Wednesday 24/08/05

The storm rages on through the night. By morning, the rain gives way to showers. The wind is a steady force 7 to 8, with frequent squalls to force 9 - 10. Spume flies off the crests of the waves, indicating force 10. Just after breakfast, we notice a boat in the basin being blown along by the wind in the direction of the Coastguard station. It should have been at anchor, but this is probably dragging. The owners manage to board it just as the boat reaches the causeway. I know that the boat has faults in its steering and engine, and those make it impossible to be sailed out of harms way. The vessel ends up against the Newton Street seawall, by which time the Coastguard has turned up. Half the town drives past to join in the drama and yours truly sits on the seawall to watch proceedings. Another boat tows the stricken vessel out of the basin and into the Inner Harbour. All the while the Lifeboat was on standby, as people's lives were in danger. By 10.45, everybody is in safety. Notice that the cruiseliner Arkonia has not left since arriving yesterday, probably as a result of the inclement conditions. Waves break over the seawall near the ferry terminal. Short sharp showers come along, but do not amount to very much. Hop on the Ness bus at 1 pm to watch the storm at the Butt of Lewis. Fair few people getting off at villages along the way. Arrive in Eoropaidh at 1.55, just as a shower is working itself up out in the Atlantic. I just manage to reach the beach at Port Stoth before it lets rip. Sit on a stone at the foot of a cliff, facing east, out of the wind. The tide is coming in, and by the time I've finished my rolls I have to lift my feet to avoid them getting wet. Continue to the lighthouse, where phenomenal waves crash into the offshore skerries, throwing up plumes of spray up to 50 m / 170 ft in height. The wind is strongest, force 9, immediately outside the lighthouse perimeter wall. I head off west, straight into the wind along the coast, then over a still and south to Eoropaidh. There are lazybed ridges about, which make things a little bit more difficult, particularly with the strong winds buffeting me from the side. Visibility is poor due to flying foam. Speaking of which, about a foot of the stuff is piled on to the beach. It's filthy, heavily contaminated with sand. The walk through the dunes is turned into a sandblasting purgatory, and the walk on the beach is unsafe because of quicksand. Drinking tea is made difficult, because the wind blows the tea out of my cup and into my face. The sand blowing onto the dunes has built very unstable dunes. Return to Eoropaidh village across a green but virtually flowerless machair. This is in contrast to my visit on July 27th, when there was a sea of flowers here. Bus arrives on time at 3.35, full of smelly primary school kids who are being delivered to their homes around the district. At 3.50, we pick up the S1 and S2 pupils from Lionel School. This is a lively lot, talking about you-know-what and whacking each other with NHS Western Isles waterbottles. Return to SY at 4.40. We have two German couples in; one set was already in last night, having been blown off a beach at Tolsta. They are going to Harris in the morning. The others arrive on a severely delayed ferry at 9 o'clock. This should have come in at 6.30. The gentleman looks a bit green around the gills and retires to bed straightaway. His girlfriend moans about the lack of choice in teabags. For goodness' sakes, she'd better be happy to have a bed for the night. I natter to the others in their native tongue. News comes in of a French trawler which lost power 60 miles / 100 km northwest of the Butt of Lewis. This happened when a 100 ft / 30 m high wave smashed the wheel house windows and flooded the electronics. Eleven of the 18 crew were airlifted off by the coastguard, the others remain on board to assist in the tow to Ullapool.

Tuesday 23/08/05

In the afternoon, I go for a walk to the Iolaire Monument. On the way I take notes and 'directive' pictures, in order that anyone else doing the walk knows what to expect. This is only a short, 7 km / 4½ miles, walk and acts as a trial-run. Go behind the Coastguard Station to Battery Point, then across to Lower Sandwick. There, I speak to a man who has just returned to Lewis after an absence of 4 years in New Zealand. I later learn that this was actually one of the island's GPs. Continue past Stoneyfields Farm to the monument, then retrace my steps. In the evening, the weather deteriorates, the barometer plummets and the wind picks up. We're promised force 9 to 11. Waves crash over the Goat Island causeway at 11 pm.

