Carefully Selected Scottish Holiday Homes in Beautiful Locations
Eriskay (Eiriosgaigh)
To the south of South Uist lies the barren, hilly island of Eriskay, famous for its patterned jerseys (on sale at the community centre), and a peculiar breed of pony, originally used for carrying peat and seaweed. The island, which measures just over two miles by one, shelters a small fishing community of about 150, and makes a great day-trip from South Uist, as long as the weather's fine. It's now connected by a newly-built and impressive causeway, which misleadingly signposts you at the other end to the car ferry to Barra: this, however, does not yet exist since Barra has only just got the funding.
For a small island, Eriskay has had more than its fair share of historical headlines. The island's main beach on the west coast, Coilleag a Phrionnsa (Prince's Cockle Strand), was where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed on Scottish soil on July 23, 1745 - the sea bindweed that grows there to this day is said to have sprung from the seeds Charles brought with him from France. Eriskay's other claim to fame came in 1941 when the 8000-ton SS Politician or Polly as it's fondly known, sank on its way from Liverpool to Jamaica, along with its cargo of bicycle parts, £3 million in Jamaican currency and 264,000 bottles of whisky, inspiring Compton MacKenzie's book - and the Ealing comedy (filmed here in 1948) - Whisky Galore! (released in the US as Tight Little Island). The ship's stern can still be seen to the northwest of the Isle of Calvey at low tide, and one of the original bottles (and lots of other related memorabilia) is on show in the island's purpose-built pub, Am Politician, on the west coast.
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