Huisinis - 26/04/05

Heading for Huisinis today, and meet my Swiss companions from yesterday on the Harris bus. The 3 dead sheep still lie around at the Grimshader turning. Cannot understand how people can sleep through that gorgeous section between Balallan and Tarbert. Change buses at Tarbert, and say goodbye to Dieter and Conny. They are going to Molinginish and Reinigeadal and on into the general Harris wilderness to camp. Not my scene. After a cuppa in Firstfruits, I joined the yellow CnES bus to Huisinis. Driver dumps an old wheel outside Bunavoneadar, near the old whaling station. Another of Lord Leverhulme's failed projects, like the Ness to Tolsta road which never came about. Nice views from the winding B887, of Mulla bho Thuath & Dheas, as well as Teileasbhal and Uisgneabhal. Further up, Sron Scourst towers above Glen Miavaig. A big bag of potatoes is delivered to Cliasmol School, which sits about a mile outside the village. Arriver at Huisinis at 12.40, a few minutes early. Not got much time there, about an hour and a half. Need to be back at the Gobhaig turning at 3.20, in order to make my connections into Stornoway. Go across the machair to the northern side and look over to Scarp. Then it's up the steep hillside of Huiseabhal Beag, where Scarp is more clearly visible. The houses in Breanais, Uig, are just about discernible from there. Also close by is the magnificent beach of Traigh Mheilen. Have to go back after only half a mile, due to time constraints. Arrive at the Gobhaig roadend at 2.40, after shaking off another fanclub (sheep). Just before the CnES bus returns to Ardhasaig, smoke can be seen rising from Glen Skeaudale. Library is about to close in Tarbert, but I can just about check my emails. Back in SY at 5.45, after changing buses at Balallan. Cloud came rolling in at 2 o'clock, but it stayed dry. It was very mild, 16C.

Tolsta to Ness - 25/04/05

Today's exploits were to be centered around Tolsta, so I went on the 10.45 bus there. This was packed with locals returning from their shopping trips as well as a few tourists. Parts of the route are done on request only, so we omitted the Gress Loop and did go down Camach Park in North Tolsta. On alighting at New Tolsta, further north, I met two Swiss tourists, Dieter and Conny, who were going to walk to Ness. Suffice to say that I also ended up there. It was a brilliantly sunny day, with a gentle southeasterly breeze. Proceeded to Garry Beach, then over the Bridge to Nowhere into the 5 mile stretch across the moors. Showed my companions the knacks of reading the ground in terms of bogginess. Had a look at the massive stack of Dun Othail, a mere 90 m (300 ft) high. Crossed the deep valley at Dibidil, where you have to go down from 110 m to nil and right back up again to 118 m. Had lunch outside the shieling hut. At 2.30 we continued proceedings by continuing over increasingly broken ground to a very long valley and finally the ruins of Filiscleitir. The coastal landscape remains impressive round there. The chapel and the houses (all ruinous now) stand 50 m (170 ft) above the sea. Carried on towards the track and the shielings of Cuidhsiadar. Just after that a T-break and a P-break were held. We reached the Sgiogarstadh roadend at 5 pm, about 1 hour behind schedule for a solo hike. The moors were easier to traverse because it was a lot drier than back in February. Led my fellow walkers through Eorodal to Port Nis, where we concluded the trek. Dieter and Conny had previously walked in Patagonia. He flies Airbuses, she did something in commerce. Between them they spoke "Schwitzertutsch", Swiss German, a dialect I find practically impossible to follow. Bus arrived at 6.15, gradually filling up with locals. Returned to SY at 7.10. The Swiss returned to their B&B at Hal'o the Wynd, I went a little further up Newton Street to my digs.

Sunday 24/04/05

Slightly disturbed night followed by a day of sunshine, although it all starts a bit hazy. Dinner once more courtesy of Mrs B. Spent the day in idle sloth.

Mullach an Langa - 23/04/05

 

