ABSTRACT
There are many subcultures in the UK which might be expected to differ widely in attitudes and customs, and perhaps in abilities, from S.E. England; notably the industrial North, the rural Southwest, Wales and Scotland. The application of a wide-ranging battery of tests in any of these would be of interest. But for lack of time it was decided to oncent rate on one rather extreme sample. The Hebridean islands off the west coast of Scotland are one of the most remote areas geographically, and probably have least contact with modern urban civilisation, though obviously this is breaking down with easy air travel and the advent of television. The use of Gaelic is dying out rapidly in all parts of Scotland, * yet it is still the main language of the rural parts of the Hebrides. Children normally speak it with their parents and friends, and it plays an important part in the school curriculum, though almost all teaching is conducted in English. The Isle of Lewis has one large town, Stornoway — a fishing port, centre of commerce and the tweed industry. It has many contacts with the mainland, and here the predominant language is English. The countryside, however, consists largely of barren and stony moorland, and most families live from crofting, i.e. smallholding and sheep-rearing, from weaving tweed in the home, or from fishing. The families are closely knit and hardworking; for example the mother helps with the tweed, the boys with the sheep. And there is a strong Puritan tradition, with a bias towards the more rigid Scottish sects. Naturally, though, the more progressive attitudes and interests of the urban community are gradually percolating outwards. As in all the non-industrial areas of Scotland, there is a tremendous respect for education, and the teaching tends to be much more formal and thorough than in postwar England. A remarkable proportion of the brighter pupils reach the university and enter the ministry, teaching or other professions.
