Old Photograph Post Office Lochmaddy Scotland

Old photograph of horses and carts and people outside the Post Office in Lochmaddy, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Scottish Gaelic: Loch nam Madadh, meaning Loch of the Hounds, on North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Lochmaddy lies on the sea loch of that name and, due to the rocky nature of the coast, is the only settlement of any size on the east coast. Most of the island's settlements are on the west coast. Lochmaddy is at the eastern end of the A865 and close to the eastern end of the A867; these are the only two main roads on the island. Virtually the first mention anywhere of Lochmaddy is a complaint of piracy and murder in a report dated 1616: " Lochmaldie on the coast of Uist is a rendezvous for pirates " it said. The coves and inlets around the village were ideal hiding places for raiding ships stocked with fine goods bound for the clan chiefs of the time, and contraband activity persisted until the modern era. Lochmaddy was an important fishing community before the commercial decline of the herring. During the reign of King Charles it was the site of a Royal Fishing Station. These days the same good harbour makes Lochmaddy the ferry port for the island, with the MV Hebrides plying the route to Isle of Skye. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.