Editing Hebrides (section)

==History==
{{Main|Inner Hebrides|Outer Hebrides|History of the Outer Hebrides}}

=== Prehistory ===
[[File:Callanish standing stones 1.jpg|right|thumb|[[Callanish Stones|Callanish stone circle]]]]
The Hebrides were settled during the [[Mesolithic|Mesolithic era]] around 6500&nbsp;BC or earlier, after the climatic conditions improved enough to sustain human settlement. Occupation at a site on {{lang|gd|[[Rùm]]}} is dated to 8590 ±95 uncorrected radiocarbon years [[Before Present|BP]], which is amongst the oldest evidence of occupation in Scotland.<ref>Edwards, Kevin J. and Whittington, Graeme "Vegetation Change" in Edwards & Ralston (2003) p. 70.</ref><ref>Edwards, Kevin J., and Mithen, Steven (Feb. 1995) [https://www.jstor.org/pss/124921 "The Colonization of the Hebridean Islands of Western Scotland: Evidence from the Palynological and Archaeological Records,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222121320/https://www.jstor.org/stable/124921 |date=22 December 2022 }} ''World Archaeology''. '''26'''. No. 3. p. 348. Retrieved 20 April 2008.</ref> There are many examples of structures from the [[Neolithic]] period, the finest example being the [[Callanish Stones|standing stones at Callanish]], dating to the 3rd millennium BC.<ref>Li, Martin (2005) [https://books.google.com/books?id=SKvBKzuwuo8C&dq=date+of+callanish+stones&pg=RA2-PA509 ''Adventure Guide to Scotland''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222121320/https://books.google.com/books?id=SKvBKzuwuo8C&pg=RA2-PA509&lpg=RA2-PA509&dq=date+of+callanish+stones&source=web&ots=4EAMDPGS3e&sig=Q1uZ5xEkW2iVuWhI2iBLPb8clH8 |date=22 December 2022 }}. Hunter Publishing. p. 509.</ref> [[Cladh Hallan]], a [[Bronze Age]] settlement on South Uist is the only site in the UK where prehistoric [[Mummy|mummies]] have been found.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques/mummies_cladhhallan_01.shtml "Mummification in Bronze Age Britain"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128141100/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/excavations_techniques/mummies_cladhhallan_01.shtml |date=28 January 2011 }} BBC History. Retrieved 11 February 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/cladh-hallan "The Prehistoric Village at Cladh Hallan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125060538/http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/cladh-hallan |date=25 November 2016 }}. University of Sheffield. Retrieved 21 February 2008.</ref>

=== Celtic era ===
{{main|Dál Riata}}
In 55&nbsp;BC, the Greek historian [[Diodorus Siculus]] wrote that there was an island called ''[[Hyperborea]]'' (which means "beyond the North Wind"), where a round temple stood from which the moon appeared only a little distance above the earth every 19 years. This may have been a reference to the stone circle at Callanish.<ref>See for example Haycock, David Boyd. [http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/texts/viewtext.php?id=OTHE00024&mode=normalized "Much Greater, Than Commonly Imagined."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226101259/http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/texts/viewtext.php?id=OTHE00024&mode=normalized|date=26 February 2009}} [[Newton Project|The Newton Project]]. Retrieved 14 March 2008.</ref>

A traveller called Demetrius of Tarsus related to [[Plutarch]] the tale of an expedition to the west coast of Scotland in or shortly before 83&nbsp;AD. He stated it was a gloomy journey amongst uninhabited islands, but he had visited one which was the retreat of holy men. He mentioned neither the [[druids]] nor the name of the island.<ref>Moffat, Alistair (2005) ''Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History''. London. Thames & Hudson. pp. 239–40.</ref>

