The Kingdom of the Isles extended throughout the Outer Hebrides so a visit was a must! We started out in Lewis where I met Mairi Gillies and her partner Donald Macauley. Mairi is the founder of Reothart nan Ealain, a new Gaelic visual arts hub in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. This is the only arts centre in the world with a primary focus on Gaelic visual arts. Mairi is based out of the old school in Lochcroistean, Uig on the isle of Lewis and offers an inviting space to experience Gaelic visual arts. She herself is living the Gaelic life, raising Hebridean sheep, caring for two Eriskay ponies, and teaching people about Gaelic life. She will be hosting a one-week workshop in the spring of 2025 and I fully plan to attend! We trekked with her through the boggy hillside trying to find her sheep – and find them we did. She coaxed them back to us with a little grain and once I sat down to photograph they became curious about me. The Eriskay ponies were new to Mairi and had only been on her property for 6 weeks. These are wonderful, sturdy ponies dating back to the Middle Ages. It felt good to be around horses again. Mairi’s partner, Donald, is a former fisherman with a wealth of stories about Lewis and especially Uig where he was born and raised. To truly experience Hebridean life one must connect with local people and I was fortunate to make a connection – one which I will follow up with in the spring when I return.
9 Comments
Wow wonderful blog layout How long have you been blogging for you make blogging look easy The overall look of your site is great as well as the content
Thanks so much! I basically put in these journal entries when I travel – the Lord of the Isles is part of my project to produce a travel/history/photography book about the medieval Lords of the Isles.
Thank you.
This is all part of my larger project of following in the footsteps of the Lords of the Isles – book to be published probably in early 2026.
Hello, I check your blog regularly. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep it up!
My website: Pummy
Thanks so much!