The endangered wild ponies of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides – a photo essay

Fewer than 400 Eriskay ponies remain. One of the rarest native breeds in the world, their plight is unique because the community living on their tiny Hebridean island are fighting for them. The ponies wander the village and townsfolk care for them together

On the slopes of Beinn Sciathan, a rocky outcrop in the Outer Hebrides, white and grey ponies roam freely. Eriskay ponies, one of the rarest native breeds in the world, are critically endangered.

They have often been mixed with the Highland pony and other breeds, giving the false impression of higher population numbers. Only about 300 to 400 true Eriskay ponies are thought to remain.