My roadside shrine to nature

South Uist Perhaps the greatest use of the structure is made by the three rams that are the usual occupants of the field in which it stands

On South Uist it's not unusual to come across a roadside shrine. Each has a glass-fronted niche containing a devotional statue of the Virgin Mary and often a posy of artificial flowers. With whitewashed or painted exteriors, sometimes decorated with shells, they are all beautifully maintained. All, that is, except for the one in the adjacent field which has fallen into disuse.

But though no longer in service as a shrine it is not without purpose. Its unpainted stone has been colonised by lichens. Best of all is the familiar orange Xanthoria parietina, which sits atop the roof like a miniature thatch.