North Uist
Encyclopedia
North Uist is an island and community
in the Outer Hebrides
of Scotland
.
. It has an area of 117 square miles (303 km²), slightly smaller than South Uist
. North Uist is connected by causeway
s to Benbecula
via Grimsay
, to Berneray
, and to Baleshare
. With the exception of the south east, the island is very flat, and covered with a patchwork of peat
bogs, low hills and lochans, with more than half the land being covered by water. Some of the lochs contain a mixture of fresh and tidal salt water, giving rise to some complex and unusual habitats. Loch Sgadabhagh
, about which it has been said "there is probably no other loch in Britain which approaches Loch Scadavay in irregularity and complexity of outline", is the largest loch by area on North Uist although Loch Obisary has about twice the volume of water. The northern part of the island is part of the South Lewis, Harris and North Uist
National Scenic Area
, one of 40 in Scotland.
, a fishing port
and home to a museum
, an arts centre
and a camera obscura
. Caledonian MacBrayne
ferries sail from the village to Uig
on Skye, as well as from the island of Berneray (which is connected to North Uist by road causeway
), to Leverburgh
in Harris. Lochmaddy also has Taigh Chearsabhagh - a museum and arts centre with a cafe, small shop and post office service. Nearby is the Uist Outdoor Centre.
The island's main villages are Sollas
, Hosta, Tigharry, Hougharry, Paible, Grimsay and Cladach Kirkibost. Other settlements include Clachan Carinish
, Knockquien, Port nan Long, Greinetobht and Scolpaig, home to the nineteenth century Scolpaig Tower
folly
.
According to the 2001 census North Uist had a population of 1,271 (1,320 including Baleshare
).
chambered cairn
, the Pobull Fhinn
stone circle
, the Fir Bhreige
standing stone
s, the islet of Eilean Dòmhnuill
(which may be the earliest crannog
site in Scotland), and the Baile Sear roundhouses
, which were exposed by storms in January, 2005.
The island is known for its bird
life, including corncrakes
, arctic terns
, gannets
, corn buntings
and Manx shearwaters
. The RSPB
has a nature reserve at Balranald.
Despite limited facilities, the island's athletics club (North Uist Amateur Athletics Club) has performed well at local, regional and national athletics competitions.
A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are described as one island of Ywst (Uist). Starting in the south of this 'island', he described the division between South Uist and Benbecula where "the end heirof the sea enters, and cuts the countrey be ebbing and flowing through it". Further north of Benbecula he described North Uist as "this countrey is called Kenehnache of Ywst, that is in Englishe, the north head of Ywst".
Some have given the etymology
of Uist from Old Norse
meaning "west", much like Westray
in the Orkney Islands
. Another speculated derivation from Old Norse is Ivist, derived from vist meaning "an abode, dwelling, domicile". "Ívist" was the name used for Uist in the Old Norse saga
s. A Gaelic
etymology is also possible, with I-fheirste meaning "Crossings-island" or "Fords-island", derived from I meaning "island" and fearsad meaning "estuary, sand-bank, passage across at ebb-tide". Place-names derived from fearsad include Fersit
, and Belfast
.
In a paper of 1988, Richard Coates compares the placename Uist with the Balearic island name Ibiza.
s rose dramatically, before the population crash of the Highland Clearances
. In 1755, there was an estimated combined population on the Uists, of 4,118; by 1794 it rose to 6,668; and in 1821 to 11,009.
North Uist
The pre-clearance population of North Uist was about 5,000 and it has dwindled to about 1,300 people in 2001.
From Haswell-Smith (2004) except as stated.
occupation of the Western Isles the MacRuairidh
s controlled the island. North Uist was granted to Macdonald of Sleat in 1495, and remained in possession of the Macdonalds of Sleat until 1855, when it was sold to Sir John Powlett Ord. Today the island is owned by the Granville
family through the North Uist Trust.
The force-fire
was last made in North Uist in about 1829.
, and there was large scale emigration from the island to Cape Breton
, Nova Scotia
, Canada
. The pre-clearance population of North Uist had been almost 5,000, though by 1841 it had fallen to 3,870, and has further dwindled to about 1,300 people today. The clearances occurred later on North Uist, which was predominately Presbyterian, than on South Uist which was mostly Roman Catholic.
