- History of the Outer Hebrides
The
Hebrides were settled early on in thesettlement of the British Isles , perhaps as early as the Mesolithic era, around 8500-8250 BC, after the climatic conditions improved enough to sustain human settlement. There are examples of structures possibly dating from up to 3000 BC, the finest example being the standing stones atCallanish , but some archaeologists date the site asBronze Age . Little is known of the people who settled in the Hebrides but they were likely of the same Celtic stock that had settled in the rest ofScotland . Settlements atNorthton ,Harris , have both Beaker &Neolithic dwelling houses, the oldest in theWestern Isles , attesting to the settlement.Celtic Era
The earliest written mention of the Outer Hebrides was by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus in 55 BC. He wrote that there was an island called Hyperborea (which means "Far to the North") where a round temple stood from which the moon appeared only a little distance above the earth every 19 years, an apparent reference to the stone circle at Callanish. Pomponius Mela, a Roman-Spanish writer of the first century, refers to a group of seven islands which he gave the name Haemodae (Hebrides???). Other ancient writers such as
Pliny the Elder , the Egyptian astronomerPtolemy , and Solinus (3rd Century AD) all seem to mention the Hebrides, attesting to some contact of the peoples there to the Roman world.Little is known of the history of the peoples of the Hebrides before the 6th century as they, like the rest of Scotland, were in the depths of the
Dark Ages . The first written records of the islands comes with the arrival ofSt. Columba in the 6th century AD. It was this Irish-Scottish saint who first brought Christianity to the islands in the 6th century, founding several churches.Kingdom of Man and the Isles
The Kingdom of Mann and the Isles was a Norse kingdom that existed in the
British Isles from1079 till1266 . In 1164 it was split into the Kingdom of the Hebrides and the Kingdom of Mann.The kingdom was formed by
Godred Crovan when he seized the Isle of Man from other Vikings, probably from Dublin in 1079. In the first two attempts at capturing the island Godred was defeated, it was only with his third try that he was victorious near Ramsey. Previously, the islands had been taken between c.700-900 AD, during the Viking invasions of the British Isles. Up until the arrival of Godred the islands had been administered by the Norse Kingdoms ofDublin andOrkney . The later Kingdom of Mann was centred around the Isle of Man but also contained the Outer Hebrides, the Inner Hebrides forming the Kingdom of the Hebrides.The Hebrides under Norse control
Known as "Suðreyar" or southern islands in Old Norse. Norse control of the Hebrides was formalised in
1098 whenEdgar of Scotland recognised the claim ofMagnus III of Norway . The Scottish acceptance of Magnus III as King of the Isles came after the Norwegian king had conquered theOrkney Islands , the Hebrides and theIsle of Man in a swift campaign earlier the same year, directed against the local Norwegian leaders of the various islands. By capturing the islands Magnus III subdued theNorsemen who had seized the islands centuries earlier and imposed a more direct royal control.The Norwegian control of both the Inner and Outer Hebrides would see almost constant warfare until being ultimately resolved by the partitioning of the Western Isles in
1156 . The Outer Hebrides would remain under theKingdom of Mann and the Isles while the Inner Hebrides broke out underSomerled , the Norse-Celtic kinsman of bothLulach and the Manx royal house. Although the Inner Hebrides, from 1156 known as the Kingdom of the Hebrides, still nominally was under the sovereignty of Norway, the leaders were Scottish in language and culture rather than Norse.After his victory of 1156 Somerled went on to two years later seize control over the Isle of Man itself and become the last King of the Isle of Man and the Isles to rule over all the islands the kingdom had once included. After Somerled's death in
1164 the rulers of Mann would no longer be in control of the Inner Hebrides.Scottish Control
.
History of Specific Islands
Barra
s such as those at Dùn Chuidhir and An Dùn Bàn and a whole range of other Iron Age and later structures which have recently been excavated and recorded.
