North Uist
Taigh Chearsabhagh arts centre and museum in Lochmaddy also houses the local post office. It stages a exhibition on the islands’ history and past social life. Paintings by local artists are displayed in the cafe area and other works are shown in the galleries. Na Fir Bhreige The False Men are three standing stones about a mile off the Lochmaddy / Clachan Road on the slopes of Bashaval. Most of their real height is buried under the deep peat.
The Maari standing stone is sited on the south eastern slopes of the hill of Mari. The two metre high monolith leans 45 to the south. Nearby are shielings which have been built by mounds believed to be burial cairns with their stones poking through the ground.
Bharpa Langass is a well-preserved Neolithic burial chamber located under 200 metres off the A867 at the foot of Beinn Langass. The huge pile of stones is a cairn covering the oval underground tomb which can be accessed from the east side through a five-metre long passage.
Pobull Fhinn, Finn's People, is a large ovalshaped ring of standing stones aligned east to west. The scenery and beautiful setting of the 2000-year-old circle creates an impressive visit. A suggested walk is a route off the A867 to the Barpa Langass chambered cairn, skirting around either side of Beinn Langass (a forestry plantation is on the northern slope) to reach Pobull Fhinn and onward to Langass Lodge where a half-mile tarred road leads back onto the A867.
Carnish Inn has been converted into a church. The building is over 150 years old and served as a change-house or traditional Scottish inn providing overnight accommodation and food for travellers. It was strategically built in this spot for those waiting for low tide to cross the ford over to Grimsay and onward to Benbecula.
The Battle of Carinish was fought at Feith na Fala (Fen of Blood) in 1601. It was the last conflict fought in Scotland with swords and bows and arrows. Near the Carinish corner the Macleods from Harris were slaughtered and the ground stained crimson with their blood. The battle is recalled in a modern Gaelic song A’ Mhic Iain 'Ic Sheumais - written by North Uist brothers Rory and Calum Macdonald and originally performed by rock band Runrig.