The main reason for the massive scale of emigration was the failure of the island's kelp
industry. Since the French Revolutionary Wars
the kelp industry had been North Uist's main source of income. Though with the collapse of their main source of income the crofters of North Uist could not afford the high rents. Even as the landlords reduced the rents, such as in 1827 when the rents were reduced by 20%, many crofters were forced to emigrate.
The first real clearances on North Uist occurred in the 1820s. In 1826 the villages of Kyles Berneray, Baile Mhic Phail and Baile mhic Conon, located on the north-east corner of North Uist, were cleared of their inhabitants. Although some moved further east to Loch Portain, most of those affected moved to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The effect of this is shown in the rental roll of 1827, which states that over fifty families had "Gone to America", meaning Cape Breton. As the economic conditions worsened and with reports of islanders succeeding overseas, the numbers of families emigrating from Scotland to North America
greatly increased. In 1838 1,300 people from North Uist were recorded as being cleared. It is misconception that most families involved in the clearances were "cleared" from their holdings, though in 1849 there was rioting as 603 inhabitants from Sollas
were forcefully cleared by Lord (the 4th Baron) Macdonald. In the incident the women of Sollas took large part in the rioting. As a detachment of Glasgow police officers advanced on the protesters, the Sollas men were said to have stood aside, but the women of Sollas stood up to the authorities, and pelted the police with rocks. The police then descended upon the Sollas folk and attacked them with their truncheons. In fact a Hebredian settlement in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia was originally called Sollas (now Woodbine). North Uist surnames affected during the clearances were the MacAulays, MacCodrums, MacCuishs, and MacDonalds.
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
in the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Geography
North Uist is the tenth largest Scottish island and the thirteenth largest island surrounding Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It has an area of 117 square miles (303 km²), slightly smaller than South Uist
South Uist
South Uist is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,818. There is a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeological interest, including the only location in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found. The...
. North Uist is connected by causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
s to Benbecula
Benbecula
Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,249, with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It forms part of the area administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or the Western...
via Grimsay
Grimsay
Grimsay is a tidal island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.Grimsay is the largest of the low-lying stepping-stones which convey the Oitir Mhòr causeway, a five mile arc of single track road linking North Uist and Benbecula via the western tip of Grimsay...
, to Berneray
Berneray, North Uist
Berneray is an island and community in the Sound of Harris, Scotland. It is one of fifteen inhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides. It is famed for its rich and colourful history which has attracted much tourism....
, and to Baleshare
Baleshare
Baleshare is a flat tidal island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.Baleshare lies to the south-west of North Uist. Its economics and community were boosted by the building of a causeway in 1962. The 350m causeway was built by William Tawse Ltd. The island is extremely flat by Hebridean standards,...
. With the exception of the south east, the island is very flat, and covered with a patchwork of peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
bogs, low hills and lochans, with more than half the land being covered by water. Some of the lochs contain a mixture of fresh and tidal salt water, giving rise to some complex and unusual habitats. Loch Sgadabhagh
Loch Sgadabhagh
Loch Sgadabhagh or Loch Scadavay is a water body on the island of North Uist, Scotland. The name may be of Old Norse derivation meaning "lake of tax bay" although if so, the reason is obscure...
, about which it has been said "there is probably no other loch in Britain which approaches Loch Scadavay in irregularity and complexity of outline", is the largest loch by area on North Uist although Loch Obisary has about twice the volume of water. The northern part of the island is part of the South Lewis, Harris and North Uist
South Lewis, Harris and North Uist NSA
South Lewis, Harris and North Uist NSA is a large National Scenic Area in the Western Isles of Scotland.-Location:The designated area covers 109,600 hectares, including the mountainous south west of Lewis, all of Harris, the Sound of Harris and the northern part of North Uist.-Description:North...
National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area is a designation for areas of natural beauty used by more than one nation.* National Scenic Area * National Scenic Area * National scenic areas in Taiwan* National Scenic Area...
, one of 40 in Scotland.
Settlements
The main settlement on the island is LochmaddyLochmaddy
Lochmaddy is the administrative centre of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland...