The first written records of native life begin in the 6th century AD, when the founding of the kingdom of [[Dál Riata]] took place.<ref>Nieke, Margaret R. "Secular Society from the Iron Age to Dál Riata and the Kingdom of Scots" in Omand (2006) p. 60.</ref> This encompassed roughly what is now [[Argyll and Bute]] and [[Lochaber]] in Scotland and [[County Antrim]] in Ireland.<ref name="OxfordCompanion1">Lynch (2007) pp. 161 162.</ref> The figure of [[Columba]] looms large in any history of Dál Riata, and his founding of a monastery on [[Iona]] ensured that the kingdom would be of great importance in the spread of Christianity in northern Britain. However, Iona was far from unique. [[Lismore, Scotland|Lismore]] in the territory of the Cenél Loairn, was sufficiently important for the death of its abbots to be recorded with some frequency and many smaller sites, such as on [[Eigg]], [[Hinba]], and [[Tiree]], are known from the annals.<ref>Clancy, Thomas Owen "Church institutions: early medieval" in Lynch (2001).</ref>

North of Dál Riata, the Inner and Outer Hebrides were nominally under [[Picts|Pictish]] control, although the historical record is sparse. Hunter (2000) states that in relation to King [[Bridei I of the Picts]] in the sixth century: "As for Shetland, Orkney, Skye and the Western Isles, their inhabitants, most of whom appear to have been Pictish in culture and speech at this time, are likely to have regarded Bridei as a fairly distant presence."<ref name=Hunt44>Hunter (2000) pp. 44, 49.</ref>

=== Norwegian control ===
[[File:Kingdom of Mann and the Isles-en.svg|thumb|right|The [[Kingdom of the Isles]] about the year 1100]]
{{main|Kingdom of the Isles}}
[[Viking]] raids began on Scottish shores towards the end of the 8th century, and the Hebrides came under Norse control and settlement during the ensuing decades, especially following the success of [[Harald I of Norway|Harald Fairhair]] at the [[Battle of Hafrsfjord|Battle of {{lang|non|Hafrsfjord|nocat=y}}]] in 872.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 74.</ref><ref>Rotary Club (1995) p. 12.</ref> In the Western Isles [[Ketill Flatnose]] may have been the dominant figure of the mid 9th century, by which time he had amassed a substantial island realm and made a variety of alliances with other [[Norsemen|Norse]] leaders. These princelings nominally owed allegiance to the Norwegian crown, although in practice the latter's control was fairly limited.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 78.</ref> Norse control of the Hebrides was formalised in 1098 when [[Edgar of Scotland]] formally signed the islands over to [[Magnus III of Norway]].<ref name=H102>Hunter (2000) p. 102.</ref> The Scottish acceptance of Magnus III as King of the Isles came after the Norwegian king had conquered [[Orkney]], the Hebrides and the [[Isle of Man]] in a swift campaign earlier the same year, directed against the local Norwegian leaders of the various island petty kingdoms. By capturing the islands Magnus imposed a more direct royal control, although at a price. His [[skald]] Bjorn Cripplehand recorded that in Lewis "fire played high in the heaven" as "flame spouted from the houses" and that in the Uists "the king dyed his sword red in blood".<ref name=H102/>{{refn|Thompson (1968) provides a more literal translation: "Fire played in the fig-trees of Liodhus; it mounted up to heaven. Far and wide the people were driven to flight. The fire gushed out of the houses".<ref name="auto">Thompson (1968) p. 39.</ref>|group=Note}}

The Hebrides were now part of the [[Kingdom of the Isles]], whose rulers were themselves vassals of the Kings of Norway. This situation lasted until the partitioning of the Western Isles in 1156, at which time the Outer Hebrides remained under Norwegian control while the Inner Hebrides broke out under [[Somerled]], the [[Norse-Gael]] kinsman of the Manx royal house.<ref>[https://thevikingworld.pbworks.com/The-Kingdom-of-Mann-and-the-Isles "The Kingdom of Mann and the Isles"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121217163834/https://thevikingworld.pbworks.com/The-Kingdom-of-Mann-and-the-Isles |date=17 December 2012 }} The Viking World. Retrieved 6 July 2010.</ref>

