Never on the Sabbath
Beyond doubt Scalpay is a christian island, most of the islanders attend the Free Church of Scotland and a small number attend The Church of Scotland. As such the Sabbath (Sunday) holds great importance and is strictly observed.
The Outer Hebrides (mainly Harris and Lewis) also adhere to this observance which is often ridiculed in the press. These islands are possibly the last place in the United Kingdom that still upholds this way of life. Until recently it was common to observe the Sabbath (Sunday) in one form or another throughout the U.K. but little evidence of this remains.
The islands are in a unique situation, in that, they can isolate themselves from the rest of the U.K. on Sundays, so they may observe the Sabbath (Sunday) without interference (there are no ferries or flights either to or from the islands on a Sunday). This has in the past offended few people, but as time marches on and mobility increases, and the demands of tourism increase, many people are now asking why the islands insist on this policy.
Those who know and love the islands will have some idea of the complexity of the debate and below is a newspaper article (kindly donated) which refers to an attempt to run a ferry on the Sabbath.
Who is to lord it over the Isles CalMac or the God-fearing islanders?
Robbie
Dinwoodie reports on the row over plans to run Sunday
ferries to the Hebrides.
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