, a fishing port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
and home to a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, an arts centre
Arts centre
An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performance, workshop areas, educational...
and a camera obscura
Camera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
. Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
ferries sail from the village to Uig
Uig, Skye
The village of Uig lies at the head of the sheltered inlet of Uig Bay on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Uig is situated partly on the raised beach around the head of the bay and partly on the steep slopes behind it...
on Skye, as well as from the island of Berneray (which is connected to North Uist by road causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
), to Leverburgh
Leverburgh
Leverburgh is the second largest village, after Tarbert, on the island of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.-History:In his 30's, English businessman William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme had taken a boat trip and fallen in love with the Western Isles of Scotland...
in Harris. Lochmaddy also has Taigh Chearsabhagh - a museum and arts centre with a cafe, small shop and post office service. Nearby is the Uist Outdoor Centre.
The island's main villages are Sollas
Sollas
Sollas is a small crofting township on the northern coast of the island of North Uist, Scotland.From Sollas, the road that heads towards Bayhead is known as the Committee Road. It is called this as it was organised by a committee charged with providing famine relief in the 1840s...
, Hosta, Tigharry, Hougharry, Paible, Grimsay and Cladach Kirkibost. Other settlements include Clachan Carinish
Carinish
Carinish , in North Uist, in the Western Isles of Scotland, is known for the Carinish Stone Circle and the Trinity Temple.-Carinish Stone Circle:Carinish Stone Circle is not in a good condition - it has a main road running almost through the middle of it...
, Knockquien, Port nan Long, Greinetobht and Scolpaig, home to the nineteenth century Scolpaig Tower
Scolpaig Tower
Scolpaig Tower is a Georgian folly located near the village of Scolpaig on the Isle of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides...
folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
.
According to the 2001 census North Uist had a population of 1,271 (1,320 including Baleshare
Baleshare
Baleshare is a flat tidal island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.Baleshare lies to the south-west of North Uist. Its economics and community were boosted by the building of a causeway in 1962. The 350m causeway was built by William Tawse Ltd. The island is extremely flat by Hebridean standards,...
).
Places of interest
North Uist has many prehistoric structures, including the Barpa LangassBarpa Langass
Barpa Langass , is a chambered cairn on the Isle of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. It measures about 72 feet in diameter by 18 feet in height, and it is attributable to the Neolithic age. The roof is constructed of two massive slabs with a third slab superimposed.The entrance is at the east side...
chambered cairn
Chambered cairn
A chambered cairn is a burial monument, usually constructed during the Neolithic, consisting of a cairn of stones inside which a sizeable chamber was constructed. Some chambered cairns are also passage-graves....
, the Pobull Fhinn
Pobull Fhinn
Pobull Fhìnn is a stone circle on the Isle of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The name is Gaelic. The first word has been variously spelt as "pobull", "poball", "pobul" or as plural "pobuill". The modern standard spelling would be "Poball Fhìnn"...
stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
, the Fir Bhreige
Fir Bhreige
Na Fir Bhreige is a set of three standing stones on the Isle of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. They lie on the northwestern slope of Blashaval....
standing stone
Standing stone
Standing stones, orthostats, liths, or more commonly megaliths are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties....
s, the islet of Eilean Dòmhnuill
Eilean Domhnuill
Armit identifies the islet of Eilean Dòmhnuill , Loch Olabhat on North Uist, Scotland as what may be the earliest crannog. Unstan ware pottery found there suggests a Neolithic period date of 3200-2800 BC...
(which may be the earliest crannog
Crannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
site in Scotland), and the Baile Sear roundhouses
Roundhouse (dwelling)
The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, originally built in western Europe before the Roman occupation using walls made either of stone or of wooden posts joined by wattle-and-daub panels and a conical thatched roof. Roundhouses ranged in size from less than 5m in diameter to over 15m...
, which were exposed by storms in January, 2005.
The island is known for its bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
life, including corncrakes
Corn Crake
The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter...
, arctic terns
Arctic Tern
The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America...
, gannets
Northern Gannet
The Northern Gannet is a seabird and is the largest member of the gannet family, Sulidae.- Description :Young birds are dark brown in their first year, and gradually acquire more white in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years.Adults are long, weigh and have a wingspan...
, corn buntings
Corn Bunting
The Corn Bunting, Miliaria calandra, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae...
and Manx shearwaters
Manx Shearwater
The Manx Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx Shearwaters were called Manks Puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters...
. The RSPB
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
has a nature reserve at Balranald.
Despite limited facilities, the island's athletics club (North Uist Amateur Athletics Club) has performed well at local, regional and national athletics competitions.
