Peter May Trilogy - Johnny's House

About

Photograph © David Wilson

In the book, The Lewis Man, two teenage brothers, Johnny, Peter and a young girl, Ceit are brought to South Uist.  They were referred to as "homers" as they had been in an orphanage and the Catholic Church had shipped them to South Uist and boarded them out with a families in Eriskay. This house in Eriskay is where Peter May imagined the brothers to have been boarded out to and spent their adolescence. The house is near the end of the road at Bun a'Mhuillinn with a stunning view over to South Uist. The young girl Ceit was boarded out to the O'Henley family. You can see here house here.

"The weren't bad folks, Donald Seamus and Mary-Anne, but there was no love in  them. I knew some homers that got terrible abuse. That wasn't us."

Extract from The Lewis Man by Peter May

Eriskay has provided much inspiration to the arts, prompting the penning of the famous Hebridean song, the Eriskay Love Lilt as well as furnishing the storyline for one of Scotland’s most famous stories and film – Whisky Galore. Pop in to the  Am Politician for a dram or a bite to eat or both, where whisky from the SS Politician is displayed behind the bar.

You can walk out past Bun a'Mhuillinn to Rossinish, a beautiful area to take a walk around. Just walk out to the end of the road and here you can join a track which takes you through a gate and along the coast towards the east, passing many of the ruins and enjoying beautiful views across to South Uist and to Calvay.  The SS Politician sank just to the east of Calvay.

You can also stroll along the white sandy beach, where Bonnie Prince Charlie is said to have landed or you can do a circular walk starting at the Am Politician, by going along the beach, back up along the road until you get back to the Am Politican. Click here for the route.

Eriskay marks the start of the Bonnie Prince Trail, which  tracks the movements of Bonnie Prince Charlie in Eriskay, South Uist and Benbecula. There are walks and points of interest you can visit and the webpage gives a brief history and is enriched with songs, interviews, comedy clips and stories of his time on these islands.

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