Pictures also viewable here if the slideshow doesn’t work for you. Thanks to Iain Watson for these pictures and his memories of scout camps in Uig. The pictures were all collected by Don Laing, who used to be a Scout Leader in Stornoway for many years from the early 60′s until he died in 2000. Over the years he had collected several hundred scouting pictures; when he died his wife Mavis gave me the box. The Scouts used to go to Uig for most of [ » read more ]

From West Over Sea by DDC Pochin Mould, 1953. To go to Uig is to go to a different country from the rest of the Lews, to go from the moors into the mountains, to the great massif which, with the Forest of Harris, builds the highest ground in the Outer Hebrides. It is only 32 miles from Stornoway to Uig, but the single-track road, which is untarred beyond the turn to Bernera, makes the way seem much further. It turns off at Garynahine on [ » read more ]

From the Comhairle SMR (Sites and Monuments Record.) A Bronze Age (2350BC-700BC) cairn was identified at NB045338, on the point of Tolanais overlooking Traigh Uig.  Two small assessment trenches were opened on the southern of two large mounds, in order to determine which features of the site were artificial, and to date these, if possible. The mound proved to be essentially natural, consisting of fluvioglacial sands and gravels, but with an insubstantial prehistoric cairn at the highest point, overlain by a later turf and stone cellular structure, [ » read more ]

We are modestly delighted to have made the Scotsman’s supplement today, in the shortlist for Best Museums in the Western Isles.  Marianne’s lovely cafe at Lochcroistean School is one of the Best Surprises; and Traigh Uig makes the Best Beaches list.  Though surely Traigh na Berie is the best beach in Uig and probably the western world?  (As the Guardian previously recognised.)  Feel free to argue with that.

Dolly Doctor, in Tales and Traditions, tells of the wreck of a ship at Carnish in 1775. In the picture Sgeir an Iaruinn is the small island in the middle of the picture, with Shielibhig in the distance on the far left. All night the people round Uig Bay had listened to the cries of woe and frightful screaming from the crew of the ship gone aground, as piece after piece broke away from the ship and the crew were being washed overboard; but they could [ » read more ]

Rev Col AJ Mackenzie, born 1887,  was the son of Roderick Mackenzie, gamekeeper at Kinlochresort and subsequently at Uig Lodge.  The young Alick spent his early years at Kinlochresort before moving with his family in 1891 to the keeper’s house near the Lodge, overlooking Traigh Uig, which clearly made a lasting impression on him.  The story of the journey from Kinlochresort is here. The next day dawned a bright and beautiful spring morning. None of us ever forgot the glamour of that first April morning in sight [ » read more ]

A Fenian (and Ossianic) tale, adapted here from WC Mackenzie’s Traditions of the Western Isles. Cuoch (or Cuithich) Mac Nuadharan was a giant who lived at Dun Boranais in the river at the edge of Uig Sands.  He had three giant, broch-dwelling brothers:  Glom, at Ballyglom; Tid, at Tidberry, Kirkibost (both Bernera); and Dearge at Dun Carloway.  The brothers ruled over the area harshly. At that time Fionn Mac Cuimhail, the Irish hero, and his band of warriors, the Fianna, arrived in Lewis and took it [ » read more ]