Machair

It's a small island, but it has a beauty that feels much larger than its size.

The ferry lands in a place of low hills, scattered crofts, winding roads and where the sea is never far away, and every view seems to include water, sky and the soft colours of the Machair.

It's a quieter and more intimate island than some of the larger Hebridean islands, but that's part of its charm.

Its beach is one of the loveliest introductions to the island.

Mary stands tall and calm, her long form rising from a stone base, while the Christ Lord is held close above her shoulder.

The sculptor Hugh Lorimer gave the Madonna the face of a typical island woman, so that the figure does not appear distant or foreign, but rooted in South Uist itself.

Against the open sky, with the Machair, the Crofts and the Atlantic spread below, the statue has a quiet authority, part religious, part island landmark.

Its presence also tells a 20th century story.