A new community home for Eriskay’s heritage

After seven long years of sustained community effort, a new phase of history is underway at the sight of the old Eriskay school.

The school was opened in the late 1800s, and served the community for 137 years, before finally ringing the last bell for home in 2013.

On a sunny May 4th morning, the old building was revealed in all its glory when ancillary structures dating from 1933 were demolished to make way for a new Heritage Centre that will not only provide a safe home for the island’s rich history, but offer a range of much needed community and visitor facilities.

An initial business plan to convert the former school into a heritage centre was produced in 2018 and led to a Scottish Land Fund award and the successful purchase of the school and schoolhouse in 2021.

The journey from initial proposals to completed plans has included several full scale community consultations, as Comann Eachdraidh Eirisgeidh (CEE) Project Worker Sandra MacInnes explains:. “We wanted to ensure that our plans reflected what the island wants and needs. Looking at the finished plans now, you can see just how much of a positive impact the centre will bring.”

She continued: “If it hadn’t been for CEE, the community would have lost this historic asset as the building would have been sold on the open market and possibly as a commercial development. This way, the community are involved shaping what happens.”

Committee member Marie MacMillan is looking ahead to the value the new building will bring: “In the old days, the house ceilidhs kept the community alive, kept it connected. The school afforded people the opportunity to meet and congregate both in an educational forum with various night classes on offer and also with social gatherings such as weddings and ceilidhs. Those old ways are sadly no longer with us and we need a new focal point to bring people together. Isolation is a real concern, especially after covid. This will allow us to meet with each other and keep our strong community connections.”

Chair Iain Ruaraidh MacInnes describes the long and difficult journey the CEE has made: “There were times when we felt we wouldn’t be able to keep going. Covid was very hard. There were a lot of obstacles to get past and everything was very new to us. The whole process has been a challenge, but it’s paid off. We have learned a huge amount and are better placed to tackle this next phase with confidence.”

The next stage of the project is to secure the capital costs to start the build. The Committee have finalised their business plan and are preparing for the next round of funding applications.

The demolition works and re-slating contract is being delivered by local man Paul A. MacInnes, who, along with the majority of the on-sight team and committee, was once a pupil of the school.

The new building has been designed by Lewis born architect Ruairidh Moir, from BARD ailteir, and has been shortlisted for the Future Building or Project category of the Scottish Design Awards.

The Committee has launched a fund-raising effort to help with the next phase of the project – anyone wishing to purchase a piece of Eriskay history can log on to the Committee’s crowdfunding page.