South Uist

The neolithic monument at Beinn A' Charra

South Uist was clearly home to a thriving Neolithic community. The island is covered in several neolithic remains, such as burial cairns,[note 1] and a small number of standing stones, of which the largest—standing 17 feet (5.2 m) tall—is in the centre of the island, at the northern edge of Beinn A' Charra. Occupation continued into the Chalcolithic, as evidenced by a number of Beaker finds throughout the island.

Cladh Hallan roundhouses

Later in the Bronze Age, a man was mummified,[note 2] and placed on display at Cladh Hallan, parts occasionally being replaced over the centuries; he was joined by a woman three hundred years later. Together they are the only known prehistoric mummies in the British Isles.[17] Towards the end of the Bronze Age, the mummies were buried,[note 3] and a row of roundhouses built on top of them.

The remains of Dun Vulan[note 4]

Cladh Hallan was not abandoned until the late Iron Age. At around that time, in the 2nd century BC, a broch was built at Dun Vulan; archeological investigation suggests the inhabitants often ate pork. After the 2nd century AD, the Dun Vulan broch was converted into a three-roomed house. At a similar time, a wheelhouse was constructed at Kilpheder; within a cupboard (in the wheelhouse) was found an enameled bronze brooch, of a style fashionable in the Roman Britain of 150 AD.[note 5]

In the 9th century, Vikings invaded South Uist, along with the rest of the Hebrides, and the gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata to the south, and established the Kingdom of the Isles throughout these lands. A short Ogham inscription has been found in Bornish, inscribed on a piece of animal bone, dating from this era;[18] it is thought that the Vikings used it as a gaming token, or perhaps for sortilege.[18]

Following Norwegian unification, the Kingdom of the Isles became a crown dependency of the Norwegian king; to the Norwegians it was Suðreyjar (meaning southern isles). Malcolm III of Scotland acknowledged in writing that Suðreyjar was not Scottish, and king Edgar quitclaimed any residual doubts. At Kilpheder, the roundhouses were abandoned in favour of Norse longhouses;[note 6] at Bornish, a few miles to the north, a more substantial Norse settlement was built.[note 7] As indicated by archaeological finds, residents had access to a wide trading network, stretching throughout the Norwegian empire, as well as adjacent lands like Ireland.

The remains of the early 13th-century Howmore monastery

However, in the mid-12th century, Somerled, a Norse-Gael of uncertain origin, launched a coup, which made Suðreyjar entirely independent. Following his death, Norwegian authority was nominally restored, but in practice the kingdom was divided between Somerled's heirs (Clann Somhairle), and the dynasty that Somerled had deposed (the Crovan dynasty). The MacRory, a branch of Somerled's heirs, ruled Uist, as well as Barra, Eigg, Rùm, the Rough Bounds, Bute, Arran and northern Jura.[19][20][21][22][23][note 8] A small monastery was established at Howmore.[note 9]

The remains of the late 13th-century parish church

In the 13th century, despite Edgar's quitclaim, Scottish forces attempted to conquer parts of Suðreyjar, culminating in the indecisive Battle of Largs. In 1266, the matter was settled by the Treaty of Perth, which transferred the whole of Suðreyjar to Scotland, in exchange for a very large sum of money.[note 10] The Treaty expressly preserved the status of the rulers of Suðreyjar; the MacRory lands, excepting Bute, Arran, and Jura, became the Lordship of Garmoran, a quasi-independent crown dependency, rather than an intrinsic part of Scotland. Following this, the Norse longhouses were gradually abandoned, in favour of new Blackhouses[note 11] and a new parish church was built at Howmore for South Uist.[note 12]

At the turn of the century, William I had created the position of Sheriff of Inverness, to be responsible for the Scottish highlands, which theoretically now extended to Garmoran.[25][26] In 1293, however, king John Balliol established the Sheriffdom of Skye, which included the Outer Hebrides. Nevertheless, following his usurpation, the Skye sheriffdom ceased to be mentioned,[note 13] and the Garmoran lordship (including Uist) was confirmed to the MacRory leader. In 1343, King David II issued a further charter for this to the latter's son.[27]

Blackhouses in Howmore

Just three years later[note 14] the sole surviving MacRory heir was Amy of Garmoran. The southern parts of the Kingdom of the Isles had become the Lordship of the Isles, ruled by the MacDonalds (another group of Somerled's descendants). Amy married the MacDonald leader, John of Islay, but a decade later he divorced her, and married the king's niece instead (in return for a substantial dowry). As part of the divorce, John deprived his eldest son, Ranald, of the ability to inherit the Lordship of the Isles, in favour of a son by his new wife. As compensation, John granted Lordship of Uist to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey, while making Ranald Lord of the remainder of Garmoran.

