Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 4

HEBRIDES
HEBRIDES
One very peculiar feature of the Hebrides is the im-
mense number of lochs scattered everywhere about, and,
indeed, taking them all in all, there is no part of the
known world more watered from above and from below
than the Hebrides, for during more than two-thirds of
the year they are drenched with almost incessant rain,
while, wherever the islands are not intersected by wind-
ing arms of the sea, they abound in rivulets or fresh-
water lakes. Immense numbers of tiny waterfalls streak
their cliffs where little burns rush down, and gradually
gather into larger streams. Of these last, upwards of
forty are large enough to contain salmon, and they also
abound in trout and eels. Lakes and lochans are so
numerous, particularly in the Outer Hebrides, as to
almost defy numeration. They are everywhere 'as
thickly sown amid the land as islands amid the Pacific
waters.' The lakes in North Uist aione, which measures
about 13 by 16J miles, were counted by one careful
observer up to the number of 170, and these were sup-
plemented by such a number of lochans that it was too
tedious to reckon them. The entire number of lochs in
the Hebrides may indeed be safely computed at 1500,
and their area as extending over 50,000 acres, of which
those of Lewis and Uist alone cover more than half.
These lakes, though they frequently interrupt communi-
cation and occasion other inconveniences, offer but little
compensation in return except by providing breeding
and dwelling places for various species of water birds
and of fish. They are mostly shallow, none exceeding
3 or 4 fathoms in depth, and are indeed, both in them-
selves and in their surroundings, of a character such as
the genius of improvement would seek to banish alto-
gether. The islands are also extensively intersected by
inlets and arms of the sea, many of which have winding
shores, with narrow fiords branching off in all directions,
and spreading about in a regular network of waters.
Loch Maddy, for instance, in North Uist, has only a
surface area of 10 miles, but yet its shore-line measures
fully 300 miles. So numerous and branching are these
sea-lochs that their windings give the islands a coast-
line of about 4000 miles, and their deep and long-reach-
ing bays are eminently valuable in connection with the
fishings for the sheltered harbours they afford for boats
and ships.
The area of the Hebrides, exclusive of foreshores and
the larger lochs, is in round numbers 1,S00,000 acres or
2S12 square miles. As regards size, the islands may be
distributed into four classes. The first class, containing
the largest islands, includes Islay, Jura, Mull, Skye,
both Uists, and Harris and Lewis, and these taken
together comprehend about eight-ninths of the entire
area. The second class includes Gigha, Colonsay, Luing,
Seil, Eerrera, Lismore, Ulva, Gometra, Tyree, Coll,
Eigg, Rum, Raasay, Rona, Barra, Benbecula, and Ber-
nera. The third class includes Scarba, Lunga, Easdale,
Inniskenneth, Iona, Muck, Canna, Scalpa, Fladda,
Flodda, Eriskay, Pabbay, Boveray, and Taransay.
The fourth class includes about 120 tiny islets with
some little productive value, and a large number of
rocky islets and skerries. Inclusive of these last the
entire number of islands and islets has been set down
in round numbers as 500, but understanding islands
and islets to be objects which on a large map have a
distinct figure and characteristic outline, the number is
reduced to about 160, and of these 100 are at present —
18S3 — inhabited all the year round, while a number of
others are inhabited temporarily during the summer
months only. The inhabited islands, with their popu-
lations in 1871 and 1S81 respectively, are as follows : —
In Argyllshire, Balnahua (146 ; 10S), Calve (7 ; 10),
Canna (48 ; 57), Cara (4 ; 4), Cama (9 ; 7), Coll (723 ;
643), Colonsay (408 ; 387), Danna (54 ; 40), Devaar (5 ;
5), Diminish (4 ; 24), Easdale (504 ; 460), Earrait (122;
51), Eriska (5 ; 7), Frielhouse (3 ; 1), Garvelloch (10 ;
0), Gigha (3S6 ; 378), Gometra (26 ; 30), Inniskenneth
(S ; 8), Iona (236 ; 243), Islay (S143 ; 7559), Jura (761 ;
773), Kerrera (101; 103), Lismore (720; 621), Luing
(582 ; 527), Lunga (5 ; 17), MacCaskin (8 ; 6), Muck