Sunny day to start with. Went south on the Harris bus at 10.20. Just before the Grimshader turn, 3 dead sheep lay in the verge of the road. Somebody is guilty of mass slaughter. Met Sally at Balallan; she is going down to Seilebost to walk the dog on the beach there. I got off at Vigadale Glen, and it felt stifling. Walked as far as the cairn, then a little way on the southwestern branch. From there, I traversed along the higher reaches of Glen Langadale, until I gained the pass at the head of Glen Scaladale. There is no wind today, and it’s quite warm in the sun. Reach the pass at 12.30, and commence the ascent of Mullach an Langa, a hill of 614 m (2,014 ft). This proves to be a slightly tricky proposition. It’s steep and littered with rocks and bogs. Have to zigzag my way up, but that’s no problem. Problems start on the higher slopes. Mullach an Langa has a rockstrewn crown, and I have to do some scrambling over rocks and boulders. The ascent is done from the northeast; the northfacing slope is precipitous; the western slope plunges down into the valley between Mullach and Teileasbhal. Reach the summit cairn at 1.15. Views are hazy but still good. Loch Langabhat, Rapaire and Stuabhal to the west. Teileasbhal and Uisgneabhal to the southwest. To the south, the beaches at Losgaintir, Seilebost and Northton; Ceapabhal and Pabbay beside the latter. Further on south and east: Mullach fo-Thuath and Dheas, An t-Isean and of course piece de resistance: An Clisham. Toddum is visible through a gap in the hills. The ridge to Clisham is beyond me. I could conceivably gain Mulla fo-Thuath, but I’d have considerable trouble with rocks and a sense of exposure. Climbing Clisham this way is a major expedition, requiring (a) an early start (b) stamina (c) scrambling skills (d) head for heights (e) settled weather. The oppressive feel to the weather is born out by a very weak weatherfront obscuring the sun after 2pm. I teeter my way down that hill again, reaching the valley at 3 o’clock. See a herd of deer below Mo Bhigadale, and I am to encounter all 14 of them a few times on my way east. I keep an altitude of 1,000 feet to enjoy the mountain scenery. A coastguard helicopter circles the Clisham. The frontal clouds touch the summit not long after. This mountain is ‘only’ 799 m high, but deserves the respect of a major Munro. I go sharply downhill just before Mo Creag, in order NOT to fall down this 500 ft escarpment. The lochan of Loch Misteach is the warning marker across the valley. Once at the very bottom of the valley, a path will materialize to sort of take you back to the main road. “Sort of” because the path is boggy and ill-defined. At any rate, I return to the A859 at the Scaladale bridge and walk the 1½ miles to Bogha Glas. It’s not good road walking, because this is the section with the road works on it. No work is being carried out today though. Pass Scaladale Outdoor Centre and Aird a’Mhulain castle. Mo Creag rears up in the west. Return to Bogha Glas, past some Highland cattle, at 4.55. While I wait for the 5.05 bus, a few drops of rain fall out of a grey sky. A woman is on there with her kids. They’ve been on the go since 6.30 a.m., probably out of Glasgow. From Balallan, the South Lochs service takes over. The driver kicks his kids unceremoniously off in the village. The woman nearly falls through the window on the Co-op roundabout in Stornoway, only my knee against her thigh prevents a disaster. Return to town at 5.50.

Friday 22/04/05

 

Not as sunny today as earlier in the week. Mrs B is going out for the day to Leverburgh, her first outing in many moons. The bus will take nearly 2 hours to get there. I am going to the afternoon ceilidh at the Royal British Legion building opposite the busstation. It’s part of the Feis nan Coisir, the regional feis. I turn up way too early, and others don’t turn up until after the formal starting time of 1.30 pm. Performers include some creditable (some less so) singers, instrumentalists, including the girlgroup Istibh is Eistibh (seen at the local Mod last month). One gentleman tried to sing Breisleach, but completely fluffed his lines. He compensated by launching into a favourite local song, which the audience joined in. Not me; no Gaelic. The MC (master of ceremonies) had this story about the olden days, when harvest workers would wear a skirt if suffering from diarrhoea. The MC kindly shared the intimation that he’d been going from both ends last night. Yes, that’s everything we’ve ever wanted to know, Tom, cheers man.

Ness - 21/04/05

Another bright and sunny day, albeit with a cold easterly wind. Go to library, to scan the photos into Yahoo. This goes handsomely quick, but then the library is on broadband. At 1 pm, I jump on the Ness bus and 50 minutes later I commence the tour on Eoropaidh beach. Have rolls with sand and flies in addition to the more conventional jam and cheese. A young couple cavort on the tideline; others actually swim in the sea, but they are in wetsuits. I proceed north across the machair, past Eoropaidh village. A group of people are standing on a hillock. Coastal scenery is quite beautiful. Arrive at the lighthouse just as a coach pulls away. Head towards Port Stodh. Two grown men are trying to coax a beach puddle into draining into the sea by digging a channel. I continue east across the machair and along the cliffs. Lots of fulmars on the rocks, the distant sounds of sheep and lambs. At Eisdean I have a teabreak as I watch a cargo ship sail past the Butt. Then I head inland. Past a foul-smelling field full of cute lambs and their mums. Have to go to the little shop in Lional for batteries. Man in the shop finally digs out a pack of the requisite size and power from the back, thanks. Return to Port Nis and the harbour, then take the Callicvol shortcut towards Eorodale. Admire the huge peatstacks by some of the houses. At Eorodale, a lamb has managed to squeeze itself out of a field and is now bleating furiously; the rest of the flock in the field itself is baaing in response, quite a racket. Farmer tells me not to worry! Continue down the road to Skigersta where I wait for the bus. Thought I could see the big bus coming, but it’s a smaller vehicle that’ll ultimately take me back to town. It waits for the Shawbost bus outside the Galson garage in Barvas, then delivers me into Stornoway at 7.10 pm.

