Harris, Outer Hebrides
Harris
| |
---|---|
Population | 1,916 [1] |
Demonym | Hearach |
Language | Scottish Gaelic English |
OS grid reference | NB155005 |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ISLE OF HARRIS |
Postcode district | HS3 |
Dialling code | 01859 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Harris (
The civil parish of Harris is considered to include St Kilda, a now uninhabited archipelago 40 miles (65 kilometres) west-northwest of North Uist, and the uninhabited islet Rockall, which is 230 miles (370 kilometres) west of North Uist.
Etymology
The
The name of this island in Gaelic is "Na h-Earradh". The isles of the Hebrides once had Gaelic names, however the Norsemen renamed them.[5]
The Gaelic name "Na Hearadh" was also an earlier term for the Rinns of Islay.[citation needed]
Most of the place names on Harris are Gaelicized Old Norse.[citation needed]
Harris is most likely to be the island referred to as Adru (meaning 'thick, stout or bulky') on
Gaelic
As of 2011[update], there were 1,212 Gaelic speakers in Harris, corresponding to roughly 60% of the population.[6]
Geography
The boundary between Lewis and Harris is approximately a line from the head of Loch Resort on the west coast to the closest point of Loch Seaforth on the east coast. Harris itself divides naturally into northern and southern parts which are separated by West and East Loch Tarbert. These halves are joined by a narrow isthmus at the main settlement of Tarbert (An Tairbeart or Tairbeart na Hearadh).
The bedrock of Harris is largely
Harris is a part of
North Harris
North Harris, adjoining Lewis, contains Clisham (An Cliseam), the highest mountain in the Outer Hebrides at 799 metres (2,621 ft).[10][11] The area is sparsely populated. Beyond Tarbert, the furthest settlement is Hushinish (Hùisinis) on the west coast. A bridge from the east coast links Harris to the island of Scalpay (Sgalpaigh na Hearadh).
In March 2003 the 25,300-hectare (62,500-acre) North Harris Estate was purchased
South Harris
The southern part of Harris is less mountainous, with numerous unspoilt, white sandy beaches on the west coast. Its main settlements are
The east coast of south Harris is known as the Bays. The best known section called the "Golden Road" as it cost so much money to build, when it was built in 1897. It runs from Miavaig via Drinishader, Grosebay, Scadabay and Cluer to Stockinish. From Stockinish the road is the Bays and meanders through the coastal townships of
The beaches of
Tarbert
Tarbert is the main port and main settlement of Harris, with a population of about 550. The name Tarbert comes from the Norse tairbeart meaning "
Scalpay
The island of Scalpay is located at the mouth of East Loch Tarbert. It was known historically for its fishing industry, though little of that remains. The island was linked to Harris when the Scalpay Bridge was opened in 1997, connecting Scalpay to the settlement of Kyles on Harris.
Media attention has recently been drawn to angling on Harris, and Tarbert in particular. Local fishermen have been targeting large Common Skate in the area and have had prolific catches, mainly from West Loch Tarbert, in autumn and winter. There is an application for the Scottish shore record of 183 pounds (83 kg) although a fish estimated at 204 pounds (93 kg) was later landed. These catches have attracted the attention of the local and national press and sea angling's leading magazines.[18][19]
Economy and transport
In common with many parts of the
.According to the Scottish Government, "tourism is by far and away the mainstay industry" of the Outer Hebrides, "generating £65m in economic value for the islands, sustaining around 1000 jobs" The report adds that the "islands receive 219,000 visitors per year".[20] The Outer Hebrides tourism bureau states that 10–15% of economic activity on the islands was made up of tourism in 2017. The agency states that the "exact split between islands is not possible" when calculating the number of visits, but "the approximate split is Lewis (45%), Uist (25%), Harris (20%), Barra (10%)".[21]
Harris is known for
Tarbert is home to the Harris distillery,[23] which has former Monsanto CEO, Hugh Grant among its directors.[24] In 2018, the distillery was named Scottish Gin Distillery of the year at the annual Scottish Gin Awards,[25] and in 2020, Harris Gin was voted favourite Scottish gin in the Scottish Gin Society Consumer Choice Awards for the third year in a row.[26]
As of 2021, the company was marketing only gin, but had started production of Hearach' single malt Scotch whisky; it would be some years before that product would be available for sale.[27][28]
Education
The Sir E. Scott secondary school in Tarbert serves the whole of the Isle of Harris and Scalpay. This school has a primary and secondary department and can educate up to sixth year.[29] The school has a 21 kW photovoltaic system installed. There is also a Primary School, Leverhulme Memorial School, in Leverburgh.[30]
Religion
Harris has a largely
Media and the arts
Tinted shots of parts of the island were used by
In his 1962 novel Atlantic Fury Hammond Innes put a fictional Joint Services Guided Weapons Establishment in Northton, South Harris, where some of the action takes place.
