Things you didn't know about The Isle of North Uist

The Isle of North Uist has a camera obscura

Completed in 1997 by locals, along with English-based artist Chris Drury, the ingenious camera obscura on the Isle of North Uist is known as the Hut of Shadows. It was created as a tribute to those who created the island's many prehistoric constructions.

A small pinhole lets in daylight from outside, and images are projected on the far wall. Of course, image quality depends on the weather and lighting on the Isle of North Uist, but it is possible to see colours and details of the surrounding sea.

They know how to make a song and dance on the Isle of North Uist

Recent winner of the Gaelic Singer of the Year and BBC Radio 2's Horizon award for a breakthrough folk artist, Julie Fowlis is a native of North Uist. She has an army of celebrity fans—including Ricky Gervais, Radiohead and Andrew Marr—to match her collection of awards.

Though her recordings of centuries-old Gaelic songs are now famous far beyond the Isle of North Uist, their meaning is not always obvious. One song, for example, sounds like a haunting romantic ballad but is in fact apparently about "how the cabbage was ruined".

The Isle of North Uist is an anglers' and twitchers' delight

Because of its multitude of freshwater lochs, it's been said that from the air the Isle of North Uist looks like a huge, entirely waterlogged sponge. These lochs are teeming with wild fish. The Balranald nature reserve is also a treat for nature watchers—Bill Oddie has enjoyed time filming among the waders and divers there.

It's (a lot) quicker as the crow flies

The meandering shape of the coastline means that while the Isle of North Uist is just 13 miles from north to south, it is a 45-mile journey if you travel around the coastline.

The Isle of North Uist and the hedgehog question

Hedgehogs are considered a pest on the Isle of North Uist. A handful of hedgehogs were introduced to the island in the 1970s and bred so fast that they quickly became a threat, eating the eggs of the important ground-nesting birds that breed on the island.

Until 2007 the hedgehog population was controlled by lethal injection, but after protests by animal activists and celebrities, the animals are now relocated on the mainland.

The Isle of North Uist is famously athletic

Despite having a population of only about 1,300 and limited facilities, the Isle of North Uist has a wealth of talented athletes. The North Uist Amateur Athletics Club regularly competes very successfully at both regional and national and level.

The Isle of North Uist is peppered with monuments of the past

From the Barpa Langass burial chamber to the Pobull Fhinn stone circle, there are several valuable ancient monuments on the Isle of North Uist.