Eishken - 20/04/05

 

Another gorgeous sunny day, but with a force 5 easterly wind today. Feeling a bit chilly in that wind. Start off by handing the camera in for developing and printing the snaps – results disappointing. Mrs B’s son lends me a digital camera to try out, it’s a bit bulky. Results stunning. Am given a lift down to Eishken at 11, and arrive at Ceann Shiphoirt at 11.30. I toddle off south through that waterlogged valley of Gearraidh Sgeirabhat to Loch Airigh Thormoid. There are 4WD tracks, but it’s very tricky walking – it almost feels as if you’re about to sink into the abyss below. Pass across the isthmus between Loch Airigh Thormoid and Clàr Loch and am greeted by the surprising prospect of a walkway, paved with gravel! Not on the map, but then this edition of Explorer 457 is a bit inaccurate. The way terminates about ½ mile away on the slopes of Mor Monadh, and heads east along the valley of Gleann Cheothadail. It’s about 3 feet wide, and makes the walk a lot easier. Pass Loch Fath at some distance, then carry on to Loch na Beirighe and Loch Feoir. On the other side of the valley, Creag na h-Uamha rises up in front of Muaitheabhal. I’m in the middle of the area where they want to build a 133-turbine windfarm, each turbine being 140 m high. That’s about ¼ the height of the highest hill here, Beinn Mhor 520 m. The path passes through a deergate and terminates abruptly on the shore of Loch Eisgean. Have to cross a very rickety bridge to the south bank of the loch. Follows a traverse of the moor to the road, a right old nightmare. And once at the gates of Eishken Lodge, I find that I’m no longer allowed through the grounds of the lodge. The gates are electronically (read: wireless) operated. Spoilsports. There is this track along the shores of Loch Shell. I clamber over the moors, resist the temptation to wee into Eishken Lodge’s reservoir and find that I can circumvent their bl**dy gate that way. Have to turn back though, my bus to Stornoway leaves Balallan at 5.20, and it’s 3 pm. Follows a forced march over 7½ miles, in blazing sun but with a cool wind. Come across horses, then to the familiar shores of Loch Sgiobacleit and Loch Seaforth. Just beyond the head of the latter loch, I catch sight of a sheep lying on its side on the ground. Its feet pedal round weakly – this looks horribly familiar, and yep: it’s eyes have been pecked out. The lamb stands by innocently, and tries to suckle. Then it looks at me wide eyed, as if to say “what’s wrong with my mum?”. I cannot help, so march off again. Tugging a horn elicited no response, the animal is practically dead. Various cars coming the other way. Arrive at the Balallan busshelter at 5.18, and the South Lochs bus is hard on my heels – arrives at 5.20. A young girl on the bus heard me tell the driver that I’d walked 7½ miles in 2 hours 20 minutes, and she proceeded to tell me she wants me to go to bed with her. Yikes. Return to town at 5.55.

