North Uist, General
General View
Site Name North Uist, General
Classification General View
Canmore ID 269116
Site Number NF87SW 15
NGR NF 83000 72000
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/269116
- Council Western Isles
- Parish North Uist
- Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
- Former District Western Isles
- Former County Inverness-shire
NORTH UIST
(Uibhist a Tuath) (Uist - west; North Uist formed part of the MacRuaris' lands, united through marriage with the possessions of Clan Donald in 134 6. In 14 69 it joined vast tracts of Skye as the territory of the Macdonalds of Sleat (Clann Uisdein) who were given official title by James IV in 14 95. By the late 18th century, several extensive tacks had been created, although Robert Reid's map of 1799 shows a surviving pattern of runrigs and several small clachans (Tigharry, Baleloch and Hosta, for example). The 1770s saw the emigration of many tacksmen and their tenants to North Carolina, the 1850s harsh evictions. The Macdonalds sold North Uist in 1855 to Sir John Powlett Orde Bt., also of Kilmory Castle, Lochgilphead, by which time the sporting potential of the island's loch-strewn peatlands had become a greater attraction than its kelp harvest. The Duke of Hamilton bought it in 1945, and since 1960 it has been owned by the Granville family. The island remains largely Presbyterian.
Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
