Saturday 12/02/05

On a cold and cloudy morning, I went on the 9.45 bus to Lochs. Nobody is about in town. Recognized Dave the busdriver, who had all his kids in the bus. Arguing all the way to Balallan, they were. On arrival in Kershader, I walked around the moors for a bit, then to the shop at 11. They had no more messages for me, I was told coldly. Back to Stornoway at 11.09, to return there at 12.30. Went off for a walk through Newton, even found a shortcut to Sandwick. Found a gun emplacement behind the powerstation, but the street was a dead end. At the end of a residential street, a footpath led along the shoreline, through a 20 cm layer of shingle. The January gales probably dumped that there, although the pebbles had been swept off the path. The wind is strong and cold. The path led under the walls of the cemetery, then a dogleg to South Street in Lower Sandwick. At the end of the road, a gate gave access to scrubland with gorse, but it was a job to keep the feet dry; a bog was right underneath the gate. Taking a bearing on a radio relay mast brought me back on the road. But not after I had seen fit to wallow through a slurry dump. Fortunately, a bath had been abandoned by the roadside, and as it was full, I could at least bathe my boots. A little way up the hill, a memorial stone announced that the site of the "Iolaire" disaster was near. The force 7 winds buffeted me mercilessly along the gravel path. A short section was flooded, only fordable through the adjacent patch of grass. On New Year's Day 1919, HMY Iolaire went down on the rocks only yards from the shore. She was carrying Lewis servicemen, returning from WW 1. 187 drowned. It happened within sight of the town. It deeply affected all on the island, to this day, and it's not discussed in public.Coastline is quite pretty, offering views right down to Kebock Head and east to Knock in Point. After lunch, taken out of the wind, I made for the nearby farm. Then back along the road to Sandwick and by footpath to Newton.