Monach Islands

Not to be confused with Heysker/Hyskeir (Small Isles) or Haskeir

The Monach Islands, also known as Heisker (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Heisgeir / Heisgeir, pronounced [elanˈheʃkʲəɾʲ, ˈheʃkʲəɾʲ]), are an island group west of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The islands are not to be confused with Hyskeir in the Inner Hebrides, or Haskeir which is also off North Uist and visible from the group.

The main islands of Ceann Ear (once home to a nunnery), Ceann Iar and Shivinish are all linked at low tide. It is said that it was at one time possible to walk all the way to Baleshare, and on to North Uist, five miles away at low tide. In the 17th century, a large tidal wave was said to have washed this route away. The islands of the group, tend to be low-lying and sandy, subject to intense coastal erosion. Not unlike the Isles of Scilly it is possible that Ceann Iar, Shivinish and Ceann Ear formed a single body of land within historic times, and that their land area has greatly decreased due to overgrazing and sea inundation, and wind erosion as well.

Smaller islands in the group include Deasker (Deas-Sgeir), Shillay (Siolaigh) and (Stockay).

The islands have been uninhabited since 1942, but were inhabited by up to 100 people for centuries leading up to 1810 - possibly up to a thousand years before. They were originally abandoned due to overgrazing, but were resettled in the wake of the Highland Clearances.

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