Location of South Uist

South Uist (Scottish Gaelic: Uibhist a' Deas) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,951. The population of the island is about 90% Roman Catholic. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Gaelic language in Scotland. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Western Isles redirects here. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - UK Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78,772 km... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ...

The west is machair (fertile low-lying coastal plain) with a continuous sandy beach whilst the east coast is mountainous with the peaks of Beinn Mhór 2033 ft (620 m) and Hecla 1988 ft (606 m). In the north west there is a missile testing range. Machair The Gaelic word Machair or machar refers to a fertile low-lying coastal plain. ... The Beach in Calella, Spain. ...

Attractions on the island include the Kildonan Museum housing the sixteenth century Clanranald Stone and the ruins of the house where Flora MacDonald was born. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Flora MacDonald (1722 – March 5, 1790), Jacobite heroine, was the daughter of Ranald MacDonald of Milton in the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and his wife Marion, the daughter of Angus MacDonald. ...

The island is also home to the Askernish Golf Course. The oldest course in the Outer Hebrides, it was designed by Old Tom Morris, who also worked on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Tom Morris, Sr. ...

The main village on the island is Lochboisdale, from which ferries sail to Oban on the mainland and to Castlebay on Barra. The island is also linked to Eriskay and Benbecula by causeways. Smaller settlements include Daliburgh, Howmore and Ludag. Lochboisdale (Lochbaghasdail) is the main ferry terminal for the island of South Uist and is undergoing a revival of fortunes after a period of closures of the local shop (which closed in 1991 after trading for over 100 years) and the local hotel. ... View of Oban from Druim Mor. ... Castlebay is the main port and main village of the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. ... Castlebay, Barra Traigh Eaig beach This article is about the island of Barra in Scotland. ... Eriskay, looking towards Easabhal on South Uist. ... Benbecula (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn na Faoghla, meaning the mountain of the ford) is an island of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ... The Hindenburgdamm rail causeway across the Wadden Sea to the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ... Daliburgh is situated three miles inland from Lochboisdale and has the second biggest population on South Uist. ... Howmore (Tobha Mor) lies on the island of South Uist to the southwest of Loch Druidibeg. ...

The previous landowners sold the assets to the community on November 30th 2006^[1] to a Community Company known as Stòras Uibhist which was set up to purchase the land and to manage it in perpetuity.

The proposal for community ownership has received the overwhelming support of the people of the islands who look forward to participating in the opportunity to regenerate the local economy, to reverse decline and depopulation, to reduce dependency while remaining aware of the environmental needs, culture and history of the islands. The company name Stòras Uibhist symbolises hope for the future wealth and prosperity of the islands.

Nature Reserve

Flowering machair on South Uist

Loch Druidibeg in the north of the island is a National Nature Reserve owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. The reserve covers 34.33 square kilometres of machair, bog, freshwater lochs and estuary. Over 200 species of flowering plants have been recorded on the reserve, some of which are nationally scarce. It is considered the best place in the UK for the aquatic plant Slender Naiad (Najas flexilis) which is a European Protected Species. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 517 pixel Image in higher resolution (2920 × 1888 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 517 pixel Image in higher resolution (2920 × 1888 pixel, file size: 2. ... The machair on Berneray, Outer Hebrides The Scottish Gaelic word machair or machar refers to a fertile low-lying raised beach found on the coasts of Ireland and Scotland, in particular the Outer Hebrides. ... National Nature Reserve is a United Kingdom government conservation designation for a nature reserve of national significance. ... Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is a Scottish public body . ... The machair on Berneray, Outer Hebrides The Scottish Gaelic word machair or machar refers to a fertile low-lying raised beach found on the coasts of Ireland and Scotland, in particular the Outer Hebrides. ... Lütt-Witt Moor, a bog in Henstedt-Ulzburg in northern Germany. ... View across Loch Lomond, towards Ben Lomond. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ...

Nationally important populations of breeding waders are also present, including redshank, dunlin, lapwing and ringed plover. The reserve is also home to greylag geese on the loch and in summer corncrakes on the machair. Otters and hen harriers are also seen. Binomial name Tringa totanus (Linnaeus, 1758) They have really long beaks for sticking them up the anus of another bird The Common Redshank or Redshank (Tringa totanus) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. ... Binomial name Calidris alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader. ... Binomial name Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), also known as the Peewit or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. ... Binomial name Charadrius hiaticula (Linnaeus, 1758) The Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula, is a small plover. ... Binomial name Anser anser (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies (Western Greylag Goose) (Eastern Greylag Goose) The Greylag Goose, Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. ... Binomial name Crex crex Linnaeus, 1758 The Corn Crake (Crex crex) is a small bird in the family Rallidae. ... Binomial name Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Otter, Lutra lutra, is a European member of the Mustelidae or weasel family, and is typical of freshwater otters. ... Binomial name Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) is a bird of prey of the harrier family. ...

