Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 29 on 25/10/2006.

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Scott in the Hebrides

This issue, Ian Mitchell looks at Sir Walter Scott’s experiences on the islands of Harris and Eigg on Scotland’s west coast

In 1814, the poet and novelist Walter Scott accepted an invitation from the engineer Robert Stevenson, to accompany him on a ship of the Northern Lighthouse Commissioners which was circumnavigating Scotland to inspect the condition of maritime safety installations.

Scott later confessed that “so far as I could be said to have any,” his aim was to collect materials for his forthcoming poem of Celtic Romance, The Lord of the Isles.

Coming south from Shetland, the boat anchored off the island of Harris. There had been no intention to visit Harris at all, except that a contrary wind had forced them to creep down the east coast of the island, instead of crossing directly to Skye.

This Harris coast, Scott felt “is of a character which sets human industry at utter defiance, consisting of high sterile hills, covered entirely with stones. Few and evil are the patches cultivated in Harris, so far as we have seen.” And the wind-enforced diversion gave Scott and company the opportunity to see “the little harbour and village of Rowdill (sic)” whose remains delighted – and appalled – Scott. The village itself was not the problem. It was composed of about 40 houses “of the common construction, a low circular wall of stones without mortar, surmounted by a thatched roof without any chimney.” (The village was cleared of all its inhabitants a few years after Scott’s visit). It was the church above the village that disturbed Scott.

The Church of St Clement’s at Rodel is the finest of its kin.....

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By Ian Mitchell

Section : Scott's Islands

Page number : 62