Luing is the most important of Scotland’s slate islands. It lies a number of miles to the south of Oban in Argyll. Like most of the islands on the West Coast, at present Luing is taken into account a fragile one and faces a number of challenges round island depopulation, financial improvement, and transport.
Throughout its peak years, the slate trade supported a vibrant island group. The island had a thriving inhabitants of over 600 individuals within the 1800s. There have been some 15 historic quarries or workings on the Island of Luing which saved many individuals employed.
Slate splitting at Cullipool quarry within the Nineteen Fifties. Picture: Luing Historical past Group
The village of Cullipool on the west of the island is a conservation space. Nestled in amongst a number of historic quarries (which are actually flooded), most of the historic quarriers cottage’s roofs and partitions stay largely as they appeared since they have been constructed.
Cullipool No.5 Quarry, which is within the coronary heart of the village, is now flooded and exhibits the remnants of a as soon as nice trade on the island. Picture: Graham Briggs
The slate quarries on the island performed an necessary a part of the islands industrial heritage. Slate is used in every single place on the island from partitions, paths and roofs. Traditionally, it performed an necessary position in safeguarding the shoreline. It’s even thought that Iona Cathedral is roofed with slate from Luing, which exhibits simply how lengthy lasting Scottish slate is!
A declining trade
Slates and bogie at Cullipool. Picture: Gilbert Mackay
Like a lot of Scotland’s stone industries, slate declined after the primary and second World Wars. Confronted with a scarcity of labour, cheaper imported materials and a transfer in direction of roof tiles, a scarcity of funding in the end led to the demise of the slate trade on Luing.
This impacted the agricultural communities extraordinarily laborious. The slate islands relied on this trade to supply employment to maintain the native economic system. When the quarries closed within the Nineteen Sixties, over 24 individuals who had labored there discovered themselves having to safe work elsewhere.
The island at present is a a lot quieter place with a group round 1 / 4 of the dimensions of its historic peak of 600 within the late 1800s. The deserted slate quarries stay a nod to the economic heritage and panorama that when created a bustling vibrant group.
Island challenges at present
The difficulties confronted by younger individuals attempting to make a life on the island are immense. Discovering inexpensive housing or land to self-build is nearly inconceivable, and the excessive price of island residing is made worse by the constraints and prices of restricted ferry companies.
The declining variety of working-age individuals has an affect on island companies, making the group much less resilient. Making it doable for younger individuals to remain on or transfer to the island (which many want to do) is important for its future.
Storm Aiden at Cullipool in 2019. Picture: Colin Buchanan
The island additionally faces elevated threat from local weather change impacts by way of rising sea ranges and has confronted extra frequent storms which have impacted the island shore defences.
Traditionally, producing slate was a particularly wasteful course of and this waste materials was used to complement the seashores. Since no materials has been extracted for the reason that Nineteen Sixties, a lot of this materials has now been washed away, exposing a fragile shoreline dealing with the Atlantic storms.
Cullipool’s slate seashore. Slate from the quarries was used to feed the seashore, the gradual slope of the slate seashore eliminated vitality from the waves which decreased the affect of storms. As we speak a lot of the slate materials that when fed the seashore has been misplaced with the impact that the village has been impacted by some dramatic storm occasions. Picture: Graham Briggs
A second probability for Scottish slate?
Scottish slate has a specific attribute look and a talent concerned in laying. There’s a want for Scottish slate to help the restore of Scotland’s conventional (pre-1919) buildings – a lot of that are our work locations and houses.
“Probably the most vital space within the provide of conventional supplies is Scottish slate. No new Scottish slate has been quarried for over 50 years. The shortage of a provide of latest Scottish slate, and a severe scarcity of second-hand Scottish slate, have led to a disaster. The usage of overseas slate is turning into more and more widespread, and a brand new provide of Scottish slate is a direct precedence.”
– Historic Setting Advisory Council for Scotland
During the last two years, we’ve been supporting The Isle of Luing Neighborhood Belief, who’ve been exploring the alternatives {that a} small-scale slate enterprise might deliver, to create and help good native jobs for individuals to work and stay on the island. It will generate a modest earnings for the local people to develop different initiatives, develop the island economic system and make it extra sustainable.
Establishing a brand new slate trade wouldn’t solely create materials for our historic constructed surroundings, but it surely might additionally create materials to assist the island mange the impacts of local weather change and the difficulty of coastal erosion which threatens the village of Cullipool.
The Isle of Luing Neighborhood Belief is now on the lookout for a Venture Improvement Officer to work with them to take the mission ahead. Apply by Friday 10 June 2022.
