“Where is that, exactly?” “Are you near Shetland?” “Do you have electricity up there?” “Have you ever left the island?”
Ignorant comments like these from non-islanders, either those visiting or those safely ensconced in cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London, are frustratingly commonplace. Even worse is the lazy attitude of those paid to tell the story of our shores to would-be visitors: the travel writers.
When it comes to travel writing, there appears to be only one acceptable media narrative for the Western Isles: the one of a beautiful landscape inhabited by a backward society of religious fundamentalists who chain up their children’s playgrounds on Sunday and survive sparingly in a harsh climate.
As the Americans like to say: give me a break!
Yes, the Outer Hebrides are home to stunning natural landscapes, and I wholeheartedly agree with Lonely Planet’s assertion that “there are few more beautiful places on earth” (seriously, see for yourself). But that is where our affinity ends.
In story after story, tradition is raised up as the core of island life, whether in terms of employment, music, or the infamous Sunday shop closures. While it’s true that the culture here is strong – islanders like myself are staunchly proud of their roots – it’s a mistake to extrapolate from there and assume that everything and everyone is stuck in the past.
Fishing, weaving, and crofting were once thriving industries in the Outer Hebrides, and while they are still in business, they are no longer the mainstays of the economy, as so many articles imply. Like the rest of the country, islanders work in all manner of roles, in tourism, hospitality, local government, engineering, higher education, the media and the health service, to name just a few. (Surprise! We’re just like you!)
It is true that many (but certainly not all) of the supermarkets, shops, and offices are closed on Sunday. But it is not true that all islanders are old-school, God-fearing church-goers; that they all treat Sunday as a day of “contemplation and Bible-reading”; or that children are barred from playing in padlocked playgrounds on Sundays. The latter has never happened in my lifetime – and I’m approaching the end of my third decade faster than I would like – yet it’s something that rears its head regularly in news reports and travel features on the Outer Hebrides.
Read full article here: http://storiesmysuitcasecouldtell.com/2015/06/18/on-travel-writing-and-stereotyping-the-outer-hebrides-2/
Related article: From the Archives: Deb Vanasse on Metaphor, with All Due Respect
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