Flannan Isles
As the name implies, Eilean Taighe, in the
Flannan Isles , hosts a ruined stone shelter. Eilean Mòr is home to the lighthouse and a ruinedchapel dedicated to St Flannan, which the lighthouse keepers refer to as the 'dog kennel' because of its very small size. These ruinedbothies were collectively described by the Ancient Monuments Commission as The Bothies of the Clan McPhail [http://www.nlb.org.uk/ourlights/history/flannan.htm Northern Lighthouse Board website] ] or Bothain Chlann ‘ic Phaill. [http://www.innsegall.co.uk/guide/outliers/out_flannan.htm Guide to the Flannan Isles] ] It is not entirely clear which St. Flannan the chapel honours. It is likely that he was either the 7th century Abbot ofKillaloe inCounty Clare or alternatively the half brother of the 8th centurySt Ronan who gave his name to the nearby island ofNorth Rona . There was also a certain Flann, son of an Abbot ofIona called Maol-duine who died in890 , and who may have loaned his name to these isolated isles.The
archipelago is also known as 'The Seven Hunters', and in the Middle Ages they may also have been called the 'Seven Haley (Holy) Isles'. [Munro, Sir Donald (1594) "Description of the Western Isles of Scotland".]Martin Martin (1703) lists a number of unusual customs associated with regular pilgrimages to Eilean Mòr such as removing one's hat and making asunwise turn when reaching the plateau. [Martin, Martin (1703) " [http://www.appins.org/martin.htm A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland including A Voyage to St. Kilda] "] It is possible that the saint or his acolytes lived on Eilean Mòr and perhaps Eilean Taighe as well. However, it is unlikely that there were permanent residents on the islands once theCeltic Church fell into decline in theHebrides (as a result of 9th centuryViking invasions), until the construction of the lighthouse and its occupation very shortly before the dawn of the 20th century.Great Bernera
The main settlement on the island is
Breaclete (Scottish Gaelic: "Breacleit"), home to a smallmuseum . Bernera is also known for itsIron Age (or possibly Pictish) settlement at Bostadh, discovered in1992 and now covered by sand to preserve it. A replica Iron Age house matching those now buried is sited nearby. The island was also the location of theBernera Riot , where crofters resisted theHighland clearances .Lewis
Historical Sites
The Isle of Lewis has a variety of locations of historical and archaeological interest including:
*Callanish Stones ;
*Dun Carloway Broch;
*Iron Age houses near Bostadh (Great Bernera );
* The Black House village atGarenin ("Na Gearannan"), near Carloway and the Black House atArnol ;
*St. Columba 's church inAignish ;
*Teampull Mholuaidh in Ness;
*Clach an Truiseil monolith ;
*Bonnie Prince Charlie 's Monument, Arnish;
*Lews Castle ;
*Butt of Lewis cliffs andlighthouse ;
*Dùn Èistean .There are also numerous 'lesser' stone circles and remains of brochs.Historical Events
* The first evidence of
human habitation of the islands is found inpeat samples which indicate that about 8,000 years ago, much of the native woodland was torched to make way for grassland to allowdeer to graze.
* The earliest archaeological remains in Lewis date from about 5,000 years ago. At that time, people began to settle in permanent farms rather than following their herds. The small houses of these people have been found throughout theWestern Isles , in particular, atDail Mor in Lewis. The more striking great monuments of this period are the temples and communal burial cairns at places likeCalanais .
* About500 BC , island society moved into theIron Age . The buildings became larger and more prominent, resulting in thebroch s which were circular dry-stone towers belonging to the local chieftans, the best example of which in Lewis is at Dun Charlabhagh.
* 7th and 8th Centuries AD, Christianity began to spread through the islands.
* 9th Century AD, TheVikings arrived, intermarrying with local families and abandoning their pagan beliefs. At this time, most buildings changed their forms from being round to rectangular, following the Scandinavian style. At this time, Lewis was part of theKingdom of Mann and the Isles and officially part ofNorway . TheLewis chessmen , which were found on the island in 1831, date from the time of Viking rule. The people were called the Gall-Ghaidheil, the ‘Foreigner Gaels', reflecting their mixed Scandinavian/Gaelic background, and probably their bilingual speech [http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/cultureheritage/history/index.htm Local Authority Web Site] ] .
*1263 The battle ofLargs , while not taking place in Lewis had a significant effect inScotland 's defeat of theViking s, leading to Lewis, and the rest of the Islands, being ceded to Scotland in1266 .
* 14th Century. The Lordship of the Isles emerged as the most important power in north-western Scotland. The Lords of the Isles were based onIslay , but controlled all of theHebrides . They were descended fromSomerled (Somhairle) Mac Gillibride, a Gall-Gaidheil lord who had held the Hebrides and West Coast two hundred years earlier.
* 18th Century. Following the1745 rebellion, and Prince Charles Edward Stewart's flight to France, the use of Gaelic was discouraged, rents were demanded in cash rather than kind, and the wearing of folk dress was made illegal. Emigration to the New World increasingly became an escape for those who could afford it during the latter half of the century.
* 19th Century. Clearances by landlords forced vast numbers off their lands, and increased again the flood of emigrants. Lewis was the site of numerous 'land strugles' which have recently been commemorated in modern cairn-style monuments in various villages.
*1914 -1918 During theFirst World War , thousands of islanders served in the forces, many losing their lives.
*1919 The Isle of Lewis suffered a terrible blow with the sinking of the "Iolaire" on New Year's Day, when at the close of theFirst World War the Admiralty yacht "HMY Iolaire", sank within sight of Stornoway's harbour, killing over 200 naval reservists from the island who were returning home after the war.
*1939 -1945 Again, Lewis contributed to the forces during theSecond World War with most serving in the Royal andMerchant Navy . Again, many lives were lost. Following the war, many more inhabitants emigrated to the Americas and mainland Scotland.
