Harris

Harris

At the heart of the Outer Hebrides island chain, the Isle of Harris – Na Hearadh – is known as a stronghold of the Gaelic language and of a distinctive traditional culture, where crofting and fishing remain fundamental to island life, fine quality Harris Tweed is still woven in small loom sheds and the Sabbath is still widely observed. Beyond the island’s shores, however, Harris is perhaps best known for combining dazzling white sand beaches, sparkling turquoise waters and rugged heather-clad hinterlands to stunning effect. For many years this winning combination of landscape and island culture has provided the pull for visitors, undaunted by the island’s meteorological reputation and the odd cloud of ferocious midges. Lying some 50km from the mainland across The Minch, Harris – together with its semi-detached neighbour, Lewis – is the largest of the Scottish islands. Lewis comprises the larger northern part; both are frequently referred to as separate islands, principally because there is a geographical ‘border’ of sorts, formed by the mountainous boundary of the Harris Hills and the lengthy incursions of Loch Rèasort from the west and the fjord-like Loch Seaforth from the east.

Much of Harris is hilly, with more than 30 peaks at over 300m. The highest of these is The Clisham (An Cliseam), which at 799m is the highest mountain in the Outer Hebrides. Harris is also blessed with a remarkable coastline: the west coast is garlanded with dune-backed white sand beaches, while the rugged eastern coastline is punctuated with beautiful headlands, coves and bays.

This guidebook brings together 25 of the best walking routes, from strolls along the west coast’s white sand beaches and half-day walks on rugged coastal paths to day-long mountain ridge traverses and wild country backpacking routes. Some of these routes are relatively popular, such as the walk to Eilean Glas Lighthouse on Scalpay and the Rhenigidale Postman’s Path. Others are largely unfrequented, including An Coileach and Heileasbhal Mòr in South Harris and the Taran Mòr backpacking route through the northwest of the island.

As travel to the islands has become quicker and easier, so recent years have seen an increase in visitors from near and far as tourism continues to play an important part in the island economy. In the summer months the ferry port of Tarbert is abustle with visitors arriving and departing, cars and vans bristling with bikes, kayaks and surfboards, while brightly-hued campervans and pannier-laden touring cyclists dip in and out of the passing places along the sinuous single-track roads. However, Harris remains very much a working landscape with crofting, creel boats and livestock farming still mainstays of island life while fish farms, a new marina, the Isle of Harris Distillery and a plethora of small enterprises add to the air of industry about the place.

Though together Lewis and Harris are the most populous of the Scottish islands, with around 21,000 permanent residents, Harris itself has a population of just 1900.WeatherThe Hebridean weather can be challenging – high winds and persistent rain are not uncommon but, contrary to popular myth, sunshine is also a frequent phenomenon in the Outer Hebrides. In fact, the Hebridean climate, greatly influenced by the North Atlantic Drift, is generally milder than the mainland. Island weather is also changeable, which usually provides some variety over the course of a few days, but you should be prepared and equipped for all eventualities when planning walks.

Access and safety

Public access to the countryside in Scotland is a statutory right. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides guidance both for those exercising their right to roam, and for land managers. See outdooraccess-scotland.scot.
Walkers have the right to roam over all open land, but this also comes with responsibilities. They must treat the environment and wildlife with care, respect the needs and privacy of those living and working in the countryside, not obstruct activities such as farming, crofting and deer stalking, and keep dogs under close control near livestock or ground-nesting birds. Sheep and cattle may be encountered roaming on roads, paths and beaches, so drive aware and be alert when walking with dogs.

Check weather forecasts before setting out and allow plenty of time to complete walks. Always let someone know your intended route and estimated time of completion. While some of the routes featured here follow clear paths and tracks – some signposted and waymarked, others not – others follow vague and intermittent paths at best, requiring a degree of navigational competence.

Getting there and getting around

Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from Uig, Skye to Tarbert, Harris and from the mainland port of Ullapool to Stornoway. Book well ahead for vehicles as the ferries can be very busy, especially in summer.
Loganair flies to Stornoway from Inverness, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Harris has a network of bus routes connecting most townships with Tarbert and Stornoway, hence many of these walks can be accessed by public transport – though timetables are often organised around schooldays.
If driving or cycling, familiarise yourself with the correct use of passing places on single-track roads, including letting vehicles overtake safely.

History

There are extensive traces of Neolithic culture in the Hebrides; the best-known site is the spectacular megalithic standing stones at Callanish (Calanais) in Lewis. Bronze Age sites are also found throughout the islands, including hut circles, field systems and burial cairns.
Viking raiders arrived in the islands at the end of the 8th century and formal Norse control followed in 1098. The Norsemen ruled the islands until 1156 when the Norse-Gael warlord Somerled took control of the Inner Hebrides, while the Outer Hebrides remained in Norse hands until they were ceded to the Kingdom of Scotland at the Treaty of Perth in 1266. Somerled’s descendants, Clan Donald – known as the Lords of the Isles – emerged as the most important power in northwest Scotland, ruling the isles until 1493.With the Treaty of Union in 1707, the Hebrides became part of the new Kingdom of Great Britain, although there was considerable support for the Stuart cause among the island clan chiefs during the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite rebellions. In 1746 the decisive defeat of Charles Edward Stuart’s forces at the Battle of Culloden brought serious repercussions for the highlanders and islanders.

