I was last in Huisinis, Isle of Harris, 7 years ago. I was in the Outer Hebrides doing a locum anaesthetic job, much as I am now. Those were different times and I had dreams of living and working in such a place as this. I stared across the turbulent sound which separates the Isle of Harris from the much smaller Island of Scarp. I could see the now abandoned crofts and longed to be able to cross the sea to explore them. I kept revisiting Huisinis in my free time, never dreaming that one day I would full fill this ambition. Of course back then I didn't paddle but now I do, and so today I made the crossing through the calm but highly tidal gap which separates the two islands, landed and explored the village.The inhabitants of Scarp scraped together a living through crofting and fishing. Towards the end of the 19th century the population peaked at 213. However, by the 1940s the population had declined to just over 100, and the closure of the school and post office saw the last permanent inhabitants leave in 1971. Today, there are no permanent inhabitants but holiday homes were occupied, and indeed being renovated at the time of my visit.
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