Teileasbhal - 19/04/05

Nice start to the day weatherwise, and jump on the Harris bus to Bogha Glas. Thought busdriver knew where I want off, he has dropped off by the Bardon site office before. No, he had to be told. Went up the track to Glen Langadale and branched left at the cairn, to go down to the upstream ford. Bit soggy underfoot going downhill. Have a camera with me, so I’m snapping away. Found the mapcase lying where I left it accidentally on Saturday, none the worse for its 3 nights and days in the open. Tackle that messy ascent towards the pass between Stuabhal and Stulabhal between 12 and 12.45. I take a different route every time, but it remains steep and soggy. Once on the pass, I continue uphill to Creag Stulabhal, a fairly straightforward climb up a grassy incline. Once up there, I follow the edge of the crag at a safe distance – it plummets down 300 m (1,000 ft) over just 100 m. There is one very eerie viewpoint down to Loch Stuladail. The view continues to expand upon reaching the highest point of the Creag at 513 m (1680 ft). It’s a bright sunny day with a fresh wind, and temperature at a very pleasant 15C (60 F). From the Creag, the shoulder falls away to Sron Ard, southeast of Loch Bhoisimid. Can look all the way to Kinloch Resort, Morsgail and Great Bernera. In a flurry of confidence, I decide to tackle the next summit, Teileasbhal. This is a fair walk of about 1½ miles and 184 m ascent (600 ft). It’s easy going round Coire Sgurra –breac, but boulders and stone slabs start to pop up. The grass is flattened down in places, as if there has been recent snow. The way is easy to find and there is room to divert around the nastier outcrops. Meanwhile, the altitude gained begins to dwarf everything around. I stop my ascent of the mountain some 100 yards short (about 15 m vertically) of the summit, which is at 697 m (2,290 ft). Proceeding further would have meant an uncomfortable sense of exposure. This is an acute awareness of your height, and the precipitous drops nearby. Furthermore, the actual summit is very rocky. It’s 13.45, and I’m in serious mountain terrain now. The drop into the adjacent valley, to the east, is 470 m (1,540 ft); I’m well above Mullach an Langa (614 m = 2,014 ft) across the valley. To the southwest, an even higher summit can be reached by traversing a very exposed looking ridge to Uisgneabhal Mor (729 m = 2,390 ft). This is the southeastern end of a nasty-looking ridge toSron Scourst, which towers 491 m (1,600 ft) above the valley leading north from Miabhaig. Only a few places are higher than me now; Uisgneabhal Mor, Mulla fo-Thuath (720 m = 2,362 ft), Mulla fo-Dheas (743 m = 2437 ft) and Clisham (799 m = 2,620 ft), the highest peak in the Outer Hebrides. These four peaks look forbiddingly precipitous, and I’d be very ill at ease on them. The view is unforgettable, virtually 360°. South: Taransay, Ceapabhal and Sodhaigh Beag + Mor, as well as the hills on North Uist and Benbecula. Loch Resort pops up in several places. In the bright sunshine, the house at Kinloch Resort stands out clearly, as does Morsgail Lodge. Can see Loch Roag and Bearnaraigh Beag; hazy on the northern horizon stands Muirneag near Tolsta, more than 25 miles away, and can discern the vague outline of the Barvas Hills. Can see the ferry leaving Stornoway Harbour at 1.45. Close by, Glen Langadale next to Stuabhal; Loch Langabhat curves northeast towards a very diminutive looking Roineabhal. Across the hills to the east of the loch, Loch Seaforth and Seaforth Island stand out in the sun. The mountains on the mainland march on the eastern horizon, 50 miles and more away. Skye is visible to the southeast. A view to put in your pocket and take home. Just before 2 pm, I start my descent. Have a little bother with some of the slabs, but again, I have room for a diversion or two. Walk round the corrie towards Stulabhal, then down the hill to the pass and down that horrible stretch by Gil Slipir. I dislike that boggy, slippery, stoney and steep bit. OK, return to Langadale River at 3.30. It’s so warm, incredible. Wade across the river, then go a little way up the path barefoot. Not bad, except I sink ankledeep into all the bogs. Wash the feet in a stream, then press myself hard to the road. No lunch today, incidentally, but did treat myself to marsbars and apples. Bus arrives at 5.05 to take me back to Balallan. From there, the South Lochs bus continues to Stornoway. Hear that a new pope has been elected, we now have Pope Benedict XVI. Am well sunburned, and have taken off the waterproof overtrousers. This naturally results in my trousers getting very dirty indeed.

Ceapabhal - 18/04/05

Decided on a trip down to South Harris today. Bus goes at 10 o’clock, and it’s the long haul down to Northton. Weather is iffy, low clouds and occasional drizzle. Cloudlevel is down to 1,000 feet. Drive is uneventful, and I’m dropped off at the far end of Northton at 11.45. Head off across the machair, surrounded by sheep with their lambs, lapwings, oystercatchers, terns and much more wildlife. Proceed to the sheeppens immediately below Ceapabhal. Have to go right through the complex of pens in order to gain the open moorland. From there on, it’s a relatively straightforward if steep ascent of the hill. The route is actually along a stream, which has carved a gully in the hillside. At first, it’s by the water’s edge (stream is a few inches wide), then through the heather. It’s very steep. Found one dead sheep. Once on a grassy shelf at the top, the summit of Ceapabhal is gained by walking up the slopes to the left. The low clouds drift at 1,000 feet, they are called pannus, and are associated with rainfall. Ceapabhal incidentally is 1,210 feet high. During my climb, the pannus retreats from the hill, but when I reach the summit at 1 pm, it begins to gather at the lower top, to the north. Rain starts to fall and the view closes. Just before that, the North Harris hills could be seen right up to and beyond Huisinis. Scarp is clear, as is a very distant Breanais. Taransay is laid out beautifully, 5 miles to the northeast. The beaches on the West Side stand out, right up to Losgaintir. The road from Leverburgh to Finsbay is visible against the moors. Northton Beach lies below; the south coast of Harris with Northton, Leverburgh, Borrisdale to Renish Point. Ensay, Killegray as well as Berneray to the south. To the west Sollay and Pabbay. The Monach Isles are just about visible to the west of North Uist, but St Kilda is shrouded in the mist. Skye can be made out to the southeast, behind Renish Point. After the rain commences, I descend. Oh, don’t be fooled by that nice, clear path to the trig point on Ceapabhal proper. The trig point sits in the middle of a bog, yes, on the very highest point of the hill. The path leaves you stranded on the west side of the peninsula, uncomfortably high on the top of a cliff. I am a wee bit worried about the time I’ve got until the bus goes (at 2.45), so I hare down the hillside. Have to veer left around the hill to avoid the escarpments on the west side. Nice view down to the shoreline, but I’m never too happy looking down a 1,000 ft drop. Circle to the sheeppens and head for the roadend. The route goes through dunes, past sheep with lambs. Pass a gent pushing a barrow with a length of fencing wire on it. Meet the Leverburgh bound bus in Northton village, but let it go past. Ceapabhal by now crowned with cloud. Bus returns at 2.45, to take me to Tarbert. Lorry blocks the road through that village, but we can squeeze past if he tucks in his mirrors. After a visit to the library, I return to the bus which has meanwhile filled up with tourists that have come off the Skye ferry. Return to Stornoway at 5.10. The weather is set to remain dreich, as already indicated by that Norton resident.

