Things In Lewis

By Steven Macaskill

Causeways In lewis• Introduction

• Many outlying islands have lost their people over the past 150 years as the difficulties of living in isolation from the rest of the world grew - but after the creation of the separate council for the Western Isles (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) in 1975, there was a growing and direct commitment to save the remaining islands.

• Economic development - bringing jobs and hope - is seen as crucial to the survival of the Western Isles as a living community. Key to further economic development is improved transport links - with more than £30 million spent on major projects by different agencies over the last decade.

• These have included the bridge to Scalpay, the causeways to Berneray and Eriskay, new ferry terminals at Stornoway and Leverburgh, and new car ferries on the routes between Harris and the Uists and from the mainland to Barra and Stornoway.

• But the key to economic survival on the islands is seen as developing the islands' ability to supply themselves through an internal market created by the north-south Spinal Route.

• Pg. 1

• 1942 - 1990• The first link to be completed was an 82 span South Ford Bridge from

Benbecula to South Uist, completed in 1942.• This was followed by the pioneering bridge to Great Bernera from

Lewis opened in 1953. This was the first prestressed concrete girder road bridge in the UK.

• Next came the five-mile North Ford Causeway from Benbecula to North Uist, opened in 1960. This remains the longest causeway in the Western Isles.

• In 1962 the Baleshare Causeway was opened.• In 1983 a new two-lane causeway was built to replace the

South Ford Bridge, which was decaying because of damage to the concrete from the sea and wind.

• 1990 - 2000

• In 1990, a causeway was opened linking Vatersay to Barra, enabling the population fall on Vatersay to be reversed.

• Over the years after 1975, a series of improvements had been made to ferry services to offshore Islands had been made, bringing car ferries to Eriskay, Scalpay and Berneray. In 1996 the Sound of Harris Car Ferry service began, linking Harris directly with North Uist.

• In late 1997, the Scalpay Bridge came into use, almost nine months prior to its official opening in September 1998.

• December 1998 saw the first crossing by car of the new Berneray Causeway, followed by its formal opening in April 1999.

• Construction work on the Eriskay Causeway began in May 2000 and was completed in July 2001

Road Projects

Investment in the Western Isles Spinal route has seen around £14 million spent on major road schemes over the past 15 years alone although there has been a slowdown in work over recent years as money was diverted to the major causeway and bridge projects.

In addition to the main road projects, which have formed about an extra 30 kilometres of high standard double track road through often very difficult terrain, there have been many smaller maintenance schemes to resurface roads, straighten out corners, improve safety standards and so on. The main schemes have been spread throughout the Island chain to try to bring benefits to people all over the Islands.

In 1984 more than three kilometres of road were built at a cost of £752,000 at Bornish in South Uist, while another 3.5 kilometres were completed further south at Askernish in 1988-90. Meanwhile work costing £798,000 was also taking place in 1989 to create more than two kilometres of road in north Harris on the approach to the pass near the Clisham mountain and 1991-4 saw extensive road building works on the spinal route in Harris, North Uist and also in Lewis, at Borve and Barvas.

The most recent project costing £750,000 created 1.3 kilometres of new road south from the South Ford causeway into South Uist.

Local info

• News....

• Community Shop. • The Tolsta Community took over the village shop Buth Tholastaidh in March 2010. For

more information visit www.buththolastaidh.co.uk• The Winter 2011 Edition of Seanchas is for sale at the usual outlets. • The main article in this edition is an excellent article by Joan Hogg (née Mackay) on

Tolsta Mackays and the Cree Connection. The Photo Gallery in this edition focuses on the residents of New Tolsta – past and present. There is an article on Siugaidh’s time on Laird’s Isle and much more. Get your copy now!

• Informative Plaques at Garry Bridge and the Cladach • The Comann Eachdraidh hope to erect informative plaques at Garry Bridge and at the

Cladach. To follow the committee's progress with this project click on Latest Updates on the home page.

• Seanchas• Our newsletter Seanchas, published quarterly, is selling well.

We now have over 100 subscribers and we are grateful for this support. However we are always looking for written contributions for the newsletter. Please, please get in touch if you have any stories, memories of Tolsta or any information that you think might be of interest to our readers. Write to:- North Tolsta Historical Society, Schoolhouse, North Tolsta HS2 0NH or email us at info@tolsta.info.

• Copies of Làithean an Iasgaich and Clachan Crìche are still available. Click here for more information

• Heisgeir • Part of the centre stack at Heisgeir fell recently – something that had been a

permanent feature in Tolsta Head for hundreds of years. This was the highest point of the stack and it crashed into Lobaid on the Traigh side of the Heisgeir Islands. Judging by the cracks a lot more is going to fall. To see what it looks like now CLICK HERE.

• Croft History of Tolastadh. • Copies of the Croft History Books are still available. • Click here for more information.• View the new websites on our updated links pages ... • If you have any suggestions for new links, please e-mail info@tolsta.info• Tolsta Head Walk. • Markers are now in place round Tolsta Head marking out this walk, starting at Camach

Park. You can read a report of this walk in the Winter 2007 edition of Seanchas. Click here to see some of the views round Tolsta Head. This is not a suitable walk on a windy day. When walking always keep a safe distance from the edge of the cliffs

• Heisgeir Part of the centre stack at Heisgeir fell recently – something that had been a permanent feature in Tolsta Head for hundreds of years. This was the highest point of the stack and it crashed into Lobaid on the Traigh side of the Heisgeir Islands.

• The first photograph was taken in 2010, and shows the stack before it fell:

• Judging by the cracks a lot more is going to fall. This is what it looks like now

Búth TholastaidhA North Tolsta Community Enterprise

• • …… for the village, not for profit …..

The purpose of this website is to inform people about the reasons for, and development of, the Búth Tholastaidh community shop.Community Shop is run by a management committee which currently has six elected members, all of whom live in the village. The committee was appointed by a village meeting, to investigate and facilitate the opening of a shop in the village. The committee is responsible for all matters concerning the running of the shop, managing the finances and appointing staff.

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHOP!

• Weekly ordering - now available! See News page for more details.

•

• Shares Issue• Shares are avilable from Buth Tholastaidh, a committee member or by completing

the form on the Contact Us page. (For futher details please see the About Us page of the website.)

• • Opening Hours The shop will not be closing at lunchtimes.• Mon 9.00 am - 5.00 pm • Tue 9.00 am - 5.00 pm• Wed 9.00 am - 5.00 pm• Thur 9.00 am - 5.00 pm • Fri 9.00 am - 5.00 pm• Sat 9.00 am - 5.00 pm•

• NOW SELLING

• PROPANE GAS, BUTANE GAS ,COAL

• AS WELL AS:

• DAILY/WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS

• FRESH MILK

• FRESH LOCAL BREAD & CAKES

• VACUUM PACKED FISH

• GROCERIES

• SWEETS & CRISPS

• FROZEN FOODS

• PET FOOD

• SUNDRIES

• LOCAL CRAFTS BY:

• * WINDSWEPT DESIGNS

• * ANNE'S EGG CRAFT

• * SUNNY BUNNY HARRIS TWEED BAGS

• Búth Tholastaidh• Phone number: 01851 890281• Address: North Tolsta Sub Post Office• North Tolsta• Isle of Lewis• HS2 0NL• E-mail address: tolsta.shop@googlemail.com •

Useful links

• http://www.tolsta.info/index.html• http://www.calmac.co.uk/• http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/• http://www.travelinescotland.com/welcome.do• http://www.shipais.com/showship.php?map=Minch&mmsi=235010460

• http://buththolastaidh.co.uk/default.aspx