Figure 1.-- Thise photograph was taken in early 20th century on Hirta, in the St Kilda group of the Outer Hebredes. At the time, photo-lithography had just been perfected so photographs could be published in newspapers and magazines. There was a great demand for such geographic images. We see a group of boys. In the background is the the manse and the church. Some boys wear dresses and other trousers, nobody kilts. All the boys are barefoot, as it was common on Scottish Islands, largely because of the poverty. The children here are all boys, but the girls also went barefoot.

The Scottish islands are mostly located along the western coast, the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The Hebrides is an archipelago comprising hundreds of islands, both populated and unpopulted, off the northwest coast of Scotland. They are divided into two groups, depending on their distanc from the Scottish coast. The Inner and Outer groups both have senic, rugged landscapes, fishing villages and Gaelic-speaking communities. The Inner islands include Coll, Mull, Rum, Skye, and Tiree. The Isle of Skye is the most accessable as it is connected to the mainland by a bridge. There is a pictuesque harbor at Portree and jagged 3,000-ft. peaks in the Cuillin mountain range. Most Gaelic speakers are today confined largely to the Islands in the west with a particularly important Gaelic stronghold in the Outer Hebrides. The remoremess has allowed th Gaelic speaking communities survive. The main Outer islands include Barra, Benbecula, Berneray, Harris, Lewis, North Uist, South Uist, and St Kilda. We see a group from Barra in the Outer Hebredes. Barra is the most southerly of the inhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides. Studio portaits like this are indestinguisable from minland Scotland or for that matter England. Once we begin to get amateur snapshots around the turn-of-the 20th century, we do begin to see differences.

History

The history of the Inner and Outer Hebridies are tied together. Obviously any people that could cross the Enhlidsh Channel and reach the British Iles has the tchnological capacity to reach these islands from the western coast of Scotland. The Hebrides are beleved to have been settled at a fairly early point in the settlement of the British Isles. Some archeologists believe that this aas the Mesolithic era or middle stone age or about when the Agricultural Revolution began. Some estimares suggest (8500–8250 BC). This was when the climatic conditions warmed enough to permit human settlerment. Some of the neolithic structures have been proviosuonslly ftes (3000 BC). This includes the standing stones at Callanish, but there is dusagreemny among rcholoists. Little is known of the people who first settled in the Hebrides but they were surely the same people who settled Scotland as a whole. Settlements at Northton, Harris, include both Beaker and Neolithic dwelling houses. These are believed to be the earliest in the Western Isles, attesting to the settlement. Early history is lrgely unknown. We know that the islanders were speaking Galeic at the time of the Roman conquest (1st century AD). The Chritianization of Scotland began primarily from Iona in the Inner Hebridies. The two island groups shared the rath of the Norsemen. The islanderrs suffered terribly from Norse raids (late-8th century). They became controlled by the Norse (9th-12th centuries). Somerled, a Gaelic Lord led a rebellion that through off Norwegian rule, founding the lordship of the Isles. The Lords of the Isles maintained effective rule over the islands through much of gthe rest of the medieval era. the late Middle Ages, and the kingdom of Scotland did not establish control over the islands for several centuries. The Kingdom of Scotland gained control (1493). From this point thy begin to have a common history with Scotland.

Photography

We have no idea what the Heberdies and the oher islnds were like bddorec the advent of photography. There masy have been some paintings, but we do not yet have any exzmoples. Phoyohraphy was invented in Frabce (1839). It gook some tiome to make it gio the islands. We do have some photographs from the late-19th century. We are not sure who took the photograph here about the turn-of-the 20th century (figure 1). An American folklorist and photographer, Margaret Fay Shaw, was active a few decsdes later.

Clothing

There are some notable clothing trends here. First is that the younger boys are wearing flannel dresses. This is similar to isolated areas in Ireland where boys at the time were also wearing flannel dresses. It was said this was to prevent the faries from kidnapping little boys. We suspect this was also the case in the Scottish Isles. Second, is that the boys are all barefoot despite the cool temperatures in Scotland. The girls also went barefoot. We suspect at the time that the boys did not get shoes until they were old enough to get jobs and purchse them. Third, the boys are all wearing long pants despite the fact that boys in Scotland at the time were increasingly wearing knee pants or short pants. Fourt, notice that kilts were not worn on the islands. We are not sure why that was, priably the Irish influence is stronger than the Scottish infuence.