Sunday 17/04/05

 

Started the day by watching the London Marathon. Weather down there is bright and sunny, in contrast to the miserably wet conditions here. One of the athletes in the women’s race had a call of nature, which she couldn’t ignore: she knelt down to pee in full view of the spectators, 6 million TV viewers in the UK and a handful more all over the world. When you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go. Found I left my mapcase somewhere on the hills, so had a spot of bother writing up the notes for Saturday.

Stuabhal retry - 16/04/05

Going to tackle Stuabhal again today, but this time from the south. There is a saddle between Stuabhal and StuLabhal (sic). Had some fun on the bus south, where a man's onions rolled all over the bus. Even the driver got one by the time we reached Balallan, where he changed for South Lochs. Swans bobbed on a lochan near Keose. Alighted at Bowglass at 10.55 and reached the fork in the path by the cairn at 11.30. Here one can branch south, to reach the Langadale River 1 mile south of the crossing point I've been using up to now. Found a disposable camera in the mud on the road. It was no longer working, but I'll take it back to have the pictures developed. You never know who might be missing his piccies. Crossed the river, which was an easier crossing than downstream. It is as deep and as cold though. The bottom is sandy or pebbly. Headed uphill, after going upstream for a few hundred yards. Path was difficult to find, and it disappeared fairly shortly afterwards. Had to struggle my own way to the pass, at 354m, by 12.45. Noticed people on the summit of Mullach an Langa. Nice view west, down to Loch Stuladail, and south to the pass between Theileasbhal and Mullach an Langa. Stuladal is a lower peak, 513 m, south of Stuabhal. I went on to climb towards the summit of Stuabhal, but the increasing sense of exposure, fly on the wall feeling, got the better of me. I really wasn't happy crawling up a 45° incline, knowing what lay below. So, I went back. Down to the valley bottom along Gil Slipir, the little stream that tumbles down into Glen Langadale. Lazed by the river crossing for half an hour or so, admiring the scenery. Then took it easy going across to the main road, the bus doesn't go until 5.05. This was full of feisty youngsters from Tarbert or Scalpay, heading for a do in SY. Had to change buses at Balallan, and the little South Lochs bus was fully packed. Returned to town at 5.50.

Around Stuabhal - 15/04/05

Had this idea to walk from Bowglass to either Morsgail or up Stuabhal. Went on the 10 a.m. bus, and jumped off at the usual spot. Noticed yesterday that the first few yards of the Bhoisimid track had been dug up for the road widening scheme that's in progress there. So, I had to divert through the Bardon Aggregates site office. Progressed well up the path, and crossed the Langadale River at 11.45. The fording was less problematic than earlier in the week, as the water levels had gone down. After a wee break, proceeded uphill at a reasonable rate, and diverted off the main track after the summit. Struck a course northwest along the southern flank of Rapaire, but found myself making a pitiful amount of progress. After 20 minutes I hadn't come anywhere near Loch a'Chleistir, so cut across country to the main path. Had a bit of lunch, then at 1.40 I decided to chance my luck up the hill to Stuabhal. The slopes turned steeper, steeper and ever steeper. Found myself aiming for a certain buttress, but grew increasingly uneasy about the rate of incline. The weather began to threaten showers with low cloudlevels, and my bus back goes at 4.20. Stopped to admire the view to Loch Resort and Loch Langabhat. Mulla fo Thuath was visible. The return to the path was a bit difficult at first due to the steepness of the terrain. Once back on the track down, I encountered soft hail, as opposed to the hard, painful hail of earlier in the week. Temp +5, but +9 outside showers. Wind northeast, force 4-5. Returned across the Langadale River, timing my break to allow a timely return to the main road to catch the bus. At the top of the pass, the man with the hammer struck, so had to rest for a bit - oh dear. Bus was 10 minutes late at any rate, and delivered me in town at 5.10. Spoke to the Swedish couple after their return from dinner, about their and our hurricane in January, as well as the impact of the Boxing Day tsunami on Swedes on holiday in Kao Lak, Thailand.