Etymology
In Donald Munro'sDonald Monro (Dean)
Donald Monro was a Scottish clergyman, who wrote an early and historically valuable description of the Hebrides and other Scottish islands and enjoyed the honorific title of “Dean of the Isles”.-Origins:...
A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are described as one island of Ywst (Uist). Starting in the south of this 'island', he described the division between South Uist and Benbecula where "the end heirof the sea enters, and cuts the countrey be ebbing and flowing through it". Further north of Benbecula he described North Uist as "this countrey is called Kenehnache of Ywst, that is in Englishe, the north head of Ywst".
Some have given the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of Uist from Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
meaning "west", much like Westray
Westray
Westray is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, with a population of around 550 people. Its main village is Pierowall, with a heritage centre, the ruined Lady Kirk and ferries to Papa Westray.-Geography and geology:...
in the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
. Another speculated derivation from Old Norse is Ivist, derived from vist meaning "an abode, dwelling, domicile". "Ívist" was the name used for Uist in the Old Norse saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
s. A Gaelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
etymology is also possible, with I-fheirste meaning "Crossings-island" or "Fords-island", derived from I meaning "island" and fearsad meaning "estuary, sand-bank, passage across at ebb-tide". Place-names derived from fearsad include Fersit
Fersit
Fersit is a hamlet close to Tulloch railway station in Lochaber, Scottish Highlands and is in the Highland council area.The River Treig, which drains into Loch Treig runs past Fersit....
, and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
In a paper of 1988, Richard Coates compares the placename Uist with the Balearic island name Ibiza.
Population
In the eighteenth century the total population of the combined UistUist
Uist or The Uists are the central group of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.North Uist and South Uist are linked by causeways running via Benbecula and Grimsay, and the entire group is sometimes known as the Uists....
s rose dramatically, before the population crash of the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
. In 1755, there was an estimated combined population on the Uists, of 4,118; by 1794 it rose to 6,668; and in 1821 to 11,009.
North Uist
The pre-clearance population of North Uist was about 5,000 and it has dwindled to about 1,300 people in 2001.
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From Haswell-Smith (2004) except as stated.
History
After the NorseNorsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
occupation of the Western Isles the MacRuairidh
Clan Macruari
Clan Macruari was a Scottish clan. The founder of Clan Macruari is Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill, a son of Raghnall mac Somhairle who was a son of Somhairle mac Gillebride. The lands of Clan Macruari were in Bute, Uist, Barra, Eigg, Rùm, and Garmoran....
s controlled the island. North Uist was granted to Macdonald of Sleat in 1495, and remained in possession of the Macdonalds of Sleat until 1855, when it was sold to Sir John Powlett Ord. Today the island is owned by the Granville
Earl Granville
Earl Granville is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.-First Creation:...
family through the North Uist Trust.
The force-fire
Force-fire
The force-fire , or a fire produced by friction, was used in folk magic practice in the Scottish Highlands up until the 19th century. Believers considered it an antidote against bewitching, as well as the plague, murrain and all infectious diseases among cattle...
was last made in North Uist in about 1829.
North Uist and the Clearances
North Uist was hit hard during the Highland ClearancesHighland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
, and there was large scale emigration from the island to Cape Breton
Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The pre-clearance population of North Uist had been almost 5,000, though by 1841 it had fallen to 3,870, and has further dwindled to about 1,300 people today. The clearances occurred later on North Uist, which was predominately Presbyterian, than on South Uist which was mostly Roman Catholic.
The main reason for the massive scale of emigration was the failure of the island's kelp
Kelp
Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....
industry. Since the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
the kelp industry had been North Uist's main source of income. Though with the collapse of their main source of income the crofters of North Uist could not afford the high rents. Even as the landlords reduced the rents, such as in 1827 when the rents were reduced by 20%, many crofters were forced to emigrate.
The first real clearances on North Uist occurred in the 1820s. In 1826 the villages of Kyles Berneray, Baile Mhic Phail and Baile mhic Conon, located on the north-east corner of North Uist, were cleared of their inhabitants. Although some moved further east to Loch Portain, most of those affected moved to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The effect of this is shown in the rental roll of 1827, which states that over fifty families had "Gone to America", meaning Cape Breton. As the economic conditions worsened and with reports of islanders succeeding overseas, the numbers of families emigrating from Scotland to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
greatly increased. In 1838 1,300 people from North Uist were recorded as being cleared. It is misconception that most families involved in the clearances were "cleared" from their holdings, though in 1849 there was rioting as 603 inhabitants from Sollas
Sollas
Sollas is a small crofting township on the northern coast of the island of North Uist, Scotland.From Sollas, the road that heads towards Bayhead is known as the Committee Road. It is called this as it was organised by a committee charged with providing famine relief in the 1840s...
