago is definitely worth a visit if you are in the Leverburgh area but you need to book in advance, be lucky with the weather and as advised by Kilda Cruises, allow two days for the trip, just in case the weather is bad on the intended day.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024

We left the Royal Hotel to drive to our next accommodation on the Isle of Harris on a Sunday morning.

If you are intending to travel in the Outer Hebrides you need to be aware that on a Sunday most businesses are closed and there is no public transport. Therefore, if you need to purchase supplies or refuel the car it has to be done on another day. There is a strong tradition of Christian church-going on the islands with Church of Scotland and Free Presbyterian Church being predominant. If you intend to eat out you will need to find one of the restaurants that does open and it is best to book a table, as the few that are open, are very busy particularly in the holiday season.

Our first visit on the way to our next accommodation was the Eilean Glas Lighthouse that is on the Island of Scalpay, North Harris.

In 1787 the original Northern Lighthouse Trustees approached Captain Alexander McLeod of Harris, the owner of Scalpay, to request that a beacon be erected on the island. The Northern Lighthouse Trustees preferred construction team was not available as they were building the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse. McLeod’s own men independently started the construction in 1787, laid the foundations and raised the tower walls to seven feet. In 1788 the Trustees’ engineer, Thomas Smith, found that McLeod’s men had built the tower 4 feet greater in circumference than was planned. To save time and cost, they continued on the larger scale and the construction was completed in 1788. The lighting equipment was fitted in 1789 and the Lighthouse was first lit on 10 October 1789 with its first keeper, Alexander Reid, in situ.

The current lighthouse was erected under the supervision of Robert Stevenson in 1824 and the lightroom was raised to 25 feet above the ground level bringing it to an elevation of 73 feet above sea level. In 1907 a fog signal was installed and the light was changed to one with a flashing character, although the fog signal was discontinued in 1987. In 2019, the lighthouse underwent a major refurbishment and upgrade with LED optics and a system that automatically makes a telephone call to the Northern Lighthouse Board headquarters to report faults in the event of failure of the light. Things have certainly changed from the days of the first lighthouse keeper.

We then drove to our next accommodation near Leverburgh, South Harris through the main town on Harris, being Tarbert, and passing through places like Nisabost Beach.

We had been told that the Outer Hebrides could have four seasons in one day but so far we had been lucky with the weather. The next day we had booked a trip to the St Kilda Archipelago, a World Heritage Site and National Nature Reserve, that lies 41 miles off the west coast of Benbecula in the Atlantic Ocean. We had been advised that a trip to St Kilda could easily fail due to the weather particularly the rough seas. We crossed everything for good weather and calm seas on the next day.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024

We made our way east of Stornoway to see one of the most important archaeological sites on the Isle of Lewis. This is St Columba’s Church UI (Eaglais na h-Aoidhe in Gaelic) which is believed to be the main church in the medieval period.

Archaeological finds showed that the area around the church had been settled by farming people in the Neolithic period up to 6000 years ago. Evidence of later occupation close to the church was found in 1937 when the remains of a small late Iron Age or early medieval stone building with a hearth on an earth floor and traces of iron objects were uncovered.

Under the Norse kings and later, until the 14th century as part of Scotland, Lewis was held by the Nicolsons who had strongholds at Flesherin and Stornoway. They may be responsible for the building of an early church on the site, a fragment of which is retained, embedded in the north wall of the building.

The Macleod dynasty, reputedly descended from Leod, a Norseman, obtained control of Lewes through marriage to a daughter of Torquil Nicolson, the last of the Nicolson chiefs. Torquil MacLeod was a son of this marriage. After the Treaty of Perth, when the islands became Scottish, they were first given by the King to the Earl of Ross and then to John, Lord of the Isles. Torquil MacLeod was confirmed as a vassal of the Lord of the Isles and probably died around 1380. The nave and chancel of the present church may have been built at the start of this period.

During the 14th century most of the Hebrides was brought together under a single Lordship. John of Islay was Lord of the Isles from 1354. The Lordship became virtually independent of the control of the Scottish Crown with Lewis continuing to the held by the MacLeods of Lewis (Siol Torcuil), the descendants of Torquil MacLeod.

This was a golden age of medieval society and Gaelic culture in the Western Isles. Justice was administered through the Council of the Isles and although warfare was a way of life, within the Lordship itself, peace was generally maintained.

The MacLeods of Lewis retained control of Lewis for 250 years or more with no fewer the 19 of their chiefs said to be buried at the church. There are two carved grave slabs commemorating Roderick MacLeod VII (died 1498) and his daughter, Margaret MacKinnon (died 1503).