Following the ill-fated [[Scottish–Norwegian War|1263 expedition]] of [[Haakon IV of Norway]], the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Man were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland as a result of the 1266 [[Treaty of Perth]].<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 109–111.</ref> Although their contribution to the islands can still be found in personal and place names, the archaeological record of the Norse period is very limited. The best known find is the [[Lewis chessmen]], which date from the mid 12th century.<ref>Thompson (1968) p. 37.</ref>

=== Scottish control ===
[[File:Kisimul Castle.jpg|thumb|[[Kisimul Castle]], the ancient seat of [[Clan MacNeil]], [[Castlebay]], [[Barra]]]]
As the Norse era drew to a close, the Norse-speaking princes were gradually replaced by Gaelic-speaking [[Scottish clan|clan]] chiefs including the [[Clan MacLeod|MacLeods]] of Lewis and Harris, [[Clan Donald]] and [[Clan MacNeil|MacNeil of Barra]].<ref name="auto"/><ref>Rotary Club (1995) pp. 27, 30.</ref>{{refn|The transitional relationships between Norse and Gaelic-speaking rulers are complex. The ''{{lang|gd|Gall-Ghàidhels}}'' who dominated much of the Irish Sea region and western Scotland at this time were of joint Gaelic and Scandinavian origin. When Somerled wrested the southern Inner Hebrides from [[Godred II Olafsson|Godred the Black]] in 1156, this was the beginnings of a break with nominal Norse rule in the Hebrides. Godred remained the ruler of Mann and the Outer Hebrides, but two years later Somerled's invasion of the former caused him to flee to Norway. Norse control was further weakened in the ensuring century, but the Hebrides were not formally ceded by Norway until 1266.<ref>Gregory (1881) pp. 13–15, 20–21.</ref><ref>Downham (2007) pp. 174–75.</ref> The transitions from one language to another are also complex. For example, many Scandinavian sources from this period of time typically refer to individuals as having a Scandinavian first name and a Gaelic by-name.<ref>Gammeltoft, Peder "Scandinavian Naming-Systems in the Hebrides: A Way of Understanding how the Scandinavians were in Contact with Gaels and Picts?" in Ballin Smith ''et al'' (2007) p. 480.</ref>|group=Note}} This transition did little to relieve the islands of internecine strife although by the early 14th century the MacDonald [[Lord of the Isles|Lords of the Isles]], based on Islay, were in theory these chiefs' feudal superiors and managed to exert some control.<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 127, 166.</ref>

The Lords of the Isles ruled the Inner Hebrides as well as part of the Western Highlands as subjects of the King of Scots until [[John of Islay, Earl of Ross|John MacDonald]], fourth Lord of the Isles, squandered the family's powerful position. A rebellion by his nephew, [[Alexander of Lochalsh]] provoked an exasperated [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] to forfeit the family's lands in 1493.<ref>Oram, Richard "The Lordship of the Isles: 1336–1545" in Omand (2006) pp. 135–38.</ref>

In 1598, King [[James VI and I|James VI]] authorised some [[Fife Adventurers|"Gentleman Adventurers" from Fife]] to civilise the "most barbarous Isle of Lewis".<ref name=RC12>Rotary Club (1995) pp. 12–13.</ref> Initially successful, the colonists were driven out by local forces commanded by Murdoch and Neil MacLeod, who based their forces on {{lang|gd|[[Bearasaigh]]}} in {{lang|gd|[[Loch Ròg]]}}. The colonists tried again in 1605 with the same result, but a third attempt in 1607 was more successful and in due course [[Stornoway]] became a [[Burgh of barony|Burgh of Barony]].<ref name=RC12/><ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 312.</ref> By this time, Lewis was held by the Mackenzies of [[Kintail]] (later the [[Earl of Seaforth|Earls of Seaforth]]), who pursued a more enlightened approach, investing in [[fishing]] in particular. The Seaforths' royalist inclinations led to Lewis becoming garrisoned during the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] by [[Oliver Cromwell|Cromwell]]'s troops, who destroyed the old castle in Stornoway.<ref name=R42>Thompson (1968) pp. 41–42.</ref>