were forcefully cleared by Lord (the 4th Baron) Macdonald. In the incident the women of Sollas took large part in the rioting. As a detachment of Glasgow police officers advanced on the protesters, the Sollas men were said to have stood aside, but the women of Sollas stood up to the authorities, and pelted the police with rocks. The police then descended upon the Sollas folk and attacked them with their truncheons. In fact a Hebredian settlement in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia was originally called Sollas (now Woodbine). North Uist surnames affected during the clearances were the MacAulays, MacCodrums, MacCuishs, and MacDonalds.
Famous residents
- The Scottish Gaelic poet Dòmhnall Ruadh ChorùnaDòmhnall Ruadh ChorùnaDonald MacDonald known as Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna was a North Uist stonemason, a combat veteran of the First World War, and a legendary war poet in the Scottish Gaelic language.He is best known for the song An Eala Bhán which he composed during...
(1887–1967) was born on North Uist and lived his life there. Due to his vivid descriptions of his experiences in the First World War, he is often referred to as "The Voice of the Trenches." - Erskine BeveridgeErskine BeveridgeErskine Beveridge LL.D. FRSE was a Scottish textile manufacturer and antiquary. He was the owner of Erskine Beveridge & Co. Ltd., which had been founded by his father in 1832 and was the largest linen manufacturer in Dunfermline, Fife...
, LL.D., FRSERoyal Society of EdinburghThe Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
(1851–1920), a textile manufacturer and antiquary and sometime resident of VallayVallayVallay is an uninhabited tidal island in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. It is linked to North Uist by a long beach at low tide.Once the island supported a population of nearly sixty people, its best-known inhabitant was the archaeologist Erskine Beveridge...
, completed important archaeological excavations in the HebridesHebridesThe Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
. - Julie FowlisJulie FowlisJulie Fowlis is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic.-Musical career:Fowlis grew up in North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gaelic-speaking community, and has been involved in singing, piping and dancing since she was a child.She is a...
(born 1979), a singer and instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic, was born and raised on North Uist. - Alasdair MorrisonAlasdair MorrisonAlasdair Morrison is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He was born on 18 November 1968 in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. He was educated at Paible School, North Uist, and the Nicolson Institute, Isle of Lewis....
(born 1968), former Member of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for the Western Isles, lived on North Uist and was educated at Paible School. - Flight LieutenantFlight LieutenantFlight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
John Morrison, 2nd Viscount DunrossilJohn Morrison, 2nd Viscount DunrossilFlight Lieutenant John William Morrison, 2nd Viscount Dunrossil CMG JP was a diplomat and British peer. He was present in the South African courtroom when Nelson Mandela was sentenced to 27 years' imprisonment and obtained study materials for Mandela to achieve a law degree from the University of...
, CMGOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, JPJustice of the PeaceA justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(1926–2000), diplomat and Governor of BermudaGovernor of BermudaThe Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
, lived at Clachan Sands. - Pauline Prior-PittPauline Prior-PittPauline Prior-Pitt is a British poet who lives in North Uist, Scotland.- Personal life and career :Pauline lives in Grenitote in North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland.- Publications :...
, a British poet, lives on North Uist. - Brothers RoryRory MacDonaldRoderick Macdonald is the bassist of the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, as well as their primary songwriter with his younger brother, Calum Macdonald. Rory tends to write the melody, and Calum the lyrics...
and Calum MacDonaldCalum MacDonald (musician)Calum Macdonald is the percussionist of the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, as well as their primary songwriter with his old brother, Rory MacDonald. Rory tends to write the melody, and Calum the lyrics...
, members of the Gaelic rock band RunrigRunrigRunrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more... - Angus MacAskillAngus MacAskillAngus Mòr MacAskill, frequently referred to as Giant MacAskill or Black Angus , was a Scottish-Canadian giant, and is the world's largest "true" giant...
, largest "true giant" and strongest man who ever lived from BernerayBerneray, North UistBerneray is an island and community in the Sound of Harris, Scotland. It is one of fifteen inhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides. It is famed for its rich and colourful history which has attracted much tourism....
, off North Uist