SOME FACTORS AFFECTING MARITAL DISTANCES IN THE OUTER HEBRIDES

Some factors affecting marital distances have been studied in two Oute r Hebridean islands, Harris (843 marriages) and Barra (444 marriages), over the period 1855-1990. In each island marital distances fell befo re 1900, but then rose to their greatest values after the 1950s. Fishe rmen generally married at the shortest distances and men in land-based occupations at the longest. The depression in the fishing industry du ring the 1880s and early 1890s was associated with reductions in marit al distances, especially among fishermen. In the different regions of Harris, marital distances were least in the south-east, where settleme nt was most dense, and greatest in the south-west where it was most sp arse. When the association between marital frequencies and inter-settl ement distances was studied, it was found that for Harris there was, o verall, a trend to endogamous and short-distance marriage. However, th is trend was only slight during 1955-90. For Barra a similar trend was found before 1955, but thereafter there appeared to be virtually no c onnection between marital frequency and inter-settlement distance. Thu s the only constraint on marriage was the spatial distribution of sett lements. In this situation the chances of random mating with respect t o distance are maximised. Application of 'Central Place' theory sugges ted that only since 1946 can any tendency be detected to regard Tarber t in Harris or Castlebay in Barra as Central Places, at least as far a s marriage is concerned. In each island the tendency appears to be lim ited to the settlements closest to the Central Place.