However, on Ranald's death, disputes between Godfrey and his nephews (the elder of which founded Clan Ranald) lead to an enormous amount of violent feuding. In 1427, frustrated with the level of violence in the highlands, King James I demanded that highland leaders should attend a meeting at Inverness. On arrival, many of the leaders were seized and imprisoned; Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey, was considered to be one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quick show trial, was immediately executed.[28] King James declared the Lordship of Uist forfeit.

Calvay Castle, in Loch Boisdale

Following the forfeiture, and in that same year, the Lord of the Isles granted Lairdship of the southern third of South Uist (traditionally called Lochboisdale[note 15]), together with Barra, to Giolla Adhamhnáin mac Néill, leader of the MacNeils. At around this time Calvay Castle was built, guarding Lochboisdale.

Caisteal Bheagram in Drimsdale

The remainder of South Uist remained with the Scottish crown until 1469, when James III granted Lairdship of it to John of Ross, the Lord of the Isles; in turn, John passed it to his own half-brother, Hugh of Sleat (the grant to Hugh was later confirmed by the king—James IV—in a 1493 charter). Hugh died a few years later, in 1498, and for reasons that are not remotely clear, his son—John of Sleat—immediately resigned, transferring all authority to the king.

On 3 August that same year, king James IV awarded the central third of South Uist (traditionally known as Kilpheder[note 16]), by charter to Ranald Bane, leader of Clan Ranald.[29] Two days later,[note 17] the king gave Ranald Bane a charter for the northern third (traditionally known as Skirhough[note 18]) as well.[29] Ranald Bane, or his heirs, built Casteal Bheagram, on Loch an Eilean in Skirhough, as their local stronghold.[note 19]

Some time after Ranald Bane's nephew, John Moidartach,[note 20] succeeded as laird, he fell out of favour with King James V.[note 21] By 1538, James had transferred lairdship of Kilpheder to John's younger half-brother, Farquhar;[note 22][30] the king gave him Skirhough shortly afterwards.[31] In 1563, Farquhar sold his portion of South Uist to a distant relation, James MacDonald (heir of the second son of John of Islay);[note 23][32] that same year, Mary, Queen of Scots, issued a charter confirming James MacDonald as laird of these lands.[33]

The Clan Ranald chapel at Howmore

In the following year, Farquhar was murdered by John Moidartach's sons.[34] The year after that,[note 24] as opponents of the Scottish reformation, Moidartach and his family took the side of the Queen during the Chaseabout Raid, and were consequently back in royal favour; the Queen prohibited them from being punished for Farquhar's murder.[34] By the last decades of the century, John Moidartach had obtained a practical hold on Farquhar's former lands, though seemingly as a tenant of James MacDonald's heirs. In 1584 John died, and was buried at Howmore; a decorated stone from the site (the Clanranald Stone) is thought to have been his headstone.[note 25]

In 1596, concerned by the active involvement of highland leaders in Irish rebellions against Queen Elizabeth of England, king James VI of Scotland (Elizabeth's heir) demanded that they send well-armed men, as well as attending themselves, to meet him at Dumbarton on 1 August, and produce the charters for their land. As neither John Moidartach's heirs, nor those of James MacDonald, did so, Skirhough and Kilpheder became forfeit, by the corresponding Act of Parliament. Consequently, the king awarded them to Donald Gorm Mor, the heir of Hugh of Sleat, as a reward;[35] he had been one of the few highland leaders who obeyed the king's summons.[36] Donald Gorm Mor subinfeudated Skirhough and Kilpheder back to Clan Ranald, for £46 per annum.

