M. S. Campbell who wrote, "The Fauna of Uig" in the summer of 1938 provides a perfect description of the hills of West Uig; since we cannot improve upon it, we have taken the liberty of quoting it in full:

"West of Little Loch Road the country changes, becoming more and more mountainous as it approaches the granite-gneiss massif of the Uig hils. The main hills are in two chains running almost north and south, separated in their northern part by a deep steep-sided valley down which Abhainn Raonasgail flows in to Loch Raonasgail lying at its northern end.

"East of the valley lie - from North to South - Tarain (1347'), Tahabhal (1688'), Teinnasabhal (16267') and Tamanasbhal (1530') and possibly to this chain should be added Suaineabhal (1404') which lies to the Northeast of Tarain, but separated from it by another deep valley in which lies Loch Suainaval, more than two miles long and probably, judging from the lie of the land, deep.

"On the west of the Raonasgail valley, at the northern end, are the summits of Mealasbhal (1885'), with the north facing almost bare great precipices of Mula Mac Sgiathain separated by a col from Cracabhal (1682') and North Liabhal which is opposite the rocky col separating Raonasgail valley from the corresponding valley for the south flowing Abhainn Cheann Chuisil.

canine heart problem

"The southern valley is bounded on the east by the easier slopes of Tamanasval and on the west by the steep rocks of South Liabhal. To the south west lies Griomabhal with steep rocks on its northern face which fall in to Gleann Thealasdail. The stream in this glen rises to just above 1000' among steep boulder scree below a rocky col and runs in to the Dubh Loch".

Campbell names a good many hills; there are others, but discover them for yourselves

Traditionally, township cattle were taken to summer grazings out in the Uig hills. Right up to the Second World War, each of the villages had shieilings where the women and young girls tended the cattle. They left the villages with the cattle towards the end of June and lived in the simple stone dwellings for six weeks.

"When the shieling has been reached and the burdens laid down, the huts are repaired, fires kindled and food prepared. The people bring forward every man's stock separately, then the cattle are turned out to graze. The feast that follows is simple. They say grace, and every head is uncovered and every knee bowed, as they dedicated themselves and their flocks to Christ," wrote Carmicheal in Carmina Gadelica.

The women lived mainly on fish - salmon and trout caught in the rivers and lochs that lie between Uig and Harris. Every fortnight the village men brought provisions by boat - if the shieling was accessible by sea - and returned to the villages with milk, butter and crowdie.