The symbol of the Western Isles remains, to this day, the birlinn(Viking galley). This along with the Norse crosses adopted by a number of the islands as their flags are links to a time-gone-by when the islands sat at the centre of a vast trading network
Although the activities have evolved down the years, the Viking heritage in the Outer Hebrides means the relationship with the sea runs deep. Many of the communities, particularly on the East Coast are based on fishing, and while greatly reduced from the heyday of the Herring Girls at the turn of the twentieth century, fishing remains important to the islands. In the Southern Islands, of Barra and South Uist, the Blessing of the Fleet, remains an important date in the community calendar.
The navy has also been a frequent choice for young Hebrideans down the years, many of whom were remarkably well travelled before retiring back to their island home. At times of War, be that the Jacobites or the Great War, the islands have tended to “punch above their weight” both in numbers and reputation. Kinloch Historical Society has some interesting military exhibits, including the history of the Seaforth Highlanders and also the early origins of British submarines, which were tested in the lochs of Lewis.
This is shown by the names on the war memorials – many of which offer stunning views over the countryside – particularly at Clachan in North Uist, in Barra where the men are listed both in English and with their Gaelic sloinneadhor patronymic, and Stornoway, which features in the poem, Lewis, by Iain Crichton Smith.
Of all the maritime events in the Islands history, the one that is felt strongest in the memory is theat of the Iolaire. In the early hours of New Years Dat 1919, HMY Iolaire hit rocks as it approached Stornoway Harbour, with the loss of 205 lives who had survived the WWI trenches only to perish within the site of home. Memorials exist at the Beasts of Holm, where the ship was lost, at Sheol and Iolaire in Stornoway Harbour and at various locations around the islands.