Luskentyre - 14/04/05

Bit of a wet morning to start the day, as I set out to Luskentyre at 10 o’clock. Had initially planned to climb Mullach an Langa, but this is out of the question with the cloudlevel at 1,000 feet. Mullach is 2,000 feet high! Frequent showers accompany me to Tarbert. Also on the bus was a lady I met on the machair off the Butt of Lewis. On arrival at Tarbert, I have about 25 minutes till the bus continues on its way south, so I pop into Firstfruits for a coffee and apple pie + custard. When I returned to the bus, a gentleman came on board who was very much the worse for wear. Smelling of drink, professing to feeling rough and admitting to having been ‘pissed’ last night, he was a sight. I politely but firmly declined an offer of a ‘dram’; not this time of the morning, no thank you. He says he is going to Uist, but god knows where he’ll end up. Probably in a ditch half way between Berneray and Lochmaddy. Get dropped off at the Luskentyre roadend at 1147, and promptly set off for Luskentyre village. First house is a so-called ‘pod’, a self contained unit, which originates on Taransay. These environmentally-friendly pods (including compost loos) were the living quarters for the 36 participants in the Castaway 2000 project in the year 2000. They were supposed to make a community, well **** to that. Locals never stopped laughing. Anyway, go all the way up the road to the beach, arriving there at 12.40. Greeted by two old dogs, one with a blind eye and the other too decrepit to walk very far. Have lunch in the dunes above the beach, and look out over West Loch Tarbert to the mountains in the north, stretching from Sron Scourst in the east to Amhuinnsuidhe in the west. To the west lies Taransay. Nice beaches over there. Have to leave the beach at Luskentyre at 1pm. It’s quite beautiful and quiet, and would have liked to have explored the dunes. However, the last bus of the day goes at 2 pm, so I have to hoof it back to the busshelter. The sun shone brightly all the way back to town, wish it had been like that all day. Returned to Newton at 4.45. Was disappointed to read about the ‘private road’ sign at Morsgail. I was welcome to walk wherever I wanted on March 9th. Two Swedish guests have arrived in the B&B tonight.

Pentland Road II - 13/04/05

Went out for a reprise of Monday’s ill-fated trip to the Barvas Hills. This time round I started at 11 a.m.. Weather is still not looking promising; there is this bank of grey cloud moving up from the west. At 12.15, I commence my battle through the moors, and manage to reach the point where I had lunch on Monday afternoon. I press on past the hillock over the should of Beinn Thulabaigh. I am confronted by Loch nan Caorann, which I circle to its eastern point. From there, I head northwest. Initially over the shoulder of Meannan, then on to Beinn Mholach. It’s rough going, but up to the top of the latter hill, which I reach at 1.10; it’s not too horrendous. The view from the summit includes Muirneag, the villages of Back strung out along the coast of Broad Bay, and Point. To the west, Stacaiseal looms up behind a clutter of lochans; Beinn Bragar stands in the distant northwest. And over the hills of Uig, curtains of rain march inexorably east. By 2 o’clock, they reach me. I descend towards Beinn Chaileim around Airigh Lite. I keep to altitude, but end up in a horrifying maze of broken peat. Walls up to 4 feet high, with bogs at the bottom. I have a lot of trouble with it, and when the rain starts I cannot be bothered to toil further. I turn back, going due south from Beinn Mholach, passing Loch Beag na Caorann across its eastern outflow. I reach the road a bit further west, in pouring rain. Returned to SY at 4.45, after a dreary 75 minutes. The sun shines again in the evening.

Maps

Anyone who gets confused with all the Gaelic names in entries and doesn't know where to find them on a map: consult http://www.ordnancesurvey.gov.uk/oswebsite

Select Get-a-map and put in as search reference (e.g.): NB140140. This will bring up a large scale (i.e. very detailed) map of the area I walked in on April 12th. Zooming out will bring up maps of a larger area, but with fewer details. Putting in any of the placenames quoted in the entry will not yield a result. Play around with this website, it should give a rough idea where I have been.

