Monach Isles
NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE

TÈARMANN NÀDAIR NÀISEANTA
Heisgeir

‘Machair Marooned Offshore’
‘Machair aig Muir’

The Monach Isles support some of the finest summer flower meadows in the Western Isles. Visit the islands in summer and you cannot fail to be impressed when the ‘machair’ comes into bloom and blankets them in flowers. The islands are also home to substantial numbers of seabirds and in autumn the sandy shores are crowded with grey seals that gather here to breed.

‘The place seemed like a paradise to the Grimsay fishermen; the machair would be a blaze of flowers. We’d go ashore from the boat, the cattle would be standing in the sun, the waters teeming with fish.’ (Lachie Morrison, Grimsay)

Tha cuid dhe na raointean dhìtheanan as àille a tha sna h-Eileanan Siar ann a’ Heisgeir as t-samhradh. Ma thèid thu dha na h-eileanan as t-samhradh, chì thu cho iongantach ’s a tha am machair nuair a tha e fo bhlàth. Tha mòran eòin-mhara cuideachd a’ tuineachadh nan eilean agus, as t-fhoghar, bidh na ròin ghlasa a’ lìonadh nan cladaichean gainmhche airson gintinn.

‘Bha an t-àite mar phàrras do dh’iasgairean Ghriomasaigh; bhiodh am machair làn dhìthean. Nuair a rachamaid air tìr, bhiodh an crodh nan seasamh sa ghrèin agus bha am muir làn èisg.’ (Lachaidh Moireasdan, Griomasaigh)

Uist connection

The Monach Isles, locally known as Heisgeir, are five low-lying islands about 6 km (4 miles) to the west of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Local tradition maintains that the Monachs were once connected to North Uist and that within folk memory they were reachable at low tide by horse and cart. Like all of the Uists, the Monach Isles have spectacular white beaches made up of crushed seashells along their Atlantic coast. Over thousands of years this has blown inland to form sand dunes and a large, lime-rich grassy plain known as ‘machair’.

Ceangal ri Uibhist

‘S e còig eileanan ìseal a th’ ann a’ Heisgeir. Tha iad mu 6 cil. (4 mìle) an iar air Uibhist a Tuath sna h-Eileanan Siar. Tha beul-aithris an àite a’ cumail a-mach gum b’ àbhaist Heisgeir a bhith ceangailte ri Uibhist a Tuath agus gu bheil cuimhne aig cuid air a bhith a’ faighinn thuca le each is cairt nuair a bhiodh an làn a-muigh. Dìreach mar a tha ann an Uibhist air fad, tha tràghannan brèagha, geala ann a’ Heisgeir. Tha a’ ghainmheach air a dèanamh de shligean a chaidh a phrannadh air cladaichean a’ Chuain Shiar. Thar mhìltean bhliadhnachan tha a’ ghainmheach seo air siabadh a-steach air an tìr agus chaidh coilleagan agus raon mòr feòir làn aoil, ris an canar machair, a chruthachadh.

Sheltering Shillay

The westernmost island of Shillay, with the lighthouse, is mostly rocky. It shelters the flat machair islands of Ceann Iar, Shivinish and Ceann Ear from the full force of westerly storms. These islands are joined by sandbanks at low tide and their sandhills have the most exposed dune system in Britain, with the highest point only 19 metres above sea level.

Fasgadh bho Seilaigh

’S e creag as motha a th’ ann an Seilaigh, an t-eilean as fhaide an iar, agus ’s ann air a tha an taigh-solais. Tha Seilaigh a’ toirt fasgadh do dh’ eileanan còmhnard Cheann Iar, Shiobhanais agus Cheann Ear bhon chuid as miosa dhe na gèileachan on iar. Tha na h-eileanan seo ceangailte le bacan-gainmhche nuair a tha an làn a-muigh. Tha na botaichean gainmhche air feadhainn a th’ ann am Breatainn agus chan as àirde ach 19 meatairean os cionn ìre na mara.

