91Èȱ¬

Tha na h-uimhir de thobhtaichean, feannagan is gàrraidhean rin lorg air feadh nan Eilean Siar, ’s iad gar tarraing air ais gu àm far an robh mòran bhailtean beòthail a’ sgeadachadh chladaichean Leòdhais agus na Hearadh. Ach tha na clachan a th’ air fhàgail a’ togail na ceist, dè dh’èirich dha na daoine sna bailtean a tha a-nis nan laighe bàn?

Anns a’ phrògram seo, bidh Evelyn Coull Nicleòid a’ tadhal air bailtean ann an Ùig, na Hearadh agus air na Lochan, an sgìre far an deach a togail. Tha i a’ tòiseachadh a turas ann an Sgìre na Pàirce no Ceann a Deas nan Loch, sgìre mòr iomallach an-diugh le dìreach ceithir cheud de shluagh. Ach cha b’ ann mar seo a b’ àbhaist dha cùisean a bhith le faisg air dà mhìle neach a’ tàmh an seo aig deireadh na h-ochdamh linne deug.

Tha Evelyn a’ coinneachadh ri Torcuil MacLeòid aig a bheil dlùth cheangal ri baile Stiomrabhaigh agus tha i cuideachd a’ faighinn facal air Seonaidh MacDhòmhnaill oir gun dh’ fhalbh a shinnsirean à Buthanais a chaidh fhalamhachadh ann an ochd ceud deug fichead ’s a sia. Tha i an uairsin a’ dèanamh air baile Ungasiadair ann an Ùig ann an cuideachd Choinnich Aonghais MhicAoidh, agus a’ fuireach san aon sgìre agus air Ceann an Iar Leòdhais, tha i tadhal anns an Àird Bheag a tha suidhichte ann an Loch Tamnabhagh glè fhaisg air na Hearadh. Agus càite a b’ fheàrr crìoch a chur air a turas ach ann am Moilinginis a cheannaich athair Anna NicAonghais bho chionn trìthead bliadhna.

There are a number of ruins, lazy beds and gardens to be found all over the Western Isles, taking us back to a time when there were many busy villages across Lewis and Harris. But, the stones that are left behind raise questions, what happened to the people in the villages that are now lying desolate?

Evelyn Coull Macleod visits deserted villages in Uig, Harris and in the district of Lochs, where she was brought up. She begins her journey in South Lochs, a large and remote area with a population of 400. It wasn’t always like this, with nearly 2,000 people living there at the end of the 18th century.

Evelyn meets up with Torquil MacLeod, who has strong family connections to Stemreway, and with John MacDonald, whose ancestors came from Buhanais which was cleared in 1826. She also visits Ungashader in Uig in the company of Kenny Angus Mackay and staying in the same area and on the West Side of Lewis, she gets an opportunity to visit another village situated in Loch Hamnaway near the Harris border. Where better to end her journey than in Molinginish in the stunning landscape of Harris in the company of Anna MacInnes?