Rubh' an t-Sean Eich

The only land within the grid square is the tip of the grass bank from which the photo was taken and the rock platform below.

Geocaching is a type of global treasure hunt of people looking for caches, or hidden stashes of objects. Geocaching may also be described as a series of hide-and-seek games, where hiders provide online clues for seekers. Seekers use global positioning system (GPS) devices to find hidden caches

Geocaching is a type of global treasure hunt of people looking for caches, or hidden stashes of objects. Geocaching may also be described as a series of hide-and-seek games, where hiders provide online clues for seekers. Seekers use global positioning system (GPS) devices to find hidden caches

Geocaching is a type of global treasure hunt of people looking for caches, or hidden stashes of objects. Geocaching may also be described as a series of hide-and-seek games, where hiders provide online clues for seekers. Seekers use global positioning system (GPS) devices to find hidden caches

I came across three monumental and memorial cairns in a visit to Lewis and Harris, all a tribute to the people who took action to recover their homes and livelihoods in the land struggles between landlords and crofters in the 19th and early 20th centuries. That to the Grias & Coll Raiders [NB4639], the northernmost of the three, honours the men who suffered in the Great War [1914-18] and were promised land and homes when they returned, but the promises were not honoured. The cairn is built on the site of the confrontation between the crofters of the area and Lord Leverhulme, the owner of Lewis and Harris at the time – he planned to industrialise Lewis and opposed the Board of Agriculture’s proposals to divide farms into crofts for landless families. In March 1919 some of the biggest land raids were at Upper Coll and Cress, and land raids continued throughout Lewis until 1921, when the Coll Raiders, in spite of warnings, raided and took possession of Upper Coll, a township from which their ancestors had been evicted, and distributed the land amongst their landless families. The earthworks represent the forms of trenches and waves, symbols of promises given to ex-servicemen that they would be settled on the land after the war. The cairn at Aignish [NB4832] commemorates and symbolises the confrontation between the Aignish Raiders and the military on 9 January 1888. The raiders, men and women of Point, were driven beyond endurance by destitution and oppression. Instead of helping, the authorities used the military to try to repel the raiders. The raiders failed to hold the farm and 13 were sentenced to prison, but the episode brought their plight to a wider audience, but it was not until 1905 that the farm was divided into crofts. At Bailailean [NB2619] the three entrances to the cairn represent the three communities that took part in the Pairc Deer Raid - Pairc, North Lochs and Kinloch. On 22 November 1887 several hundred crofters from the Pairc townships protested at their treatment by their landlords - many townships in the area had been cleared to give more access to land for deer hunting. A large number of deer were killed and a police and marines were sent to quell what was thought to be a full scale rebellion, and the Riot Act was read by the Sheriff at Ruadh Chleit [NB2908]. Six land raiders were arrested, but acquitted at the High Court in Edinburgh in January 1888. The three monuments were designed by Will McLean in 1994-6 and built by local stonemason Jim Crawford. Two interesting accounts of the land struggle generally, not just on Lewis and Harris, are ‘Mightier than a Lord’ by Iain Fraser Grigor [1979], Acair Limited, ISBN 0 86152 030 0, and ‘Go Listen to the Crofters’ by A.D. Cameron [1986], Acair Limited, ISBN 0 86152 063 7, although neither specifically cover the events marked by the cairns, which were a little later. Neil MacGregor [ex-Director of the British Museum] covered the Raiders in his Radio 4 series [episode 5] Link broadcast on 11 March 2022, when he visited Lews Castle Museum in Stornoway Museum nan Eilean (Stornoway) Link. A modern extension, opened in 2017, contains a feature on the Raiders memorial, but as yet [March 2022] we have no Geograph coverage.

Geocaching is a type of global treasure hunt of people looking for caches, or hidden stashes of objects. Geocaching may also be described as a series of hide-and-seek games, where hiders provide online clues for seekers. Seekers use global positioning system (GPS) devices to find hidden caches

This picture, taken from a rocky outcrop, shows extensive undercutting of the cliffs. Cliff erosion is a major problem in the local area but this photograph depicting the erosion along with the blue sea and grass creeping down the cliff shows the damage as attractive rather than destructive.

The tiny Dibidale Burn flows into Broad Bay west of Garrabost. The elevated pipeline appears to be some kind of water supply.

This track, probably a peat road, takes off to the south from the road leading to Lower Bayble (Pabail Iarach). The gridsquare, almost entirely featureless moorland, looked a poor possibility for a photo until this puddle obligingly offered a reflection of the sky.

A large modern building near the village of Garrabost. Services are held in both English and Gaelic, as is common throughout Lewis.

These sheep are grazing on land adjacent to the Free Church of Scotland NB5132 : Free Church of Scotland, Point. This view looks towards the south west, to the village of Lower Bayble (Pabail Iarach).

Local football club ground. Note the all seater main stand. The previous evening there had been the pre season friendly against an under 19 Rangers side.

This photo was taken from the slipway at the end of the road. The amount of caves and outcrops of rock were just spectacular, and in the background is the village of Upper Garrabost.

From Wikipedia: Aignish is hugely important in the context of the history of Scottish land reform following the Aignish Riot of January 1888. This took place in the aftermath of land agitation following the groundbreaking legal victory of the Bernera Riot of 1874 and the Park deer raid of 1887. It was part of the Crofters' War and involved a standoff between the local landless peasantry and the heavily armed marines that were drafted in. The courage of the people is now marked by a very impressively designed memorial cairn.