(53 ; 51), Mull (5947 ; 5229), Musdale (10 ; 9), Oronsay
in Morvern (17 ; 0), Oronsay beside Colonsay ^48 ; 10),
Oversay (13 ; 15), Pladda at Jura (9 ; 10), Rum (81 ;
89), Sanda (57 ; 14), Sanday (58 ; 62), Scarba (7 ; 19),
Seil (731 ; 661), Sheep in Kilbrandon (4 ; 2), Sheep off
Lismore (6 ; 4), Shuna in Kilbrandon (15 ; 14), Shuna
off Lismore (14 ; 8), Skerryvore (3 ; 3), Skerryvuille
(14 ; 19), Torsay (20 ; 10), Tyree (2834 ; 2730), Ulva off
Kintyro (19 ; 19), Ulva in Kilninian (71 ; 53). In
Inverness-shire are Balleshare (246 ; 266), Barra (1753 ;
1869), Benbecula (1563; 1661), Bernera (373; 452),
Berneray (38 ; 72), Boveray (146 ; 137), Calvay (0 ; 6),
Eigg (282; 291), Ensay (6; 6), Eriskay (429; 466),
Fladda (76; 87), Flodda (54; 54), Fuda (6; 6), Grimisay
in North Uist (283 ; 292), Grimisay in South Uist (6 ;
28), Harris (3008 ; 3463), Heisker (114 ; 111), Hellisay
(5 ; 9), Hut (6 ; 10), Killigray (9 ; 6), Kirkibost (9 ; 12),
Levera (8 ; 11), Mhorgay (8 ; 6), Mingalay (141 ; 150),
Monach (11 ; 13), Ornsay (42 ; 47), Pabbay off Barra
(24 ; 26), Pabbay off Harris (8 ; 2), Pabbay oil' Strath
(6 ; 10), Raasay (389 ; 478), Rona (157 ; 176), Ronay
(6 ; 6), St Eilda (71 ; 77), Sanderay (7 ; 10), Scalpa
(421 ; 540), Scalpay (48 ; 37), Scarp (156 ; 213), Shona
(102; 118), Skye (17,330; 16,889), Soay (120; 102),
Taransay (68 ; 55), North Uist (3222 ; 3371), South
Uist (3669 ; 3825), Vallay (48 ; 29), Vatersay (23 ; 19),
Wiay off Skye (5 ; 4), Wiay off South Uist (6 ; 5). In
Ross are Bernera (539 ; 596), Croulin (26 ; 9), Lewis
(22,939; 24,876), Pabay (0; 9), Shiant_(5; 6). The
uninhabited islands of any note are Ree in Argyll and
Ascrib in Inverness.
Westerly winds prevail on an average from August
till the beginning of March, and are generally accom-
panied by very heavy rains ; but during most of March,
and often also during October and November, a NE or
NNE wind prevails, and this, though intensely cold, is
generally dry and bracing. Northerly and southerly
winds are not very frequent, and seldom last more than
two or three days. The mountains of Jura, Mull, and
Skye, attaining to an elevation of from 2000 to 3000
feet, intercept the damp winds blowing oil' the Atlantic,
and so draw down on the land in their vicinity large
quantities of moisture ; but they at the same time
modify the climate around them, and screen the lower
land in their neighbourhood from the violent winds
that sweep everywhere off the sea. Though the com-
paratively low islands of Tyree, Coll, Benbecula, North
Uist, and the low seaboards of Harris and Lewis have
abundance of rain, they are probably little, if at all,
damper than the western sea-board districts of the
mainland. Frost and snow seldom cause much incon-
venience on the large or high islands, and are almost
unknown on the small and low ones. Rain falls on an
average on 264 days in the year, and the amount of
rainfall is about 48 inches. The mean temperature for
November, December, January, and February is 39°,
for the rest of the year 49°. Owing to the comparative
warmth of the islands and the lowness and closeness to
the sea of the arable ground, and notwithstanding the
damp and their unsheltered position, grasses and corn
attain maturity at a very early period after their first
start from the ground. In the southern isles sown hay
is cut down between the latter end of June and the
middle of July, and in the northern isles ten to fourteen
days later ; iu all the islands barley is often reaped in
August, and crops of all sorts secured in September ; and
in Uist, Lewis, and Tyree, bere has ripened and been cut
down within ten weeks of the time of sowing. In spite
too, of the same unfavourable conditions, longevity is
of as frequent occurrence as among an equal amount of
population in any other part of Europe, and many of
the old prevalent diseases are here, just as on the main-
land, losing their epidemic and malignant character.
Soils and Agriculture. — In a region so extensive there
is, as might be expected, a great diversity of soils. It
has been said of the Outer Hebrides that ' nature has
wasted her capabilities in a climate to which she has
refused vegetation, nay even denied a soil ; that which
is not rock is sand, that which is not sand is bog,
that which is not bog is lake, that which is not
257