Monday 22/08/05

In contrast to yesterday, Monday dawns sunny with some cloud. The cruiseliner Astoria lies anchored in the Glumag, off Arnish and tenders ferry passengers ashore for tours of town and island. A fleet of coaches is waiting on pier no 3 to take everybody round. This boat carries a whiff of notoriety. Two years ago, she was inspected for hygiene during a visit to Greenwich, near London. The galleys for passengers and crew were found to be infested with cockroaches. Although the captain pledged to quarantine his ship, he hightailed it down the river the next morning at 3 o'clock and turned up in Bremerhaven, Germany, later that day. Go into town at lunchtime for a haircut, a new pair of trousers and to scan a load of piccies in the computer. I've got to buy another pen, catching up with the old journal. As evening falls, the wind picks up strongly and heavy rain starts. That gale is not expected until Wednesday.

Sunday 21/08/05

Weather today is pretty awful, intermittent heavy rain and strong winds. Jimmy and Isabel head off for a drive round the West Side at 11.30. Everything will be closed today, but they can at least look at the outside of things. We're having a springtide today (full moon 3 days ago), and the difference between low- and high-tide level is 5 metres (16'8"). The old beacon at Arnish Lighthouse is completely submerged at the morning's high tide. Normally, the top of it remains above water. At low tide, during the afternoon, it is linked to the mainland at the lighthouse, which is not normally the case. Cloudcover sinks to about 200 feet, measured by the fact that the top of Gallows Hill is wreathed in mist in the evening.

Saturday 20/08/05

The group of 4 depart on the lunchtime ferry. I head into town to buy a paper, a book with 200 Sudoku puzzles (should keep me happy for a while) and have a look at new trousers. Nothing exciting at Underground. They have a sale on for jeans, but I don't wear jeans. It's pretty busy in town. A charity bike race is being held today. Two groups of 6 and 20 cyclists came whizzing round the corner from Island Road into Newton Street at 2.20. They would carry on to Lower Sandwick, Plasterfield, Laxdale, Marybank, Pentland Road, Achamor, Liurbost and back to the Castle Grounds and Bayhead. Spend some time on the library computer and writing up events that happened 11 months ago, if only to have a complete written record of the last 12 months. In the evening, mrs B receives an Aberdeenshire couple, who are here to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. The man can only be described as a red-hot socialist, and I can only dig out a recording of the Internationale or Red Flag.

Friday 19/08/05

Nice bright morning, following overnight rain. My ideas about a walk go in the bin just before midday, when the cloud moves in from the west and the rain starts. A steady downpour ensues until 3 o'clock. The clouds break and the sun reappears. A very nice evening follows. It remains relatively mild. A group of four older folk take over from the Germans. They have come to celebrate a 44th wedding anniversary.

Thursday 18/08/05

It's newspapers day today, so I gather in the lot: Gazette, Free Press, P&J. Sudoku puzzles are beginning to pop up everywhere. Sunny but cool today. Hand in a film for processing, which I collect at 5pm. Join mrs B in talking to her son, whose own 15-year old boy is totally away with the fairies with his first love. Awwww. The only thing they want is to be together. Do go out for a walk after nightfall. At 11.25, the full moon hangs low in the southeast. As I stand at the Coastguard Station, a string of fishing boats come put-putting past. To the north, a very dim glow indicates where the sun went down 2 hours before. Nine months to wait until the midnight light returns. :-\

Wednesday 17/08/05

It's blowing a gale today and pouring with rain. I advise our German guests on a route to take, which will be the West Side circular. Callanish - Carloway Broch - Garenin Black House Village - Shawbost Mill & Kiln - Bragar Whalebone Arch. Don't do an awful lot myself. Discover a website that promotes walks in the UK. You can submit walking routes yourself, and receive commission for the walk, as well as payments for each time a prospective walker downloads your work. By 6pm, wind and rain relent and later on, the sun calls in for a smile before setting at 9.05 pm.

