Inside the stunning Scottish island with more ponies than people
Purple hills scented with heather, granite outcrops across pristine beaches and lapped by turquoise seas, if you want a wild and untamed British island to visit look no further than Eriskay.
Located off the northwest coast of Scotland, Eriskay – which is Old Norse for Eric's Isle –in the Outer Hebrides is easily one of the most enchanting places in Britain. Just three miles long and one and a half miles wide, you can reach it by ferry from Barra, cross the causeway from South Uist or by joining Country Living's Hebridean island-hopping trip with travel journalist and broadcaster, Monty Hall.
Despite its diminutive size – the island has a population of 140 at most – Eriskay has earned its way into Scottish history on more than one occasion. It was where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil in 1745, on his way to launch the Jacobite uprising. It's also where the cargo ship, the SS Politician ran aground on 5 February 1941 on its way to Jamaica, loaded with 250,000 bottles of whisky.
Naturally, the islanders took full advantage of the accident and 'salvaged' as much whisky as they could before the authorities intervened. The story inspired Compton Mackenzie's novel Whisky Galore, which was also made into a comedy by Ealing Studios. You can see some of the ships artefacts – if not any remaining whisky – in the Am Politician, the island's only pub, and one of the few places where Gaelic is still spoken freely.
The island's biggest attraction is its herd of wild Eriskay ponies. Small but sturdy, these native Hebridean ponies – one of the UK's oldest and rarest breeds – were used to carry peat and seaweed, and later salvaged whisky, across the island. Their numbers dwindled down to just 20 in the Seventies, when other breeds and tractors were introduced to the island. Now after a successful breeding programme, there are 400 or so wild ponies on the island, largely gambolling along the beaches or digging up the football pitch.
Home to one of the most remote football clubs in Europe, Eriskay FC plays in the South Uist and Barra League. Fully exposed to the elements –and wildlife– the pitch is not the easiest to play on, however, it's been named by FIFA as one of the eighth most remarkable places to play football in the world.
Another big draw to the island is the hiking. Eriskay is criss-crossed with some fantastic trails, including the climb up Beinn Sciathan, the island's highest hill which has far-reaching views across the Outer Hebrides. Of course, the Scottish islands are not short of wildlife and you'll easily spot puffins and oystercatchers, dolphins, seals and often basking sharks, and even the odd golden eagle, especially in the summer months.
You can visit the Isle of Eriskay on Country Living's five-day island-hopping trip around Hebrides, where you'll also stop by the 'Castaway' Isle of Taransay, Stornaway and Barra, and enjoy walks and talks with travel journalist and broadcaster Monty Hall.
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