fingertrouble | Hebrides

Hebrides-0628, originally uploaded by timbearcub.

A deserted shieling building, the Shielings, Lewis.

Shielings were/are the buildings were the locals stayed every summer to cut peat - usually 1-2 weeks a year. It had been going on for 1,000s of years. Recently as the locals shifted to oil, the buildings fell into serious disrepair.

While I was there the Lewis windfarm was being hotly debated, the application for which has since been turned down - I wonder with oil prices and credit crunch whether the island will regret that decision? And go back to cutting more peat again?