Heritage

Early Uist Saints Project

2021 is the 1500 year anniversary of the birth of St Columba. As part of international celebrations which will occur based around the St Columba Trail, Ceòlas has been conducting research into the story of early Christianity in Uist, including those saints who came after St Columba. Placenames, manuscripts, Gaelic oral lore and other sources all help to illuminate this history.

• Placenames and Vita Sancti Cainnechi: between 2016-20, the Glasgow University Celtic Department researched and developed a website to detail the most recent evidence concerning Uist hagiotoponyms. It is here: uistsaints.co.uk.
• Collection of Uist Oral Lore: Ceòlas will collect and record Gaelic oral lore connected to the earliest Christian saints in Uist such as Cainneach, Brìde and so on.
• Uist’s Early Christianity Project: in 2020, preparations will be underway to mark the 1500 ear anniversary of St Columba’s birth in 2021.