Fight to save Whisky Galore island's rare ponies

A new campaign has been launched to save the Eriskay pony, once used on crofts throughout the Western Isles.

The mid-sized ponies were used to carry baskets of peat and harvested seaweed - or even children on journeys to school.

Declines in their numbers started when other breeds and then tractors replaced the Eriskay before World War Two. By the early 1970s only about 20 survived.

Numbers have recovered to about 400 today, but Eriskay Pony Society said more help was needed to ensure its survival.

Eriskay lies between South Uist and Barra towards the southern end of the Western Isles' island chain on Scotland's Atlantic coast.

The isle is famous for the grounding of the ship SS Politician and its cargo of 250,000 bottles of whisky, on 5 February 1941.

Eriskay ponies were used for transporting whisky salvaged from the wreck.

Author Compton MacKenzie used the SS Politician as the basis of his book Whisky Galore in 1947.

An Ealing comedy of the same name followed in 1949. The film was remade in 2016.

Steve McMinn, of Eriskay Pony Society, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme the ponies were a hardy and clever breed.

He said: "They are absolutely fantastic.

"They really like having something to do. They are very quick to learn, with a great temperament.

"Every croft had to have something to do the work before tractors took over.

"By the 1970s they were down to about 20 left on Eriskay and some on Barra."

The society is working with Rare Breeds Survival Trust and genetics experts to identify suitable matches between mares and stallions for breeding.

Mr McMinn said: "With such a small population there is a risk of increasing the inbreeding.

"Getting the numbers up is a slow process."

Mr McMinn said the society was also talking to the National Pony Society about having Eriskays added to its list of recognised breeds.

He said: "The NPS list is used by a number of folk as being the definitive list.

"It is really quite important its seen as a native breed."

NPS said it had recently set up a working group to discuss the Eriskay pony.

The Eriskay is described as a mid-sized pony.

Foals are born a dark colour and as they grow older their coats turn grey and later white.