Intriguing, isn’t it. There will be a full film in due course. Script by Eric Macdonald; produced by Theatre Hebrides.

It’s Film G time again – this is filmed in our shop, with some familiar faces. (We don’t have line dancing in the hall though.) Don’t forget to vote.

This short video by Ged Yeates was part of Uig’s proposal for the St Kilda Centre – spectacular even in the face of Youtube compression.

The BBC Alba series A Reir na h-Aimsir, which looks at how weather affects us, was this week in Lewis, looking at how traditional blackhouse architecture has been adapted for a new house in Brenish, amongst other things.  There’s a trio of well-known Uig bodachs on local weather lore at about the 22-minute mark. To view only until 7 April from this link, or to download (both options for UK viewers only.)  In Gaelic with subtitles. Edit:  no longer available from the link but here’s [ » read more ]

At the Uig Celebration dinner and ceilidh on Friday, there was an Uig quiz, compiled by Teen Anne Murray. Twenty questions; this site may help you with some of them but for most, you’re on your own.  Answers in the comments please. 1. Name the oldest and youngest people currently resident in Uig. 2. Recent excavations on Cnip headland uncovered Bronze Age burials.  Approximately how old would the burials be? 3. Coming from Stornoway on the B8011, there is a hill with a prominent bump [ » read more ]

Our monthly ceilidh sessions are about to resume, the next on Tuesday 10 Feb from about 8pm, at the Museum at Uig Hall.  This time we’ll be joined by Maggie Smith and the participants of the traditional song workshop, who will sing some women’s work songs, including waulking songs.  All welcome, to join in or listen, or talk about other things; in Gaelic; free. For now here’s Margaret Stewart (from Upper Coll) with Théid is gun téid e leam.

The National Film Board of Canada has just launched an extraordinary website with hundreds of clips from 90 years of film-making in Canada. So far I’m not finding anything specifically Hebridean, but here’s a full-length dramatisation of the settling of the prairies, featuring a family from Montreal that takes a new farm in Saskatchewan in 1907 and encounters (every last one of) the misfortunes that no doubt hit Hebridean settlers there as well. Spot the dodgy Scottish accent, and one real one. Dir. Don Haldane, [ » read more ]

Pròiseact nan Ealan and Murray International Language Centre, both in Stornoway, have collaborated on the production of a new Gaelic Karaoke DVD, to be launched this Friday (23 January) at Celtic Connections in Glasgow.  There are nine songs in the collection, including Eilean an Fhraoich, Hè mo Leannan and our own Fear a’Bhàta, with the sing-along words appearing on screen against a backdrop of Hebridean views, and a booklet with the songs in two languages. The songs are performed by Michelle Morrison (of Teine) and [ » read more ]

MG Alba, which in partnership with the BBC runs BBC Alba, the new Gaelic digital TV service, is also running a Gaelic short film competition, FilmG.  This is an entry with Uig connections, Am/Àite, written by Eric Macdonald, directed by Alasdair Macleod and featuring a few faces you might know. You can see other films and vote for your favourites at the FilmG website. Update, 9 Feb: Am/Àite won Best Screenplay for Eric Macdonald, and one of the best new voices for Maggie Smith!

The King was carved by Stephen Hayward and installed on the machair at Ardroil, near the findsite. Installation by John, Donald and Dolu; video by Keith; music by Dougie.

Commentary by Shonnie; video by Keith. I can’t tell you how much I love this. Anthea and Dòmhnall Calum wrote up some similar detail here.