Good luck

Rapaire - 12/04/05

Today being Tuesday, I have about 6 hours' walking time at Bowglass - Bogha Ghlas, which means Grey Cow. It's actually a narrow strip of land between Loch Seaforth and the main A859 road from Stornoway to Tarbert. At the moment, there are major roadworks right through that area. The single-track (that is: one car's width) road is being doubled in width. I jump off at the Glen Vigadale bridge. The weather this morning is not very nice, but doable. Heavy showers of rain, hail and sleet sweep across the island, spurred on by a strong to galeforce southwesterly wind. The first shower hits me about half an hour into the walk, and it lashes me with hailstones of about 6 mm in diameter. THEY HURT! Although I don't need the map, I use it to shield my face from the hail. One shower leaves a thin covering of snow on Mullach an Langa and Theileasbhal, above 1,900 ft. The showers are very localised, outside their spread the sun shines brightly. Finally arrive on the banks of the Langadale River at 11.45, and have a job finding a decent crossing place. Following the rainfall of the last few days, the waterlevel in the river has gone up by 20 to 30 cms (8-12 inches). Get boots and socks off and venture across. The stones are slippery, and at one stage I get in over my knees. The water is not cold when you're in, but it does hit when you come out again. Aaaaagh! Dry off in the sun, wonder why my toe bleeds and gon on my way. I am worried about the return trip though. I proceed up a very soggy path under the frowning crags of Stuabhal. At 12.40, forty minutes after crossing the Langadale River, I reach the Braigh Iaclachain, the pass under Stuabhal, at 328 m. Here I branch off to the north, to climb to the summit of the adjacent hill Rapaire. It's wet and boggy, and the showers keep coming. Far worse is the wind, it's a full gale howling along the southern slopes of the hill. It forces me to divert southeast, but I have to go up the southeastern spur of Rapaire at any rate. 25 minutes of bogslogging and relentless climbing bring me to the broad summit, at 453 m (1,500 ft). It's a breathtaking view. However, it's 3 degrees colder up there than in the valley, where the temperature was +9C. The gale has strengthened to force 9, which makes it very, very cold. I snuggle down to the lee of the summit cairn and have lunch. Stuabhal looms up to the south, still another 126 m higher than my current position. The coastal hills march on to the southwest, where I can see a corner of Scarp, just above the mouth of Loch Resort. Of the latter loch, I can only see a corner of its headwaters, 3 miles away. The lochs to its north are more clearly visible, from west to east: Bodabhat, Beinisbhal, Leatha. They are crowned by the distant Uig hills. Going further east, a smattering of lochans up to Scalabhal. I don't believe my eyes when the sun comes out and lights up Morsgail Lodge beside its loch. Glancing beyond, I can see Little Loch Roag, Great Bernera and the sea spray flying off the skerries to the north. The view to the far distance is impeded on account of the frequent showers that pass along the western seaboard. I can discern the villages of Calanais and Breascleit. The Barvas Hills are distant. Although I cannot see Eitsal, I do have a strong signal on the mobile. Looking northeast, Loch Langabhat stretches all the way to Roineabhal, looking very diminutive, in spite of its 281 m height. The array of hills up the eastern shores of Loch Langabhat all the way down to Cleit Faobh and Creag na Clibhe directly across. I'm 410 metres above Loch Langabhat. Far beyond I can see the sea, but conditions do not permit me to pinpoint where exactly. I can see Toddum to the southwest, Clisham, Mullach an Langa, Mulla Fo Thuath and Mulla Fo Dheas. They are both about 720 m high, i.e. 2,400 ft. Those 4 peaks look very daunting to climb. Rapaire stretches for about 1 km northeast to crags at Eun Toman, which tower 1,000 feet above Loch Langabhat. It's an easy amble, if slightly longer than the view suggests. Views there are just as breathtaking, and my day is made when a mountain hare lollops away over the hillside. It's still in winterfurs, but is moulting into summer brown. I do not approach the crags themselves, that's too high for me. The severe gale force winds are capable of blowing me off. In order to return to civilisation, I have to hug a contour well below summit height of Rapaire, also to avoid the worst of the winds. The fun starts again when I have to descend to the path. The wind unbalances me, it's rocky and boggy. Nonetheless, I reach the little lochan by the pass at 2.20, and make my way down to the river in 40 minutes. Water in the river is still high, but at least the airtemperature down here is +10C. Enjoy the sunshine till 3.45, after a little hailshower which passed just after I'd made my way across the river. Hail on bare flesh hurts... Walked to the main road in just over 1 hour, including the odd break or two. The HTminibus came along at 5.05, and dumped me outside the Balallan busshelter in the middle of a downpour. Driver could have waited a minute or two, he was early. Nice. South Lochs bus took me up to town at 5.45. Had a nice evening with Mrs B's son + grandchildren.

