On the slopes of Beinn Sciathan, a rocky outcrop in the Outer Hebrides, white and grey ponies roam freely. Eriskay ponies, one of the rarest native breeds in the world, are critically endangered. They have often been mixed with the Highland pony and other breeds, giving the false impression of higher population numbers.
Only about 300 to 400 true Eriskay ponies are thought to remain. Efforts have been made to boost their numbers since the 1970s, both on their small homeland, Eriskay Island, and on the mainland. The island’s ponies have a lifestyle fascinating enough to draw tourists.
They are neither wild nor kept enclosed. For half of the year, including winter, they are free to roam the island and its village. Each pony has an owner who can easily identify their own despite them looking nearly identical to the average observer.
About 150 people live on Eriskay, many of whom speak Gaelic. It is a close-knit community, but over time the island has become a tourist destination known for stunning beaches with clear blue water, the grounding of the SS Politician, and even a Fifa-recognised football pitch. But its history of fishing, crofting and Catholicism, and of course its ponies, are integral to its culture.
In the 1850s, thousands of families in the Outer Hebrides were forced from Barra and South Uist during the Highland clearances. For many, Eriskay became a crowded refuge. MacInnes says: “[The landlords] thought it’s rubbish for grazing so they sent them here thinking they’ll never survive.
They came here and made their houses … They were cleared from crofting communities and had to learn fishing, but then they thrived.” Once the Eriskay community was established, the ponies thrived because of their role in the region’s social fabric. Originally used for crofting, they would be fitted with creels to bring peat up the hill and move seaweed as fertiliser for crops. In the 1970s, however, their population shrunk to a low of about 20 purebreds.
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