* Medieval development of the Stornoway was spurred by the construction of the original castle in theHigh Middle Ages by the Nicolson (or MacNicol) family of Viking descent. Infighting between rival clans continued throughout theLate Middle Ages and resisted an attempt byJames VI to colonise Lewis in1597 . The castle was destroyed byOliver Cromwell 's forces in the mid 17th century, and the ownership of Lewis passed from the MacKenzies of Kintail through the Seaforth family andSir James Matheson (and his descendants) toWilliam Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme .
* Lord Leverhulme finally gifted the town's parish to the Stornoway Trust, whose ownership remains to this day.North Uist
North Uist has many prehistoric structures, including the
Barpa Langass chambered cairn , thePobull Fhinn stone circle and theFir Bhreige standing stone s.Scalpay
Eilean Glas a tiny peninsula on Scalpay's eastern shore is home to the first
lighthouse to be built in the Outer Hebrides.South Uist
was born.
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 the19th century . Organisation withinIron Age roundhouse s 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, 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.]The archaeological site of
Cladh Hallan , the only site inGreat Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found, is on South Uist.St Kilda
St Kilda was continuously inhabited for two millennia or more, from the Bronze Age to the 20th century. [ [http://www.kilda.org.uk/StKildaCultHerExtractFINALB38477.pdf St Kilda: Revised Nomination of St Kilda for inclusion in the World Heritage Site List] Retrieved 21 March 2007] However, little is known of the early history, the first written record of which dates from the late 14th century. The islands were historically part of the domain of the MacLeods of
Harris whose steward was responsible for the collection of rents in kind and other duties. The first report of a visit to the islands dates from 1549.Macauley (1764) reports the existence of five druidic altars including a large circle of stones fixed perpendicularly in the ground, by the Stallir House on
Boreray . [Macauley, Rev Kenneth (1764) "History of St Kilda". London ]Visiting ships in the 18th century brought
cholera andsmallpox and in 1727 the loss of life was so high that there were not enough men to man the boats and new families were brought in fromHarris to replace them. By 1758 the population had risen to 88 and reached just under 100 by the end of the century. This figure remained fairly constant from the 18th century on until 1851 when 36 islanders emigrated toAustralia on board the "Priscilla", a loss from which the island never fully recovered.Tourism had a de-stabilising impact on St Kilda. During the 19th century steamers began to visit Hirta, enabling the islanders to earn money from the sale of
tweed s and bird's eggs but at the expense of their self-esteem as the tourists clearly regarded them as curiosities.By the turn of the 20th century formal schooling had become a feature of the islands and in 1906 the church was extended to make a schoolhouse. The children all now learned English in addition to their native Gaelic. Improved
midwifery skills, reduced the problems of childhood tetanus. There had been some talk of an evacuation in 1875 but despite occasional food shortages and flu epidemic in 1913 the population was stable at between 75 and 80 and there was no obvious sign that within a few years the millennia old occupation of the island was to end.World War One
Early in the '
Great War ' theRoyal Navy erected a signal station on Hirta and daily communications with the mainland were established for the first time in St Kilda's history. In a belated response a German submarine arrived in Village Bay on the morning of 15 May 1918 and after issuing a warning, started shelling the island. Seventy two shells in all were fired and the wireless station was destroyed. The manse, church and jetty storehouse were also damaged.As a result of this attack a Mark II QF gun was erected on a promontory overlooking Village Bay, but it was never fired in anger. Of greater long-term significance to the islanders was the introduction of regular contact with the outside world and the slow development of a money-based economy, both of which made life easier, but less self-reliant. These were both factors in the evacuation of the island only a little more than a decade later.
Evacuation
The advent of tourism and the presence of the military in World War One had enabled the islanders to understand that there were alternatives to the privations they had routinely suffered. Despite the provision of a small jetty in 1902 the islands remained at the mercy of the weather. The authorities were unable to do much to assist them, although reliable radios and other infrastructure denied to the civilian islanders were later to be provided for the military base at a cost of millions of pounds.
After World War One most of the young men left the island and the population fell from 73 in 1920 to 37 in 1928. After the death of four men from
influenza in 1926, and a succession of crop failures in the 1920s, the last straw came with the death fromappendicitis of a young woman, Mary Gillies, in January 1930. On29 August 1930 , the last 36 inhabitants were evacuated toMorvern on the Scottish mainland at their own request.Later military events
In 1955 the British government decided to incorporate St Kilda into a missile tracking range based in
Benbecula , where test firings and flights are carried out. Thus in 1957 St Kilda became permanently inhabited once again. A variety of new military buildings and masts have since been erected, including the island's first licensed premises, the 'Puff Inn'. The Ministry of Defence leases St Kilda from the National Trust for Scotland for a nominal fee. The main island of Hirta is still occupied all year round by a small number of civilians working in the military base there.ee also
*History of Scotland
*Hebrides *
Barra
*Benbecula
*Berneray, North Uist
*Eriskay
*Flannan Isles
*Great Bernera
*Harris
*Lewis
*North Uist
*Rockall
*Scalpay, Outer Hebrides
*South Uist
*St Kilda, Scotland References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.