We then returned to Lews Castle to have a look inside at the rooms and museum. When we were there the day before, it was late and the museum was closing for the night.

Lews Castle was completed in 1854 following Sir James Matheson’s purchase of the Isle of Lewis was taken over by Lord Leverhulme, of Lever Brothers/Unilever fame, when he bought the Isle of Lewis in 1918. In 1923, he gifted the Castle and grounds to the people of Stornoway. During the war, it was used as a naval hospital and latterly was the first home of the Lews Castle College until 1988. After many years of disrepair, the castle was renovated and now houses the museum, cafe and accommodation.

The Museum – Museum nan Eilean – is located in a purpose-built extension to Lews Castle and opened in 2016. The galleries look at the stories of the islands and islanders. Significant loans from the National Museums Scotland and the British Museum include the world-famous Lewis Chessmen.

The eleven medieval chess pieces were part of a large hoard buried on the Isle of Lewis. The hoard contained 93 gaming pieces including at least four chess sets as well as other games.

It is thought that the chess pieces were made in the late 12th century or early 13th century in Norway. Chess is a very old game originating in the Islamic world and by the medieval period its popularity had spread across Europe. It was believed that it became an important part of medieval society, a way of practicing and demonstrating skill and strategy in a war-like setting. Boards for playing the games have been found by archaeologists at medieval sites in Scotland including monasteries like Whithorn (in Dumfries and Galloway). At Lewis, the hoard also contained pieces for playing the game of tables, a game similar to backgammon.

The style of the carving links the chess pieces to Norway. There is a similar chess piece in Trondheim. The Lewis chess pieces are mostly made from walrus ivory but some are made from sperm whale teeth.

After another enjoyable day we returned to the Royal Hotel in anticipation of our moving on to the Isle of Harris the next day.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024

To start our second day we headed west to Callanish (Calanais in Gaelic) to visit the Calanais Standing Stones. The standing stones are one of Scotland’s most magnificent and best preserved Neolithic monuments.

The Calanais Standing Stones are an extraordinary cross-shaped setting of stones erected 5,000 years ago. They predate the famous Stonehenge monument and are believed to have been an important place for ritual activity for 2,000 years.

It is not known why the standing stones at Calanais were erected but one theory is that they were a kind of astronomical observatory. As with many of these Neolithic monuments we will probably never be able to know what was in the mind of their builders.

Our next visit was to the Bostadh Iron Age Village on the island of Great Bernera. Bostadh means farm in Old Norse. The story of the site tells that during a severe storm in 1992, the stone walls of an ancient village were exposed that had lain hidden under the sand dunes of Bosta Beach for hundreds of years.

In 1996, the site was excavated to reveal a well-preserved settlement of houses that dated back to the Late Iron Age (or Pictish Age) of 400-800AD. Located in a small valley with streams, a beach and rich fishing waters it would have made a perfect home for these early people.

The excavation was recorded in detail and the footprint of the village was laid out. However, the vulnerable structures themselves could not be preserved due to the process of erosion and sand build up. Therefore, they again lay underneath the sand and a life-size construction of a period home was made as we see in the photos above.

We then drove back to Stornoway for a visit to Lews Castle that sat on the other side of the water from our hotel.

In 1844 wealthy businessman James Matheson, a Scottish Opium Trader and co-founder with William Jardine of the Hong Kong based trading conglomerate Jardine Matheson & Co, bought the Island of Lewis for more than £190,000 from the bankrupt estate of the Mackenzies of Seaforth. Shortly afterwards he demolished Seaforth Lodge, the dilapidated home of the Mackenzies, taking on Glasgow architect Charles Wilson to design him a magnificent new island base – Lews Castle. A building this grand needed grounds to match and Matheson completely reshaped the landscape around his new home.

Matheson funded his grand scheme with a fortune that he had amassed following the first Opium War with China. To expand his business interests he had helped to persuade the British Government to wage war on China which had rejected proposals to legalise opium as it had become a problem for their people. The British Government used its naval power to defeat the Chinese in the first Opium War of 1839-42. This enable Matheson to expand his business empire into mainland China.

That said, Matheson provided employment, funded famine relief and engaged in many other social and economic projects to the benefit of the islands community, spending some £320,000 in 1850 (roughly £36 million today)

Lews Castle these days provides luxury accommodation, is a wedding venue, has a museum, cafe and shops and one can stroll around the extensive gardens.

After a short walk back to our hotel, we again visited the Boatshed restaurant, part of the Royal Hotel, for an excellent dinner.

Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024