Sunday 24/09/06

Our guest is developing a cold. We cross over to Arnish after breakfast, driving through a deserted town. The fabrication yard is locked - I've never seen it locked in the period that I've been in Stornoway. Lengths of pipes, some with poorly spelled claims of ownership on them, scatter the yard. We slowly amble to the lighthouse, a mile to the east, overlooking Stornoway and Sandwick. All the ponies, which run semi-wild here, have now congregated by the keeper's cottage. Said cottage could do with a clear-out. Large hairly caterpillars crawl through the grass. The old beacon, which now lies on its side, used to reflect the light from the lighthouse to warn of a reef. During a violent storm in 1983, it was blown over. I wander up to the memorial to the fisherman, who drowned on this coast in December 2004. On passing the keeper's cottage again, the ponies nearly stop us passing through a gate. I take the track leading to Downie's harbour, the old Glumag pier. This used to be the landing point for taking supplies to the lighthouse. A much larger dock has now been constructed alongside the 80ft high sheds of the fabrication yard. I also discover the wherabouts of the Hebridean Seaweed factory. The smell of rotting seaweed is faintly unpleasant. We return to Newton at 2.30, where our guest takes to his bed. I join mrs B's son on a drive to Ness, under gathering gloom. It is still very quiet and we reach Port Nis in 45 minutes. Sand is silting up the harbour again. The tide is right out, through. Continue west to Eoropie. We pass the chapel to St Moluag and several large peatstacks, much more common here than elsewhere in Lewis. Drive up to the lighthouse, where a campervan is parked up. On exploring the clifftops, I discover a pedometer with 2555 steps on it. The owner is looking for it not far away, by the gate into the lighthouse compound. The wind gets up, making it feel increasingly chilly. At Eoropie beach, just over a mile to the south of the lighthouse, rabbits are running riot in the dunes. Quadbikers have torn up dunes and beach. The tide is further out than I've ever seen it, making it possible for me to see the other beaches further south. On leaving Ness at 5pm, it comes on to a spot or two of rain. We make a brief excursion up and down Loch Street, Barvas. On crossing the Barvas Moor, the rain starts in earnest. It continues to pour all evening. Supper is a roast leg of lamb with vegetables.