Inner Hebridies

Inner Hebrides are islands off the western coast of Scotland. The Inner Hebrides are very close to the coast. Skye is close enough for a bridge connction with the mainland. They 79 Inner Hebredies islands stretch 150 miles from Skye in the north to Islay in the south. Many are uninhabited. They are are separated from the more distant Outer Hebrides (often referred go as the Western Isles) by the Little Minch -- an Atlantic Ocean sea channel and the Sea of the Hebrides. The largest Inner Hebrides islands are Skye, Mull, Jura, and Islay. The chain is divided into two groups, North and South. The southern group includea Mull, Islay and Jura. The Northern group is Skye and some smaller islands. The Inner Hebredies are today rather inexplicably split betweem Scottish shires, Inverness-shire and Argyllshire. The Isle of Skye is the most accessable and has a pictuesque harbor at Portree and jagged 3,000-ft. peaks in the Cuillin mountain range. Jura is mountainous, bare and basically infertile. There is a large area of blanket bog. Much of the island is a womderful narure preserve. There is a large population of red deer. The dear browsing, the deer prevent the vegetation from turning back to woodland. Jura is also notable for its bird life, and especially for its raptors. Iona is located off the southern projection of the Isle of Mull has a particularly notable history. St. Columba who came to Iona began the Chruistinization of Scotland (563). The historic Abbey has been restored. It is one of the mnost important early Christin centers in Western Europe. In addition to spreading Christianity, the Abbey was the foundation of a monastic community by St. Columba. Saint Aidan served as a monk at Iona, before helping to reestablish Christianity in Northumberland begiining with Lindisfarne. The Abbey bcame a spiritual home of the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian religious order now centeres in Glasgow. The Abbey today remains a popular site of Christian pilgrimage.

Outer Hebridies

Although called the Hebridies, the Outer Heberdioes are in reality signifucanytly separatedfimnthe Inner Heberdoes. They extend further north than the the Inner Hebridies. The Outer Heberdies stretch some 130 miles from Lewis in the north to the island of Barra in the south. The island group form a crescent about 40 miles from the Scottish mainland, farther off shore thn the Inner Hebrides. The Outer Hebrides are separated from the Inner Hebrides by the Minch and Little Minch channels in the north and by the Sea of the Hebrides in the south. Many of the smaller islands are uninhabited. Most of the population live on Lewis and Harris. The population dclind declinmed considrably in the 20th century. As conndctions increased wieh the mainland, the islanders became aware of the far greater economic opportunities off the islands. St. Kilda was even abandoned. This interconnected chain of Atlantic islands has appeal for people who really want to get way from civilization. The islands offer neolithic stone structures, medieval churches and even of all things mummies. The most notable site is the neolthic Calanais Stone Circle on Lewis. The Celtic roots run deeper here than anywhere in Scolnd. It can be enjoyed today in language, arts, and music. Most Scottish Gaelic speakers are today confined to the Western Isles, especially in the Outer Hebrides, one of the few areas in Scotland where Gaelic is still spoken as the everyday language. The remoteness has allowed the Gaelic speaking communities survive. The main Outer islands include Barra, Benbecula, Berneray, Harris, Lewis, North Uist, South Uist, and St Kilda--a real outlier. The oeher islnds sre located cliose togther. St. Kilda is located far out into the North Atlantic. We see a group from Barra in the Outer Hebredes. Barra is the most southerly of the inhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides. Studio portaits like theone on ghe previous page are indistinguisable from mainland Scotland or for that matter England. Once we begin to get outdoor photogrphs and amateur snapshots around the turn-of-the 20th century, we do begin to see differences.

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Created: 7:29 AM 7/4/2016
Last updated: 7:07 PM 2/3/2023