South Uist

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Location of 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 Mhór 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 previous landowners sold the assets to the community on November 30th 2006^[1] to a Community Company known as Stòras Uibhist which was 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.

[edit] Nature Reserve

Flowering machair on South Uist

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.

[edit] Archaeology

Looking west to Nicolson's Leap. In the background are Beinn Mhór on the left, and Hecla on the right.

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.

[edit] Missile testing

In the north west of the island at (57°20′00″N, 07°20′00″W), 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[1]).

[edit] 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.

1. ^ Land buyout reality for islanders BBC News Online

[edit] External links

• Iochdar.co.uk, a website about outdoor recreation in South Uist
• StorasUibhist.com, the official website of the community-owned South Uist Estate
• southuist.com
• Flags of the world - Hebrides
• An Gàrradh Mòr, Historic walled garden at Cille Bhrìghde
• Rocket launches at South Uist
• Corporal missile inaccuracy revealed, The Guardian Sept 6 2003
• Askernish Golf Club
• Daliburgh School
• Google Maps:Rocket launch site
• Uist Online