Tuesday 16/08/05

Another drizzly day with poor visibility during rainfall. And again, it improves as the day goes on. We're expecting 4 German tourists, who will be staying for 3 nights. In the evening, another German comes in for a social visit. He stayed with mrs B last year. Stefan brings his bagpipes and regales us to an earshattering and not quite noteperfect performances. He retires to his digs, with mrs B's brother-in-law, up the road at 10.30.

Monday 15/08/05

Today starts cloudy and rainy. News comes through of a French tourist who has gone missing from the hostel at Gearrannan Youth Hostel. The coastguard is searching the coastline between Dalbeag and Linsiadar after 9 o'clock. Later that day, I learn that the man was found dead at the bottom of 30 m / 100 ft high cliffs near Gearrannan. He must have slipped in wet conditions. Today, the Arnish Yard starts production of the 3 wave power generators for Portugal. Not for the Western Isles - why not? The usual weekend mischief includes a car damaged in Francis Street, a mountain bike stolen from Cearns and a girl assaulted in the town centre. Would never merit a mention on local radio elsewhere in the UK. The weather improves as the morning progresses, with the sun coming out at times. I go to the shops and library at 2 pm. It's only then that I notice the large cruiseliner Bremen tied up alongside the ferry pier. In town, I find the usual cruise passengers wandering about: elderly, clad in red anoraks and looking lost in Cromwell Street. Spend quite some time writing in the library, pop a present in the post, then head back.

Sunday 14/08/05

Although it's fairly sunny today, I keep inside all day. Nattering to mrs B, monitoring the news regarding the crash of an airliner north of Athens.

Saturday 13/08/05

Today starts wet and grey, but around midday the rain moves away east, the sun comes out and it all cheers up a bit. Watch the basin where a cormorant is doing battle with a flat fish, taking a long time to swallow it. Even after it has gone down, the fish keeps popping back in the bird's croup. Otherwise an increasingly sunny day.

Friday 12/08/05

Right, that was a complete off-day. Felt feverish and kept to my bed all day. A couple of herrings in vinegar revived me at 5 pm. Weather grey and getting dark rather earlier than the official advertised sunset time of 9.15 pm. The open fire is very pleasant in the evening.

Thursday 11/08/05

Close and muggy day today, overcast but fairly mild. The elderly guests depart on the lunchtime ferry. The Stornoway Gazette makes a complete dog's dinner of the report on the poor soul who fell off An Sgurr on Eigg last Sunday. Apparently, the coastguard helicopter that airlifted Robin Cook off a mountain in Sutherland subsequently had to fly down to Eigg. There is no such place as An Sgurr Bheag on the island, and neither is there such a thing as 'Eigg Police'. Dear oh dear. If it weren't so serious, it would be farcical. Isles FM are auctioning off a four-day trip round Taransay, Scarp, St Kilda and the Monach Isles. Normally, this would cost £400, but bidding has now started at around £80.

Wednesday 10/08/05

The elderly guest continues his stories over breakfast, telling us that he served in Belgium and Holland in 1944/45, with the Royal Artillery. He came within a hair's width of marrying a Belgian lass. He gave me name and address, which I will not quote here. The lady might still be alive today. The gent is quite happy with his current wife. WAP access is restored to my phone later in the day. It's fairly mild with sunny intervals.

Tuesday 09/08/05

Find that I do not have WAP (Internet) access on my mobile. Virgin Mobile is obviously not interested in my custom. Watch the Space Shuttle land safely in California at 12.12 GMT. It's a warm, muggy day outside, in complete contrast to the forecast, which had predicted rain. In the morning, one of Mrs B's relatives calls in for a cuppa and a yarn. As soon as I've updated the journal for last year, I'll adjust the page counter in my handwritten journal. It stands at 417 at the moment, but it'll probably be 220 pages more once I've finished the entries up to October 7th. A two-master windjammer leaves SY at 12.30. We have an elderly couple staying. The husband is originally from Point, and has many a story from his younger days. His family had to relocate from Port Mholair to Marybank after TB killed one of his siblings in the 1930s.