===Early British era===
[[File:Clachan Bridge.jpg|thumb|[[Clachan Bridge]] between the mainland of [[Great Britain]] and [[Seil]], also known as the "Bridge across the Atlantic", was built in 1792.<ref>Murray (1977) p. 121.</ref>]]
With the implementation of the [[Treaty of Union]] in 1707, the Hebrides became part of the new [[Kingdom of Great Britain]], but the clans' loyalties to a distant monarch were not strong. A considerable number of islesmen "came out" in support of the Jacobite [[Earl of Mar]] in the [[Jacobite rising of 1715|1715]] and again in the [[Jacobite Rising of 1745|1745]] rising including Macleod of [[Dunvegan]] and [[Clan MacLea|MacLea]] of Lismore.<ref>[http://www.castlescotland.net/the-castles/d/dunvegan.html "Dunvegan"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604044350/http://www.castlescotland.net/the-castles/d/dunvegan.html |date=4 June 2013 }} castlescotland.net Retrieved 17 January 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Donald_Livingstone.htm "Incidents of the Jacobite Risings – Donald Livingstone"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716140636/http://www.clanmclea.co.uk/Donald_Livingstone.htm |date=16 July 2011 }} clanmclea.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2011.</ref> The aftermath of the decisive [[Battle of Culloden]], which effectively ended Jacobite hopes of a Stuart restoration, was widely felt.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/union/trails_union_culloden.shtml "The Battle of Culloden"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208150310/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/union/trails_union_culloden.shtml |date=8 December 2019 }} BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2011.</ref> The British government's strategy was to estrange the clan chiefs from their kinsmen and turn their descendants into English-speaking landlords whose main concern was the revenues their estates brought rather than the welfare of those who lived on them.<ref name=H195>Hunter (2000) pp. 195–96, 204–06.</ref> This may have brought peace to the islands, but in the following century it came at a terrible price. In the wake of the rebellion, the clan system was broken up and islands of the Hebrides became a series of landed estates.<ref name=H195/><ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 207–08.</ref>

The early 19th century was a time of improvement and population growth. Roads and quays were built; the [[slate]] industry became a significant employer on [[Easdale]] and surrounding islands; and the construction of the [[Crinan Canal|Crinan]] and [[Caledonian Canal|Caledonian]] canals and other engineering works such as [[Clachan Bridge]] improved transport and access.<ref>Duncan, P. J. "The Industries of Argyll: Tradition and Improvement" in Omand (2006) pp. 152–53.</ref> However, in the mid-19th century, the inhabitants of many parts of the Hebrides were devastated by the [[Highland Clearances|Clearances]], which destroyed communities throughout the [[Highlands and Islands]] as the human populations were evicted and replaced with sheep farms.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 212.</ref> The position was exacerbated by the failure of the islands' [[kelp]] industry that thrived from the 18th century until the end of the [[Napoleonic Wars]] in 1815<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 247, 262.</ref><ref>Duncan, P. J. "The Industries of Argyll: Tradition and Improvement" in Omand (2006) pp. 157–58.</ref> and large scale emigration became endemic.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 280.</ref>

As {{lang|gd|[[Iain Mac Fhearchair]]}}, a Gaelic poet from [[South Uist]], wrote for his countrymen who were obliged to leave the Hebrides in the late 18th century, emigration was the only alternative to "sinking into slavery" as the Gaels had been unfairly dispossessed by rapacious landlords.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newton |first1=Michael |title=Highland Clearances Part 3 |url=https://virtualgael.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/highland-clearances-3/ |website=The Virtual Gael |access-date=7 January 2017 |archive-date=29 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229101022/https://virtualgael.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/highland-clearances-3/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> In the 1880s, the "[[Camastianavaig|Battle of the Braes]]" involved a demonstration against unfair land regulation and eviction, stimulating the calling of the [[Napier Commission]]. Disturbances continued until the passing of the 1886 [[Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886|Crofters' Act]].<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 308–23.</ref>