Pabaigh Mòr

Pabaigh Mòr, or Pabay Mòr, is an uninhabited island of around 244 acres in West Loch Roag, off the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, just north of Vacsay. Its name comes from the Old Norse papey, “island of the papar”, the early Christian monks who settled on remote islands across the north Atlantic. It is a beautiful island of Lewisian gneiss, with caves, sea spouts and natural arches.

Landscape

Pabaigh Mòr has light soils over ancient gneiss, with a rugged coastline cut into caves and arches by the Atlantic swell. To the north, the smaller island of Pabay Beag is separated from it by a sheltered pool. The island looks across West Loch Roag to the white sands of Valtos and Uig, among the finest beaches in Scotland.

History

The remains of Teampall Pheadair, St Peter’s Church, and its burial ground stand in the south-east of the island beside Loch na Teampall, with Cnoc na Cille, “hill of the monk’s cell”, nearby. Local tradition says the MacLeods of Lewis used the church as a refuge, and it may have been damaged in the Crown’s campaign against them in 1506. It is now a scheduled monument. In 1800 Sergeant Evander MacIver was given the island on retiring from the Seaforth Regiment, in place of a pension, but 27 years later his family were cleared, and their descendants live in Valtos.

Excavation in 2002 revealed a man aged 50–59 who lived in the Bronze Age, around 1450–1290 BC, along with an infant and pottery.

More about Pabaigh Mòr

In 1998 human remains were found eroding from a beach on the island. Excavation in 2002 revealed a man aged 50–59 who lived in the Bronze Age, around 1450–1290 BC, along with an infant and pottery. The first finds went to the Uig Museum. There is a story that a German U-boat landed here in the First World War. Today the owner has restored a couple of blackhouses, and Valtos crofters still graze the island.

Visiting

There is no ferry to Pabaigh Mòr. It can be seen from the coast around Valtos and from boat trips in West Loch Roag. You can collect Pabaigh Mòr as a landing or a sighting in your Island Passport.

Wildlife and area

Look out for Sea Eagle, Golden Eagle, Eurasian Otter and Grey Seal, and for Gannet, Fulmar and Black Guillemot. Other islands nearby include Vacsay, Fuaigh Mòr, Flodaigh, Fuaigh Beag and Great Bernera.