Eriskay Island separated from the south of south Uist by the Sound of Eriskay, has two claims to fame, as the original home of the worldwide popular Gaelic melody ‘The Eriskay Love Lilt”, and as the spot where Prince Charles Edward Stuart first set foot on Scottish soil on his way from France to the mainland for the venture which led to the 45 Rising and Culloden At Prince’s Strand on the west side of the island is the beautiful white beach where he stepped ashore, and there may be found the small pink sea bindweed or convolvulus which is said to have originated from seed which fell from his pocket. (Visitors are asked not to lift any of the roots.) A third, more modern, claim to fame lies in the S.S. Politician, wrecked in the Sound and the subject of Compton Mackenzies Whisky Galore. With the popular history of Eriksay making it an a great holiday destination you can start your search for accommodation on Eriskay.
- Eriskay Island Geolocation Latitude 57.0727° N Longitude -7.2924° W
- Eriskay Island Postcode HS8
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- Eriskay Island Map
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The ‘much mourned" seaweed covered hulk may be seen at low tide. There are many tales ofwhat happened to the 20,000 cases of whisky which went down in her holds in 1941.
This beautiful island sme 3 miles by I.5 miles with its soft gentle contours the only hill, Ben Scrien, rises to a mere 609 ft, supports several crofts and a small but highly efficient fishing fleet, and there is still a good strain of the sturdy Eriskay ponies, that were used for carrying peats and seaweed (as fertilizer) and even for ploughing.
The people of Eriskay have been responsible for some of the finest Gaelic songs and melodies, and many of these were preserved by Father Allan MacDonald, whose memorial in stone is the St Michael’s Church, which he built in 1903, two years before his death.
Here the Angelus is rung thrice daily on a ship's bell recovered from a German battleship, the Derfiinger, sunk at Scapa Flow, and there is a fine painting of the Baptism of Christ by John Duncan, R.S.W., who stayed on the island for some time. There are ferries to South Uist and Barra from the island.
On Stack Island, off the southern tip, there is a ruined reivers castle from which a piratical MacNeil plunderedwrecks.
