The Presbytery of Uist met yesterday at Leverburgh church, Tuesday, June 20th 2023, for the last time on the soil of Harris. The Harris contingent always used to look forward to the June meeting of Presbytery when we acted as hosts to friends and neighbours from south of the sound of Harris. 

This year’s meeting was a much more poignant occasion, which now marks the end of these annual visits. In all probability, yesterday’s meeting would also be the last time a Church of Scotland Presbytery will meet in Harris. 

From January 2024, the Uist Presbytery, including Harris, will become part of the super Presbytery of the Highlands and Hebrides. We join with eight other Presbyteries to form the new body, which will cover a vast area of approximately one-third of Scotland’s land area, including most of the Scottish islands. 

At one time, the Presbytery of Uist consisted of twelve separate congregations at Barra, Benbecula, Berneray, Carinish, Daliburgh, Kilmuir, Lochmaddy, Manish, Paible, Scarista, South Uist Howmore and Tarbert. 

What is even more astonishing is that these congregations were also served by Mission stations and Missionaries stationed at 

, Balashare, Claddach Carinish, Grimsay, Sollas, Loch Portain, Manish, Obbe, Seilibost, Luskentytre, Drimmore, Iochdar, Lochboisdale, Amhuinnsuidhe, Drinnshader, Grosebay, Scalpay, Scarp, Marig. 

The meeting yesterday began as always with Communion and was an occasion to give thanks for the life and the work of the Presbytery of Uist over the years. It was a contemplative, reflective, but happy occasion to thank God for His blessings to the church in Harris and Uist over the lifetime of the Presbytery. After a superb buffet lunch, several suitable and well-received speeches were made to give thanks to God for and remember many who served their master faithfully and well in this Presbytery and now rest from their labours. Despite the small size and geographical remoteness of the Presbytery, the Presbytery of Uist fostered many who adorned the pulpits of our land and served Christ faithfully and well on His mission field in many areas of the country and the world. 

Soli Deo Gloria