Geographically, it is an island – it just has the added convenience of a bridge. Some will argue this manmade link strips Seil of its island status, but I think that’s nonsense. The Isle of Seil has been connected to the mainland by the picturesque Clachan Bridge since 1792 it is also known as the ‘Bridge over the Atlantic’. The current population on the islands sits at around 150 people on Seil, 200 people on Luing, and 60 people on Easdale.As well as being exported globally, the slate from these islands was also used on some iconic (reasonably local) buildings, such as Ardmaddy Castle, Castle Stalker, Cawdor Castle and Glasgow Cathedral. The first written record of slate being taken off Easdale for commercial purposes is from the 17th century.It is believed that he set up a Celtic monastery on the largest of the islands, and the ruins of the ‘beehive cells’ can still be seen today. It was around the same time that St Brendan came to Isle of Seil and travelled to the Garvellachs, which are a group of uninhabited islands in the Atlantic. In 536AD, St Columba arrived on the Isle of Iona and established the monastic community on the island.The islands, which are also referred to as the Atlantic Islands, have around 3,000 archaeological sites, 44 Sites of Scientific Interest and numerous conservation areas.Try wrapping your head around that number! The island’s famous Dalradian slate was formed during a collision of continents over 500 million years ago.Slate mining was the primary source of employment to the island people throughout the 19th and 20th century, and the product of their hard, dangerous labour was exported across the world, as far as Canada, the Caribbean and New Zealand at a rate of 9 million roofing slates per year. It was only when I arrived to explore them for myself, that I discovered the true extent of the slate industry’s influence on the land and its people. The Slate Islands of Seil, Luing, Easdale and Belnahau are famed as the ‘islands that roofed the world’. It wasn’t long before The Slate Islands fell onto my radar. I’ll hold my hands up and admit that I belonged to the latter, until my island-hopping exploits reached an all-time high when I turned 30.Īs well as my new-found appreciation for good-quality Tupperware and nights in, this turning point in my life saw me intently studying maps and researching new island territory to roam. Scottish people who I spoke to about my trip fell decidedly into one of two camps: they were very familiar with the islands – having already visited or seen them on a documentary – or they hadn’t even heard of them. They’re also a doddle to get to, so they must be really busy, eh? NOPE. The Slate Islands are super-interesting and truly unique, with quirky good looks and infinite charm. This trip to The Slate Islands was on a paid campaign to promote Scotland’s West Coast Waters Read on, to discover my findings from the intriguing islands of Seil, Easdale and Luing. They are not nearly as well-known as their Inner Hebridean neighbours, which is exactly why they are so appealing. The Slate Islands are a collection of islands which sit off Scotland’s West Coast, within easy reach of Oban. If you want to support this project, access KICKSTARTER for more information.ĭon’t forget to follow Feeldesain on Twitter+ Facebook to get all the latest updates.Island-hopping on Seil, Easdale and Luing We want to bring the future of style and technology integration to the world! The SEIL Bag is designed in order to illustrate traffic signals such as the cruise signal, stop signal and emergency signal directly on the backpack.” – LeeMyungSu Design LabĪll Images, Video and Information are via Kickstarter & LeeMyungSu Design Lab “Our SEIL Bag is part of a revolution in “wearable IT”. Currently it is working only with Android-based phones. Simply using the detachable wireless controller enables various signals such as directions and emergency indicators.Īs you can see in the video, you can add custom signals through our mobile app. The SEIL bag provides you with a simple controller that can transmit many basic signals on the LED display as well as custom messages for others who are driving or walking around you. The LED and flexible PCB applied SEIL bag is not only just a backpack, but also a safety device controlled by you. On top of this, the SEIL bag gives bicycle riders a safety feature instead of using hand signals. Bicycle riders’ backpacks are a must-have item for outdoor activities. Usually, bicycle riders use a pouch or backpack to carry a wallet, a mobile phone, water bottles and more. Simply, controlling the detachable wireless controller enables various signals. ‘ SEIL bag‘ is designed to show left and right signals.
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