The nearby island of
The local newspaper is the Stornoway Gazette; there is also a community newspaper published fortnightly, called Dè Tha Dol?
District tartan
A group of sixth-year pupils at the Sir E. Scott secondary school in Tarbert won the 2003
pelorous blue #2888C4,
forest green #289C18,
dark grey #101010,
wilson white #FCFCFC, and
Windsor blue #2C2C80.[34]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "Island Populations" Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- ^ Macbain, Alexander (1895). "The Norse Element in the Topography of the Highlands and the Isles". Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness. Vol. 19. Northern Chronicle. pp. 217–218.
- ^ Macbain, Alexander (1895). "The Norse Element in the Topography of the Highlands and the Isles". Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness. Vol. 19. Northern Chronicle. p. 227.
- ^ Dictionary of Scottish Place-Names, David Ross (Birlinn)
- ^ Macbain, Alexander; Watson, William J. (1922). Place names, Highlands & islands of Scotland. E. Mackay, Stirling. pp. 68–73.
- ^ Census 2011 stats. BBC News. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ McKirdy, Alan Gordon, John & Crofts, Roger (2007) Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland. Edinburgh. Birlinn. Page 94.
- ^ Gillen, Con (2003) Geology and landscapes of Scotland. Harpenden. Terra Publishing. Pages 63–4.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas" Archived 11 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine. SNH. Retrieved 30 Mar 2011.
- ^ Rotary Club (1995) p. 124
- ^ Johnstone et al (1990) p. 240
- ^ Islanders celebrate buy-out, BBC News Online, 1 March 2003
- ^ "Welcome to The North Harris Trust – Urras Ceann a 'Tuath na Hearadh" North Harris Trust. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
- ^ "About Development Trusts" Archived 4 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine DTA Scotland. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
- ^ "HICEC conference 2006". hie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 October 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ "North Harris community wind farm approved" (February 2008) John Muir Trust Journal No. 44.
- ^ Ross, John (14 March 2008) "Island may be site of third national park". Edinburgh The Scotsman.
- ^ "Press and Journal report". thisisnorthscotland.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ "Record-breaking hope for big fish". 23 October 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2018 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "The Outer Hebrides | Scotland.org". Scotland.
- ^ "Tourism in the Outer Hebrides". Outer Hebrides.
- ^ Harris Tweed Authority, "Fabric History", retrieved 21 May 2007. Archived 15 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 978-1-78027-401-0.
- ^ "Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd". Companies House. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ "Winners 2018". KD Media. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "The nations favourite Scottish Gins 2020 revealed". The Scottish Gin Society. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Isle of Harris Distillery". Isle of Harris Distillery.
- ^ "Welcome to a new breed of distilleries and breweries in Scotland's Hebrides". The Independent. 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022.
- ^ "Harris School Details" Archived 24 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- ^ "Scotland's largest Sun Energy system installed in Western Isles" Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine (2 November 2004) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Press release. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
- ^ "Hebrides 2002" Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
- ^ Seenan, Gerard (10 April 2006) "Fury at ferry crossing on Sabbath" The Guardian. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
- ^ "Welcome to Film Hebrides" Archived 21 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine filmhebrides.com. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
- ^ Scotland, National Records of. "Tartan Details – The Scottish Register of Tartans". www.tartanregister.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
References
- Rotary Club of Stornoway (1995) The Outer Hebrides Handbook and Guide. Machynlleth. Kittwake. ISBN 0-9511003-5-1
- Johnstone, Scott; Brown, Hamish; and Bennet, Donald (1990) The Corbetts and Other Scottish Hills. Edinburgh. Scottish Mountaineering Trust. ISBN 0-907521-29-0
- Vogler, Gisela (2001). A Harris way of life: Marion Campbell (1909–1996). West Tarbert: Harris Voluntary Service. ISBN 0-903960-29-X.
External links
- Harris travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Information on South Harris and Leverburgh including photographs
- Information on the Isle of Harris by Explore Hebrides
- Pictures of Harris
- Panoramas of the Island (QuickTime required)
- Photographs and useful information about Harris Archived 18 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- The North Harris Trust
- Scarista Beach