There has been considerable controversy over hedgehogs on South Uist. The animals are not native to the islands, having been introdued in the 1970s to reduce garden pests. They now pose a threat to the eggs of ground nesting wading birds on the reserve. In 2003 Scottish Natural Heritage undertook a cull of hedgehogs in the area. Binomial name Erinaceus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758 The European Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus, is a hedgehog, a mammal in the order Insectivora. ...

Archaeology

Looking west to Nicolson's Leap. In the background are Beinn Mhór on the left, and Hecla on the right.

The SEARCH project (Sheffield Environmental and Archaeological Research Campaign in the Hebrides) on South Uist has been developing a long-term perspective on changes in settlement and house form from the Bronze Age to the 19th century. Organisation within Iron Age roundhouses appears to have been very different from 19th century blackhouses in which the dwelling was shared with stock. Stock sharing living space with people is often regarded as a traditional Hebridean arrangement reflecting Norse influence (Smith et al., 2001). Image File history File links South_Uist. ... Image File history File links South_Uist. ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... Roundhouse in 1909, turntable in the front Steam locomotives sit in the Chicago and Northwestern roundhouse at the Chicago, Illinois freight yards, December 1942. ... For other uses of the term Norse, see Norse. ...

The archaeological site of Cladh Hallan, the only site in Great Britain where prehistoric butts have been found, is on South Uist. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Cladh Hallan is an archaeological site on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. ... A mummy is a corpse whose skin and dried flesh have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or airlessness. ...

Missile testing

In the north west of the island at (57°20′00″N, 07°20′00″W), a missile testing range was built in 1957-58 to launch the Corporal missile, Britain and America's first guided nuclear weapon. This development went ahead despite significant protests, some locals expressing concern that the Scottish Gaelic language would not survive the influx of English-speaking army personnel. The British Government claimed that there was an 'overriding national interest' in establishing a training range for their newly purchased Corporal, a weapon that was to be at the front line of Cold War defence. The Corporal missile was tested from 1959 to 1963, before giving way to Sergeant and Lance tactical nuclear missiles. The 'rocket range' as it is known locally has also been used to test high altitude research rockets, Skua and Petrel, which despite their purportedly scientific remit, were operated by the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment in Aldermaston. The American-made Corporal missile was the first guided weapon authorised by the US airforce to carry a nuclear warhead. ... // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The American-made Corporal missile was the first guided weapon authorised by the US airforce to carry a nuclear warhead. ... Skua is the designation of a British sounding rocket, which was launched between 1959 and 1981 in 4 versions over 300 times. ... The Petrel was a British sounding rocket. ... AWE plc logo The Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston (formerly the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston) is situated in the UK, just 7 miles north of Basingstoke and approximately 14 miles south-west of Reading, Berkshire, near a village called Aldermaston, bordering with Tadley. ...

The range is still owned by the MoD operated by QinetiQ as testing facility for missile systems such as the surface-to-air Rapier missile and Unmanned Air Vehicles (see[1]). The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. ... QinetiQ (LSE: QQ.) (pronounced kĭ-nĕtĭk, as in kinetic energy) is a British defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former government agency DERA when it was split up in June 2001 (with the smaller part becoming Dstl). ... Rapier Type surface to air Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform vehicle Target aircraft History Builder British Aerospace Date of design Production period Service duration Operators UK Variants ? Number built ? Specifications Type Diameter 0. ... Pioneer UAV flying over Iraq UAVs in a hangar A Boeing 720 being flown under remote control as part of NASAs Controlled Impact Demonstration An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), also called a drone, is a term used by the US military, the Israeli Defence Forces and others to describe...

References

Smith, H., Marshall, P. and Parker Pearson, M. 2001. Reconstructing house activity areas pp 249-270. In Albarella, U (ed) Environmental Archaeology: Meaning and Purpose. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

1. ^ Land buyout reality for islanders BBC News Online

External links

• Iochdar.co.uk, a website about outdoor recreation in South Uist
• StorasUibhist.com, the official website of the community-owned South Uist Estate
• southuist.com
• Flags of the world - Hebrides
• An Gàrradh Mòr, Historic walled garden at Cille Bhrìghde
• Rocket launches at South Uist
• Corporal missile inaccuracy revealed, The Guardian Sept 6 2003
• Askernish Golf Club
• Daliburgh School
• Google Maps:Rocket launch site
• Uist Online