Isle Of Lewis, Uig bay, où 78 pièces des échecs ont été trouvés, sculptés dans l'ivoire de morse, de Hébrides extérieures, en Écosse.Photo:Jeff Gilbert
4367 x 2911 px | 37 x 24,6 cm | 14,6 x 9,7 inches | 300dpi
Date de la prise de vue:
18 février 2008
Lieu:
Uig Beach, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom
Informations supplémentaires:
Lewis is, in general, the lower lying part of Lewis and Harris, with the other part, Harris, being more mountainous. The flatter, more fertile land means Lewis contains the only town, Stornoway, and three-quarters of the population of the Western Isles. Beyond human habitation, the island's diverse habitats are home to an assortment of flora and fauna, such as the golden eagle, red deer and seals and are recognised in a number of conservation areas. The Lewis Chessmen (or Uig Chessmen, named after the bay where they were found) are a group of 78 chess pieces from the 12th century most of which are carved in walrus ivory, discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. They may constitute some of the few complete medieval chess sets that have survived until today, although it is not clear if any full set as originally made can be made up from the varied pieces. They are currently owned and exhibited by the British Museum in London, which has 67 of them and the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, which has the rest. There has been recent controversy about the most appropriate place for the main display of the pieces. Uig Bay is a National Scenic Area, one of only 40 in Scotland. The designation reflects the bay's status as an ... area of unsurpassed attractiveness which must be conserved as part of our national heritage and gives the beach international recognition as a Category V Protected Landscape in the IUCN's World List of Protected Areas. At one time Uig Bay formed one of the most important centres of population on the Isle of Lewis. At least five townships were cleared in the early part of the 19th century to form the farm of Eadar Dha Fhadhail (Ardroil). The main access to the bay is from the village of Ardroil, where you will find a road down to a car park and small caravan site. Buried in the sandbanks at nearby Bealach Ban the Uig Chessmen were found in 1831. The chess pieces are the most important Norse artefact in existence.
