The map is inspired by conversations and verse about the
àirigh and the moor being somewhere where young people
travelled to from their villages and courted. In some places
the àirigh territories from different parts of the island
overlap and I have speculated on marriages founded on these
summer trysts and journeys.
There are many Gaelic love songs dedicated to these
encounters.
The names and locations of the places on the moor, once you
know them, are as useful as a route map for leading you to
where you want to go.
Jon Macleod is an artist and curator based in the Outer
Hebrides. He works across art forms and borders exploring
themes of language, culture and identity through a range of
solitary and socially engaged strategies.
