The Wildlife Of South Uist

The Birds

South Uist is a breeding ground for the wader species of birds, mute swans are regular visitors to the island at Loch Bee, a shallow loch on the island, and the land is visited by many interesting species of birds including the black-headed gull, black guillemot, greenshank, redshank, harriers, buzzards and of course the golden eagle, the list goes on.

In May there is a chance to see the pink-footed goose, and in summer quail are present. Winter brings the purple sandpiper and woodcock into view.

The greylag goose also breeds on South Uist in numbers by the main road that splits the island, the area of land is in the Nature Reserve of Loch Druidibeg.

Eriskay Ponies & The Sea

As mentioned in the overview, there are still has some of the extraordinary Eriskay ponies roaming wild on the island, descendants of the ponies that were used to carry peat and seaweed in centuries past.

Similarly to many islands and coastal areas of Scotland, South Uist and the isle of Eriskay maintains a small fishing fleet with shellfish such as the velvet crab part of the days catch and sold for good prices to the mainland, and across Europe.

The sea is as rich with wildlife as the land, rarely disturbed by humans and therefore harmonious as part of a stable ecosystem. The large numbers of grey and common seals around the coast is a testament to the tranquility and natural balance of the island and its people.