Eriskay - 12/11/04

After breakfast, I decided to dump the gloom and go and make something of the day. Jumped on a bus, which was the first of three to take me down to Eriskay, 3 hours away. First to Clachan, then a McDonalds bus to Lochboisdale, and finally a vehicle to Eriskay. After Clachan there are a number of causeways to take you across to Grimsay and Benbecula (Beinn na Faoghla) and finally South Uist. On South Uist, there is the tracking station for the missiles and two high hills (2000 ft plus) called Beinn Mhor and Hekla. You can't miss them. Lochboisdale is an unsightly little place, where the Oban ferry calls. Eriskay is very nice, got there at 12.45. Linked to South Uist by causeway for a few years, the islanders love it. The weather was awful though. Galeforce northwesterly, frequent showers and 9C. The windchill made it feel more like minus 1C. Struggled to Haunn, where the old ferry terminal was, blocked by a huge sandbar. Back to Balla (Village), where I had a cup of soup in the pub Am Politician, named after the famous whisky boat which was wrecked off Eriskay in 1941, leaving it for the islanders to help themselves to the booze. Read "Whisky Galore" by Compton McKenzie. Incidentally, the word galore is of Gaelic origin, gu leoir meaning plenty. Had a walk down towards the Barra ferry terminal, along a stretch of very pretty beach. Pity about the gale though. Ferry to Ard Mhor had been cancelled for the day, as had many other ferries as it turned out later. Hobbled back through a very painful hailshower to the shop, then jumped on the bus. This took me all the way up to Clachan, but with some bloody long stops along the way. One gentleman joined me who would have gone on the Oban ferry, but this had been cancelled. He would go to Lochmaddy, but was worried about where to stay. I showed him to the hostel, once we got there at 6.10. He was quite grateful. We stopped also at the school at Linnacleit on Benbecula, where we could have a cuppa. Next to the swimming pool. Felt like a dip!