Photos and the City

Tag: Hebrides

Pre-historic North Uist

I was driving by a folly in North Uist. Scolpaig Tower was built on the site of an Iron Age broch by Dr Alexander Macleod in the 1830’s to provide work during a famine.

Pobull Fhinn Stone Circle

A circle of stones awaited me at the end of a little walk, with a gorgeous view over a misty North Uist.

Pobull Fhinn looks over Loch Langass and hiding behind the clouds is Ben Langass.

The circle is composed of at least 48 stones, only one of which is really prominent, and many of which have fallen. The circle is set upon a man-made terrace, made by cutting into the slope of Ben Langass on one side and building up the slope on the other to create a fairly level platform. The circle is actually an oval shape, about 37 metres by 30 metres, with the longer side running east to west. (Britain Express)

Barpa Langass

Barpa Langass to the south of the Island is a 5,000-year-old burial chamber thought to be the burial place of a Neolithic chieftain. (Isle of North Uist)

The cairn has collapsed and can´t be accessed.

But again, stunning views over North Uist…

14/09/2023
St. Kilda View & Traigh-stir

St Kilda Viewpoint

It was a stunning day in North Uist and I drove up a hill to take a peak of St Kilda – there actually is a St Kilda Viewpoint in North Uist.

I didn´t use the telescope, which seemed a bit old and rusty, but my binoculars and actually was able to see St Kilda somewhere over there.

Traigh-stir

Afterwards, it was time for the beach and if you look closely at this image, you will see the archipelago of St Kilda on top of the horizon.

Hosta Beach (Traigh-stir) is such a stunning beach with great waves – must be amazing to surf there.

12/09/2023
Teampull na Trionaid

Grimsay

View from my lovely modern cottage in Grimsay. I stayed here for a week and explored Grimsay, North Uist, Benbecula and Berneray.

I got spoiled by the most stunning rainbow on my first night in Grimsay.

Teampull na Trionaid

The next morning I drove over the causeway to get to North Uist – a bit of the usual traffic jam included.

My first stop of the day was to visit the Trinity Temple – Teampull na Trionaid. I parked my car at the temple parking spot and walked over the grass towards the temple.

Teampull na Trionaid, the Church of the Holy Trinity, was probably built around 1200 on the site of an earlier site, maybe a monastery.

The Book of Clan Ranald, written in the 1600s, says that Teampull na Trionaid was founded in the late 1100s by Bethag, daughter of Somerled. It was subsequently enlarged in the second half of the 1300s by Amy MacRuari, the first wife of John, Lord of the Isles, before being reconstructed in the 1500s. (Scotland Undiscovered)

After the Reformation, the church felt out of use and the building started to decline.

There are references to Teampull na Trionaid having served as a monastery in its early life, and it is believed to have been an important centre of learning in the middle ages (and possibly until well beyond the Reformation). The early scholar John Duns Scotus, who lived from 1265 to 1308, is said to have briefly studied here. (Scotland Undiscovered)

07/09/2023