‘Hek-skyr na Monich’

Early records reveal that nuns from Iona lived on Shivinish, while monks had a monastery on Shillay. Indeed, the islands were often referred to as Eilean nam Manach (the islands of the monks) or Hek-skyr na Monich. Shillay, with its lighthouse (built in 1864), is owned by the Northern Lighthouse Board. It may have been the Admiralty who favoured the name ‘Monach Isles’ over the local term ‘Heisgeir’ to avoid confusion with Hasgeir to the north, and another Heisgeir, off Canna, which also has a lighthouse.

‘Hek-skyr na Monich’

Tha sgrìobhainnean tràth a’ sealltainn gu robh cailleachan-dubha à Ì a’ fuireach ann an Siobhanais agus gu robh manachainn air Seilaigh. Gu dearbh, bha na h-eileanan glè thric air an ainmeachadh mar Eilean nam Manach no Hek-skyr na Monich. Buinidh Siolaigh, Seilaigh taigh-solais, a chaidh a thogail ann an 1864, do Bhòrd nan Taighean-solais mu Thuath. ’S dòcha gur e Oifis nan Àrd-mharaichean a bha dèidheil air an ainm ‘Monach Isles’ seach ‘Heisgeir,’ mar a chanadh muinntir an àite riutha, airson an aithneachadh bho Hasgeir gu tuath agus Heisgeir eile a tha far Chanaigh agus air a bheil taigh-solais cuideachd.

Ceann Ear remains

Gale force winds blast the Monach Isles on about 160 days of the year. Only certain plants, such as marram grass, can withstand the constant blown sand and salt spray. Farther inland, there are more permanent patches of damp grassland, the wettest having rushes and moss. There are only a few tiny lochs, all rather salty and some only seasonal. The remains of the little village of Ceann Ear are clustered around the largest one (Loch nam Buadh or ‘loch of virtues’), but the villagers used to get their freshwater from a few wells nearby. There is also a covered well on Ceann Iar.

Ceann Ear ann fhathast

Tha gèileachan mòra
a’ gabhail do Heisgeir air ’s dòcha 160 latha sa bhliadhna. Chan eil ach glè bheag de lusan, a bharrachd air muran, a sheasas ri siaban is cobhar na mara an-còmhnaidh a’ gabhail dha. Nas fhaide a-staigh, tha beagan talamh-feòir bog le luachair is còinneach air a’ chuid as fliuiche dheth. Tha dìreach corra lochan ann. Tha sàl annta uile agus tha cuid dhiubh nach eil ann ach aig amannan àraidh. Tha làraichean baile beag Cheann Ear timcheall na loch as motha, Loch nam Buadh, ach bhiodh muinntir a’ bhaile a’ faighinn an uisge ùir bho thobraichean a bha faisg. Tha cuideachd tobar, a tha a-nis air a chòmhdach, air Ceann Iar.

Flower-rich grass

Although crofters refer to it as ‘grass’, it has been said that machair grows not so much grass but flowers. Indeed, the Monachs boast over 200 species of flowering plants and grasses. However, at least 13 of them, such as corn marigold, have disappeared since crofting stopped.

None are all that rare in a British context but they are still of interest. Oysterplant is found only on the small island of Stockay but, living right on the tideline, can get washed away from time to time by storms. The heathy areas south of the houses have creeping willow – the only ‘tree’ on the island and just a few inches high.

Feur làn dhìthean

Ged a chanas na croitearan feur ris, canaidh cuid gur e dìtheanan a tha a’ fàs air a’ mhachair seach feur. Gu dearbh, tha còrr is 200 seòrsa lus le dìthean ann a’ Heisgeir. Ach tha co-dhiù 13 dhiubh, cleas buidheag an t-samhraidh, air a dhol à bith bho sguir
croitearachd.

Chan eil gin dhiubh uabhasach tearc ann am Breatainn ach tha iad fhathast inntinneach. Chan eil tìodhlac na mara ach air eilean beag Stocaigh ach seach gu bheil e a’ fàs ri oir an làin, faodaidh na stoirmean a shiabadh air falbh bho àm gu àm. Tha seileach talmhainn air a’ mhonadh deas air a’ bhaile. Chan eil e ach a dhà no trì òirlich a dh’àirde agus ’s e an aon ‘chraobh’ a tha air an eilean.

