Chapter 3: Eriskay:'Èirisgeigh'

A short ferry's ride from Barra,Eriskay is such an enchanting little island. It is connected to South Uist by a causeway,and to me is the most dream-like and whimsical of all the Scottish islands I have visited.The Eriskay ponies which roam the island in semi-wild herds seem almost mythological and after a day of searching we finally found a group of them tucked behind a rocky ledge,sheltering from the wind. They were so beautiful with long,flowing white manes and pieces of bracken and fern caught amongst the hairs.They reminded me vividly of Shadowfax,from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.The young foals are apparently born brown but their coats gradually transition to white as they grow older.

Quirky sights like seeing a traditional red and blue tractor parked up on the sandy beach define island life here.

The hebridean wool in its array of dyes bleeding and blurring into bold purples and hazy violets.Its colours reflect the sea of heather which drowns the hillside in mellow purple and pink.All of these elements combine to make Eriskay very special.