North Lochs - 21/03/05

 

And yes, it’s raining this morning, and we’re back to a chilly 10C. It was nice while it lasted, our brief summery spell. Head out of town fairly late. Had lunch in the library coffee shop first. Leave for Ranish, North Lochs. Busroute turns off at Liurbost, and winds its way through the townships. A lady joins the bus at Liurbost with her young boy (age 2-3), just for a spin. It’s raning moderately. Route passes through Crosbost (which has a watertower), followed by a brief excursion to Druim an Aoil, a small estate up the hill. Then it’s on to Ranish. This village is situated on an isthmus of ¼-½ mile wide between Loch Grimshader and Loch Liurbost. My walk, starting at the local phone booth, takes me up the road northeast along Loch Griomsiadar. At the end of the metalled road, sits a house with a number of rooftiles missing. Follows a classic Lochs bogslog. Make my way east to Port a’Ghlinne Muigh, a nice inlet. Then inland heading southeast to Linne a’Ghlinne, a part-time loch. At the moment it holds a fair amount of water, but the map has it marked out as a marsh. Circle that and proceed south southeast towards the highest point on Aird Raernish, Beinn Mhor (104 m). Bearing in mind the steadily worsening conditions (can barely see the coastline beyond Loch Erisort to the south), I decide to return west. This turns out to be a confusing and tricky operation. The ground is rocky, steep, or just plain waterlogged. I gingerly pick my way through this nightmare. Have precious little to go on for orientation, as I can only discern the water towers of Ranish and Crosbost. Get in all sorts of trouble around Loch na Mointich, with its marshes on its southern shore, and Loch Colla. I end up going in a circle, and wanting to restart the walk at the house with the tiles missing off its roof. Only the fact that the telephone wires END at that place makes me think that I’d be better off going the other way. Very confusing, on account of heavy rain, poor visibility and no compass. Trudge down the road again, had planned to hit the other road actually. That was a frightening piece of disorientation. Further fun ensues when I’m waiting at the busstop for the 5.40 bus to Stornoway, which just does not turn up. I arrive at the halt at 5.23, but by 5.50 nothing has materialized. I walk up the road to Crosbost, and see the bus heading up to Druim an Aoil. Patiently wait in the teeming rain for the bus to return. It turns out that the driver got stuck behind a van which had left the road at Liurbost. Consequence: he was half an hour late. Return to SY at 6.30. It’s very dark, grey and foggy, and p’ing down with rain. Not a very good day at all.