The British government broke up the clan system and turned the Hebrides into a series of landed estates. The descendants of the clan chiefs became English-speaking landlords more concerned with revenues generated by their estates than the condition of those who lived on them. Rents were increased, Gaelic-speaking was discouraged and the wearing of folk dress was outlawed. In the mid-19th century crofting communities were devastated by the Clearances. Throughout the Highlands and Islands populations were evicted – often forcibly – and replaced with sheep and deer. In Harris, crofting communities were uprooted from the fertile machair of the west and transplanted to the poor soils of the east. Large-scale emigration followed, some voluntary, some forced, with islanders relocated to the west coast and Lowlands of mainland Scotland and the North American colonies.

The outlook for the depleted island communities remained bleak until rent strikes and land raids led to the passing of the 1886 Crofters Act. The Act set fair rents and guaranteed security of tenure and the right to bequeath crofts to a successor. Nonetheless, emigration from the Hebrides continued apace, and many communities dwindled through much of the 20th century. For those who remained, the economic situation gradually improved with cattle farming, fisheries and tourism providing much of the stimulus. The fortunes of islanders were also influenced by the lairds, landowners and entrepreneurs who owned much of the archipelago. The philanthropic entrepreneur, Lord Leverhulme, invested in infrastructure and economic development on Lewis and Harris – with limited success.
The population decline affecting the Hebrides since the mid-19th century has stalled to some extent in recent years, although high levels of unemployment and significantly lower incomes than the UK average persist, hence many young people still leave the islands for further education or employment and most don’t return. This in turn has resulted in an ageing population.

Today the island economy is largely dependent on the public sector – with many jobs in healthcare and local government, including education and services. Farming, crofting, aquaculture, fishing and tourism also remain important sectors with the development of renewable energy – wind and wave power projects – a significant element of the future island economy. The impetus for local control of natural assets is part of a bigger picture for the future of the island communities, with the continuing movement towards community land ownership in the Western Isles.

Natural history

The Outer Hebrides are largely comprised of Lewisian gneisses, some of the oldest rocks in Europe. The rugged landscape of present-day Harris dates from the most recent glacial period of the Quaternary ice age when much of the rocky low-lying terrain was heavily scoured by the advancing ice sheet, creating the characteristic ‘cnoc-and-lochan’ topography of hillocks and small lochs. Sea levels rose as the glaciers melted, resulting in the archipelago of islands, skerries and reefs recognisable today. Vast quantities of sand and gravel deposited into the sea by glacial meltwaters were swept ashore by wind and wave action, forming the white sand beaches and sand dunes characteristic of the low-lying areas of the western coastline. There are few native mammal species on the Outer Hebrides, but the chances of enjoying some wildlife encounters while out walking are good.

Red deer haunt the crags and glens and are often seen when out walking, particularly in North Harris. Mountain hares are generally much more difficult to see and the local population on Harris is small. They tend to be solitary and are often found high up in the mountains. Otters have territories around much of the island’s coastline and are most often seen around the rocky inlets and headlands of east Harris. Common and Atlantic grey seals are abundant and are frequently seen basking on offshore rocks and skerries or observing onshore activity from the sea.

Dolphins and porpoises can also be seen – particularly in the sea lochs and bays of east Harris – usually in the spring and summer months. Few sights are as rewarding as a golden eagle soaring past a mountain ridge or effortlessly rising on thermals, except perhaps that of a white-tailed eagle flapping its barn door-sized wings as it patrols the coastline in search of prey. There is a good chance of spotting eagles if you spend a reasonable amount of time outdoors on Harris. Eagles aside, the birdlife of the Outer Hebrides is rich, diverse and often spectacular. A number of rare and uncommon species, native and migrant, such as the corncrake, red-necked phalarope and great northern diver, are present in the islands, as are several of the most photogenic species, including the raven, gannet and puffin. See western-isles-wildlife.com for information on recent sightings.

Places of Interest

An Coileach
An Reithe
An t-Isean
Beinn Dhubh
Beinn Losgaintir
Beinn na Teanga
Beinn Sgorabhaig
Ceann an Ora
Ceapabhal
Cleiseabhal
Clisham, The
Coffin Route, The
Crabhadail
Eilean Glas
Feadan Dìrigil
Gatliff Hostel
Gillaval Dubh
Giolabhal Glas
Glean Mhiabhaig
Gleann Bhìogadail
Gleann Chliostair
Gleann Lacasdail
Gleann Langadail
Gleann Leòsaid
Gleann Sgaladail
Gleann Uladail
Glen Cravadale
Grosebay
Heileasbhal Mòr
Hirta
Huiseabhal Mòr
Hushinish
Lackalee
Loch a’ Ghlinne
Loch Crabhadail
Loch Rèasort
Loch Seaforth
Luskentyre
Maaruig
Màs a’ Chnoic-Chuairtich
Meavaig
Moilingeanais
Muladal
Mulla bho Dheas
Mulla bho Thuath
Mullach an Langa
Mullach na Reidheachd
Northton
Oireabhal (Gleann Chliostair)
Oireabhal (Glen Cravadale)
Postman’s Path
Renish Point
Rhenigidale
Rodel
Roineabhal
St Clement’s Church
St Kilda
Scalpay, Isle of
Scholar’s Path, The
Seilebost
Sgaoth Àird
Sgaoth Iosal
Skeaudale Horseshoe, The
Stràthabhal
Stulabhal
Taran Mòr
Tèileasbhal
Tiorga Mòr
Tòdun
Tràigh Losgaintir
Tràigh Rosamol
Tràigh Sheileboist
Tràigh Mheilein
Uisgneabhal Mòr
Ulabhal
Urgha