Very fruitful in corn, grass and black cattle

Thus Martin Martin described the Monachs at the end of the 17th century. Over 100 people (18 families) lived in Heisgeir, nearly all of them on Ceann Ear. Shortly after 1801 the islands were abandoned after a great storm stripped off the soil and plant cover. By 1891, however, the population had climbed back to 130 people. But families then began to leave, the last two in 1943. One family from Grimsay tried in vain to re-establish a community on Ceann Ear between 1945 and 1948.

Lobster fishermen still occupy the schoolhouse each summer and shepherds from North Uist and Benbecula keep sheep on the islands. The islands became a National Nature Reserve in 1966.

Torrach le coirce, feur is crodh dubh

Seo mar a rinn Màrtainn Màrtainn iomradh air Heisgeir deireadh an t-17mh linn. Bha còrr is 100 duine (18 teaghlaichean) a’ fuireach ann a’ Heisgeir, a h-uile gin cha mhòr ann an Ceann Ear. Goirid an dèidh 1801, dh’fhàg na daoine an dèidh do stoirm uabhasach an ùir agus na lusan a sguabadh air falbh. Ach ann an 1891, bha àireamh an t-sluaigh air a dhol air ais suas gu 130. Ach an uair sin thòisich teaghlaichean a’ fàgail, na dhà mu dheireadh ann an 1943. Dh’fheuch aon teaghlach à Griomasaigh air coimhearsnachd ath-stèidheachadh ann an Ceann Ear eadar 1945 agus 1948 ach cha deach leotha.

Bidh iasgairean ghiomach fhathast a’ fuireach san taigh-sgoile as t-samhradh agus tha cìobairean à Uibhist a Tuath is Beàrnaraigh a’ cumail chaorach air na h-eileanan. Chaidh Tèarmann Nàdair Nàiseanta a dhèanamh dhe na h-eileanan ann an 1966.

St Kilda connection

In 1734 Lady Grange was exiled from Edinburgh to Heisgeir by her estranged Jacobite husband, whom she had threatened to expose. After two years he transferred her to St Kilda where she wrote: “I was in great misery in the Husker, but I am ten times worse and worse here.” She was finally removed to Skye in 1742 where she died three years later.

Ceangal ri Hiort

Ann an 1734 chaidh a’ Bhan-iarla Grange fhuadach à Dùn Èideann a Heisgeir leis an duine aice, on robh i dealaichte, seach gu robh i a’ bagairt innse gur e Seumasach a bh’ ann. An ceann dà bhliadhna chuir e Hiort i far an do sgrìobh i gu robh i uabhasach mì-thoilichte ann a’ Heisgeir ach gu robh i a dheich uiread na bu mhiosa ann a’ Hiort. Chaidh a gluasad mu dheireadh dhan Eilean Sgitheanach ann an 1742 agus chaochail i ann trì bliadhna an dèidh sin.

Feathered facts

Over 100 species of bird have been recorded on the Monachs (some of them rare or unusual migrants), but only 31 species have bred. Unusually, fulmars nest all along the coast on low sand dunes and rocks, as well as in the abandoned buildings and even in rabbit burrows. About 150 pairs of cormorant
breed on Stockay alongside some shags. With over 1500 birds, the Monachs (especially Shillay) support one of the largest single black guillemot colonies in the UK. Lapwing, dunlin, redshank, snipe, pipit, skylark and wheatear also nest, while flocks of barnacle geese from Greenland graze the machair in winter.

