Achamor - 12/03/05

It’s even colder than yesterday, with regular falls of snow. It settles on the higher hills. At 12.45 I jump on the Carloway bus, to alight at Achamor. Quite a few villages in Lewis only have one street, but as mentioned in yesterday’s entry, it can be a very long street. Balallan in Lochs stretches for 3 miles, and holds the record. At Achamor, the driver cast me a dark look when I didn’t get off the bus until the Èitsal transmitters. Walked up the access road all the way to the summit at 223 metres. A nice layer of about 2 inches of snow lay there. Views are very nice, across to Lochs and Uig, but in a shower, that all changes. Temperature drops from +4 to +1, visibility down to zero. On account of the latter phenomenon, I decide against a 4 miles moor traverse to the Pentland Road. Furthermore, the snow obscures features on the ground that would warn me of bogs &c. I set off down the A858. The north wind blows very cold down the 5½ miles to the junction with the Pentland Road. After a few miles, the view extends to Stornoway, but a long way off yet. Forests on the map turn out to be fenced off areas of moorland gracing the odd stunted pine tree. Shielings are ruinous or at best dilapidated buildings, comparable to those found south of Ness. I don’t follow the Pentland Road into Stornoway, but a trackway that runs parallel to that road. It’s boggy and wet. But the stench that greets me at the Bennadrove rubbish tip is beyond description. Eugh. Another few heavy snowshowers pass me through Marybank. I conclude the walk by passing through the Castle grounds to the town center at 4.45.