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25/08/2015 - Summer at the Shielings

Kathleen Carragher travels to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides to find out how transhumance, the summer migration of livestock, lasted into the 1970s.

In a special programme, Kathleen Carragher travels to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides to find out how transhumance, the summer migration of livestock, lasted in one area of the island into the 1970s. Whole communities moved their animals to common grazings to protect their crops – it was called going to the Shielings, named after the small huts they built as temporary homes. We hear crofters' memories of working, playing and praying on the moors during the summer months.

Presented and produced by Kathleen Carragher

13 days left to listen

12 minutes

Broadcast

  • Mon 25 Aug 2025 05:45

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