Loch Boisdale

The leader of the MacNeils did not submit to the 1609 Statutes of Iona. Using this as justification, Clan Ranald drove the MacNeils out of Lochboisdale, and were subsequently awarded a charter for it, in 1610.[37] In 1622, Donald Gorm Mor's successor, Donald Gorm Og,[note 26] is found requesting that the Privy Council physically punish the Clan Ranald leadership for not removing their families and tenants from Skirhough;[38] presumably they hadn't been paying the rent.[39] By way of settlement of the dispute,[note 27] Donald Gorm Og was granted lairdship over Lochboisdale as well;[39] thus Donald Gorm Og became laird of the whole of South Uist, while Clan Ranald held it as his feudal vassals.

In 1633, Donald Gorm Og decided to simply sell lairdship of South Uist to the Earl of Argyll;[note 28] in January 1634, this arrangement was confirmed by a crown charter.[40] In 1661, as a leading opponent of king Charles I, the Earl's son—the Marquess of Argyll—was convicted of high treason, and his lands became forfeit. Thus, in 1673, it was the king demanding that Clan Ranald pay their outstanding rent for South Uist.[41]

The remains of Ormaclete Castle

In 1701, Allen MacDonald, the leader of Clan Ranald, built Ormaclete Castle as his new main residence in UIst. In 1715, some venison caught fire in the kitchen, which lead to the whole castle burning down. Like many of the MacDonald leaders, Allen was a supporter of the Jacobite rebellion, and a few days later, at the Battle of Sheriffmuir, was himself killed. After this, the Clan Ranald leadership moved their main home in Uist back to Benbecula.

During the Jacobite rising of 1745, Ranald MacDonald, the son of the Clan Ranald leader,[note 29] amassed large amounts of debt by funding the Jacobite army.[note 30] In the following year, Bonnie Prince Charlie was able to hide at Calvay Castle, after fleeing from the Battle of Culloden, until he was able to escape with the aid of Flora MacDonald. Though an act of attainder (and forfeit) was subsequently passed against Ranald, it had no effect, due to accidentally naming him as Donald MacDonald.

Kelp on the Bornish beach

Ranald's debts proved burdensome for his family, but his grandson, Ranald George MacDonald, was able to keep them at bay thanks to the Napoleonic Wars; the wars had restricted the supply of certain minerals, turning the production of soda ash by burning kelp into a highly profitable activity. Kelp harvesting (and burning) became one of the principle economic activities of the population of South Uist,[42] but when the wars ended, competition from imported barilla resulted in the kelp price collapsing.[43] In 1837, facing bankruptcy,[43] Ranald sold South Uist to Lt. Colonel John Gordon of Cluny.

Already accustomed to treating people as slaves, and seeing the financial advantages to livestock farming, Gordon was ruthless, evicting the population with short notice. On 11 August 1851, he demanded that everyone in South Uist attend a public meeting at Lochboisdale; according to an eyewitness,[note 31] he dragged the attendees from the meeting, sometimes in handcuffs, and threw then onto waiting ships, like cattle.[44] Having cleared much of the land, he replaced the population with flocks of Blackface sheep, bringing in lowland farmers to care for them. The former population largely moved to Canada; the remaining populace of South Uist represented less than half of the 1841 total.[note 32][45]

Lochboisdale became a major herring port later in the 19th century. In 1889, counties were formally created in Scotland, on shrieval boundaries, by a dedicated Local Government Act; South Uist therefore became part of the new county of Inverness. Following late 20th-century reforms, South Uist became part of the Highland Region.

The population level remained steady after the 19th-century clearances (in 2004 it was 2,285[45]). Following a series of different landowners, South Uist has been owned by South Uist Estates Ltd since 1960. In 2006, the local community bought all of the company's shares, via the special purpose vehicle Sealladh na Beinne Mòire, which now serves as the holding company, with the trading name now being Stòras Uibhist.[46] [47]

East Coast

In the north west of the island at (57°20′N 07°20′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. Local opposition to the range inspired the 1957 novel Rockets Galore by Compton Mackenzie.

The Deep Sea Range is still owned by the MoD operated by QinetiQ as a testing facility for missile systems such as the surface-to-air Rapier missile and unmanned aerial vehicles.[61] In 2009 the MOD announced that it was considering running down its missile testing ranges in the Western Isles,[62] with potentially serious consequences for the local economy.