Pentland Road - 11/04/05

Day dawns breezy but bright. Set off at midday, heading for the Barvas Hills. Forecast isn't good, but I'll see how it goes. Start off by going up through the Castle Grounds to Marybank. From there, it's a straight-on walk along the A858 to the Pentland Road. The only problem is the very strong wind, force 7 to 8 from the southwest, which makes for a 4 mile struggle, right up to the junction for Achamor. Arrive there at 1.20, and after a few hundred yards on the actual Pentland Road, I head off north, straight through the moors. There is a grey mass of cloud in the southwest, which is steadily gathering itself. At 2.10, it duly starts to rain. By that time I've flopped down on a low hillock, back to the wind to have lunch. It's raining and blowing hard when I decide to abandon today's aim of the Barvas Hills in view of the conditions. My return to the road sees me wallowing through a marsh, finally ending up on hands and knees, with two very wet feet. Ha ha bloody ha. Sop back to town, past that dead sheep by a cattlegrid. Return to Newton at 4.10. The wind playfully blows over signs outside the supermarket. Meet up with some of Mrs B's relatives. She goes out later that evening to a Labour Party meeting, with local MP (officially: Parliamentary Candidate for the Labour Party) Calum MacDonald.

Sunday 10/04/05

As per normal now, I didn't do much on Sunday. The weather isn't all that fantastic, rain and wind. The sun did come out a few times. Mrs B once more made me supper, and who am I to decline an offer of steak + veg, accompanied by some cider.

Tolsta Head - 09/04/05

Today there is a royal wedding. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are tying the knot in Windsor. Not universally supported, this happy union, as the couple involved have been courting for 34 year, right through Charles' marriage to Diana. I go out at 11, do some typing in the library and head for Tolsta on the 12.15 bus. Weather is not great, it rains. And it rains right through my picnic off Traigh Mhor. The inlet is flooded. Walk down the beach, then up to the moors via a small river. The fun starts on the top, where I have to cross a number of very boggy dykes. The cape rises about 75 m (250 ft) above the sea. Visibility is rather poor, can just about make out Point and Cellar Head. Once back towards the village, I run into barbed-wire fencing. Trying to circumvent those by going down to Traigh Ghioradail is no option, as I'd have to jump down 10 metres to get on that beach. Find a gate and sop back into Tolsta proper. Still loads of time before the bus goes back at 4, so go back down to Traigh Mhor via the cemetery. It's an absolute mess outside the perimeter fence, rubbish flying around, cards from graves and a broken headstone. The busshelter shakes in the force 6 to 7 wind, and the bus is a minute or two late, but finally brings me back into town at 4.40. The royal wedding went off without a hitch, but the bride was nearly sick with nerves. Probably due to the negative publicity and the icy treatment from HM.

Langadale revisited - 08/04/05

Well, winter has returned. Woke up to a white, snow-covered scene. The north or northwesterly wind is still here, and there are frequent snow showers. Visibility goes right down during those; when the sun is out, it melts the snow, it is April after all. Ferry announcement eagerly awaited by 3 of the guests. Why the newsreaders on Isles FM cannot get through a news bulletin without fluffing it beats me. I shouldn't slam them too hard though, they did do a good job during last January's hurricane. The ferry will sail at 1.45. I jump on the bus at 12.30 to experience the return of winter at Vigadale. The wind is still cold, but not as bad as yesterday, strangely enough. The sun comes out every now and again, perfectly timed incidentally with my lunch at 1.15. After that, things go downhill, whilst I go uphill. On creasting Bealach na h-Uamha, the northerwesterly wind hits me full on. Briefly divert on the path heading southwest, but return to the main trail after a minute or two. The snow up here is denser than down in the glen, where it had virtually disappeared. Stuabhal and the mountains to the south stand out in snow-dappled splendour. Provided I can see them of course, the snow showers limit visibility to 1 mile. Temperature sinks to +3C, and the iwnd picks up. Can nonetheless not get enough of the view in Langadale. I go as far as the river crossing, and quietly survey my surroundings. The snowshower presently disappears over An Clisham. Mullach an Langa, Teileasbhal, Stulabhal and Stuabhal tower over Langadale. Loch Langabhat stretches away to the north. The track over the shoulder of Stuabhal stands out. At 3.15 I do have to start going back, it takes me 60 minutes to reach the main road from here. After crossing the bealach, the sun comes out. It feels quite benign, but it is not. Temperature of +5 is still no great shakes. Pass two dead sheep. Another stands defaecating, popping out its rectum in the process. The 4.25 bus arrives at 4.33. Sally joins me at Balallan, and we compare notes on the way into town. The application for the windfarm on Barvas Moor comes under fire from an increasing list of organisations. Greenpeace as well as the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency SEPA. Good.