Eòin-mhara

Chaidh còrr is 100 gnè eòin a chlàradh ann a’ Heisgeir (cuid dhiubh tearc no nan eòin-shiùbhlach annasach), ach chan eil ach 31 de sheòrsachan air gintinn. Guh-annasach, tha fulmairean a’ neadachadh ris a’ chladach gu lèir air botaichean gainmhche ìseal agus creagan, cho math ri bhith ann an seann togalaichean agus tuill choineananch. Tha mu 150 pàidhir sgarbh a’ gintinn air Stocaigh còmhla ri beagan oragan. Le còrr is 1500 eun, tha eileanan Heisgeir, agus Seilaigh gu h-àraidh, air àite-tuinneachaidh cho mòr ’s a th’ ann am Breatainn airson nan gearra-glas. Tha a’ churracag, an gille-feadaig, a’ ghlùineach mhòr, an naosg, an gabhagan, an uiseag agus am brù-geal cuideachd a’ neadachadh ann agus bidh sgaothan de chathain à Graonlainn air a’ mhachair sa gheamhradh.

Pups galore

After the people left in 1943 the number of grey seals breeding on the Monachs increased. Aerial photographs show that the colony (the second largest in the world) has now stabilised, with some 9000 pups born each autumn. However, most of the seals only remain around the Monachs for a month or two and then move far out into the Atlantic. Satellite-tagged animals from the Monachs
have been tracked beyond the Faroe Islands.

 

Cuilein gu leòr

An dèidh dha na daoine fàgail ann an 1943 chaidh àireamh nan ròin ghlasa a bha a’ gintinn ann a’ Heisgeir am meud. Tha dealbhan a chaidh a thogail on adhar a’ sealltainn gu bheil an àireamh a-nis stèidheil agus gur e seo an t-àite-tuineachaidh as motha air an t-saoghal le timcheall air 9000 cuilean gam breith gach foghar. Ach chan eil a’ mhòrchuid dhe na ròin a’ fuireach timcheall Heisgeir ach mìos no dhà. Tha iad an uair sin a’ falbh fada a-mach dhan Chuan Siar. Chaidh ròin le tagaichean-saideil à Heisgeir a lorg cho fada air falbh ri na h-Eileanan Fàrach.

Heisgeir hazards

The best time to see the birds and flowers of the Monachs is May to August. However, visiting any of the islands can be tricky as you have to land on to wet slippery rocks or sandy beaches.
A couple of local boat operators accept charters in good weather but there is no proper landing place.
The weather can worsen at short notice and crossing between the islands of Ceann Ear, Shivinish and Ceann Iar needs extremely close attention to tide tables. Nesting terns divebomb intruders, nesting fulmars spit out a foul-smelling oily vomit and seals – even pups – bite! Finally, watch out for rabbit burrows underfoot.

Cunnart air Heisgeir

’S ann eadar An Cèitean agus An Lùnastal as fheàrr a chì thu na h-eòin agus na dìtheanan. Ach chan eil e furasta tadhal air an eilean oir feumaidh tu a dhol air tìr air creagan sleamhainn no tràghannan gainmche. Tha cuid de dhaoine san àite aig a bheil bàtaichean a bheir ann daoine air chumhnant ach chan eil laimrig cheart ann.
Feumaidh tu cuimhneachadh cuideachd gum faod an t-sìde fàs dona gu math luath agus feumaidh duine sùil gheur a chumail air uairean an làin nuair airson faighinn eadar Ceann Ear, Siobhanais agus Ceann Iar. Bidh steàrnagan a tha a’ neadachadh a’ daoibheadh a-nuas air daoine a chuireas dragh orra agus bidh fulmairean a tha a’ neadachadh a’ spùtadh a-mach seòrsa de dh’ola le samh uabhasach agus bidh ròin – fiù ’s na cuilein – a’ bìdeadh! Agus thoir an aire air na tuill choineanach nuair a bhios tu a’ coiseachd.

Getting There

The reserve is about 6 km (4 miles) west of North Uist, and is easily visible (with its old lighthouse) from both North Uist and Benbecula. Boat trips may be available from North Uist.

Gheibhear an tuilleadh fiosrachaidh bho:
Scottish Natural Heritage/Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba Stilligarry, Isle of South Uist HS8 5RS Tel/Fon: 01870 620238