The slate islands
I've recently been in Scotland and for me it's always been about the West coast and the mountains through central Scotland.
Most of my trips to Scotland have involved hiking, so this always meant never being in the same place and constantly moving through the landscape. This time we were based in Oban and this gives us more time to visit places.
One place I had always want to go to was the slate islands, these are a group of islands that are part of the inner Hebrides and made up of 7-8 islands.
The one that interested me the most was Easedale. Easedale has a rich history that dates back centuries, with its most notable period being during the 18th and 19th centuries when the island became a thriving hub of the Scottish slate industry. Easedale slate was renowned for its high quality, and the island was home to a bustling community of quarry workers who mined and exported slate to various parts of the world.
At the peak of its industry, Easedale's population reached nearly 500 residents. However, the industry faced a sharp decline in the late 19th century due to flooding in the quarries, cheaper imports, and changing building materials. A devastating storm in 1850 flooded many of the island’s quarries.
Today, Easedale is a peaceful retreat with a small but vibrant community of around 60 residents. The island is car-free, accessible only by a short ferry ride from the nearby village of Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil.
As there are no cars on the island, all goods at brought over via the ferry and the residents then remove their stuff using wheelbarrows, which are left close to the harbour.
The slate mining industry has left a visible legacy on the island but the remains of the quarries are not ugly, this is because in 1881 a freak storm caused waves large enough to breach the sea walls of the quarries and flood them, these flooded quarries are in some places 90 metres deep.
With flooded quarries and quite a lot of slate lying around the locals have a new event on the international sporting calendar. Easedale is home to the World Stone Skimming Championships, which is usually held in September. Entry is open to all (adults £10, Children £5) it is very popular and limited to only 350 entrants, on a first come basis.
This year's winner was Simon Power from Ireland, if you would like to see this gripping contest there is a YouTube video of the championship.
The quarries are also used as wild swimming pools, although I don't think you'd get me in any of them.
You could probably walk around the whole island in an hour but there is plenty to see that 4 hours is a more realistic timeframe, along with a visit to the small museum.
Hi George, we used to have a couple of weeks in those parts in the 1980’s/90’s we had some lovely times, we were on the slate islands too, one of my favourites was a little cottage right on the beach near Port William, yes Port! Very close to where Gavin Maxwell lived, beautiful area and very quiet, ok cuz keep snapping! John.
Great article and photos! Love the stone skimming contest 🙂