Laxay to Achmore - 27/05/05

Today, I'm heading back to Laxay / Lacasaigh, where I left off on Wednesday, to finally attempt the trip across to Achmore. Bus dropped me off outside the Kinloch Historical Society building at 12.50. Headed off down the track leading north, and branch off to the right. This leads steeply up a brae below Meanna Mor, which is 'graced' by a transmitter on its summit. Then down towards Loch nan Breac. The local flock of sheep follow me bleating. Can see traffic moving on the A859, 1 km to the east.
Drop down in the valley and pass through a rusty gate. Notice a sheep lying flat on the ground, but it is still moving. Something is wrong, so I go and have a closer look. Its hindquarters are submerged in a pool, and the legs are stuck in the mud at the bottom. I haul the animal bodily out of the bog and place it on dry land. It senses that it now has full command of all legs, so starts to feed like mad on the surrounding grass.
Once I'm satisfied that the animal is OK, I leave it to sort itself out. I carry on northwest to the old ruin of Eastapair, above the southeastern shore of the loch. Climb out of the valley, towards Loch Dubh Sobhail. From now on it's plain sailing, er... walking along the loch, and its successor, Loch na h-Airigh Uir. Cnoc Mor Shobhail looms up behind both bodies of water
Once both lochs are passed, the long shape of Loch Fada stretches to the southwest. Roineabhal looms up 5 1/2 miles behind. Grianabhal is just over a mile to the west; Steiseal immediately to my right. It's a very easy moorland walk, where you just take a bearing on the Achmore radio transmitter, and you can't go wrong. Neither is it very wet. The new grass has sprung up, and the area looks uncharacteristically green. Finally cross Allt nan Each at 2.30. Loch Cnoc na h-Iolaire nearby and Loch na h-Airigh Uisge in the distance. After a break, the easterly wind is becoming more noticeable - cold. Continue northnorthwest towards the Achmore masts over the gentle westerly slopes of Oidreabhal, past a small round lochan.
Proceed to the inflow into Loch Foid, which presents me with some problems crossing it. Finally reach Loch Acha Mor and go uphill to the main road. Reach the A858 turn-off for Stornoway at 4pm, and have a short break there. Then retrace my steps and head off down the main road towards Liurbost, 2 1/2 miles to the east. Not a very pleasant 50 minutes, just as well the traffic is only light. Arrive just in time to see 2 Hebridean Transport coaches fly past on the A859. Have to wait 20 minutes for the Galson bus. Buy a snack in the Lochs Garage. A man asks me the way to Airigh a'Bhruaich, which I tell him - 10 miles down the road.
The Galson driver looks at my HT ticket askance, but lets me on. Back in town at 5.45. Take Mrs B to the ceilidh in the British Legion building, which is in support of local radio station Isles FM. Music is very, very loud. Good music though. Several local artists, including singer Donald MacRae and dancegroup Bernera Dancers. Mr Isles FM himself sells tickets. He was arrested by the top brass of Stornoway police this morning, for torturing listeners and a breach of the piss. Found Kenny McLeod perfectly capable of normal English, so he's been having us on all that time. Three ladies immediately to my right fail to smile once during the 3 1/2 hours of the ceilidh. It was not fully dark at 11.30, when we walked back.