Mhòr and More

Hill walks in Uist

by Martin Marguiles

American Martin Margulies first visited South Uist in October 1987, drawn there by its remoteness and its Gaelic culture. On the final afternoon of the visit, he climbed halfway up its largest hill (Beinn Mhor, which lends its name to the title), and was "hooked." Now, a quarter-century later, he has climbed not only that hill - multiple times but just about every other hill on the archipelago, and explored footpaths and distant glens as well. In 2004, he and his wife strengthened their local connections by building a holiday house beside an isolated sea loch; soon afterwards, he began writing articles on hill-walking for the Outer Hebrides' monthly newspaper, "Am Paipear".

This book, a collection of the articles, aims at introducing visitors to the hidden beauties of those hills, footpaths and glens. It also contains tips on how to get to them and - as importantly - how to get safely back.

Published: 2011