Monday 08/08/05

Spend the morning chatting to mrs B about the subject described in the entry for 07/08/05. The afternoon finds me in the library, writing up last year's journals for my trip round Orkney. Did I say that the Press and Journal printed my letter last Saturday? The Scottish Executive apparently does not know how many people don't hand in their prescriptions for filling. The reason appears to be the prohibitively high prescription charge of £6.50 per item. In my letter, I told the Executive how to find out how many prescriptions are not handed in for dispensing.

Sunday 07/08/05

A late start today. Hear that a 76-year old walker has fallen from the summit of An Sgurr in Eigg, and went down 300 feet. He did not survive the fall. Keep it nice and lazy again today. At 4 pm, I go for an amble round the backstreets, which are at best rundown and unsightly. Many of the buildings on Inaclete Rd, Bells Rd and Rigs Road used to be part of the Harris Tweed industry, partially owned and operated by mrs B's late husband, who died in 1993. Local shenanigans meant that several conglomerates squeezed each other out of business, rather than helping each other to keep the industry afloat. The result was a slump in the industry, and only two or three mills now remain. After one conglomerate went down, the competition bought all their premises and left them empty, in order to prevent anyone else from setting up in business. Read The Islanders and the Orb, by Janet Hunter. Suffice to say that it was an old-fashioned and highly successful exercise in shooting yourself in the foot, together with some very short-sighted business dealings. The mills would take in raw wool, card it, dye, spin and turn it into yarn for use on weaving looms. This yarn would be taken to the crofters for weaving. At a requisite time, the company lorry would go round and collect the end product. Obviously crofters being what they are, they also have other things to attned to, such as sheep and cattle. On the whole, an ideal industry for the Hebrides. Quality is governed by the Orb scheme, and allegations that its products were sub-standard led to the recent closure of a mill in Carloway. Now, the backstreets of Newton echo to the sound of silence, and there are only very few weavers left in Lewis. The sound of the loom has died off. On return from my walk, mrs B gives me an ice cream. A ray of sunlight reflects off the plaque on Bonny Prince Charlie's monument across in Arnish.

Saturday 06/08/05

My birthday today - another year older. Receive some presents from mrs B and flowers from family. The latter consists of a sunflower, lilies, chrysanthemums, carnations. Go to see the Lewis Carnival at 2 o'clock. In Willowglen Road, several lorries are lined up. One has a group of Irish folklore figures, dancing to lively Irish music. Another lambasts the arrival of opiumbaron Matheson in the 1840s. Carloway Youth Club has an empty lorry, with just a sound system. Multistorey carparking is advocated by stacking cars on top of each other, and suggesting that carparking augments the price of a house by £100,000. A Galson Motors half-open topped bus carries Miss Lewis and Harris. The procession is billed to set off at 2 pm, but is 15 minutes late. The pipeband leads the way, then comes the procession. The rear is brought up by another pipeband. It goes down Macaulay Road to Bayhead and Cromwell Street. Children and adults run alongside, waving collection boxes in spectators' faces. At the bottom of Kenneth Street, everything comes to a temporary halt. Oh forgot about the fantastic dragon, carried by a number of youngsters. The pipeband was handed drinks during their break. I have never seen the town centre packed the way it was this afternoon. There were only 5 floats in the procession. Last year, a man died after he fell off a float and was crushed under the wheels of the lorry. Since then, stricter safety measures were imposed, like handrails on all floats. The Carloway float did not have that, so they had to run alongside it.

Friday 05/08/05

Franzesca leaves on the 12.40 ferry for the long journey home, via Inverness, Edinburgh and London. I end up being lazy again. There is another Dutchman in the B&B, Mike from Amsterdam, who plays the recorder and wants to learn the keyboard. An older couple arrive from Tarbert, who intend to attend a marriage in SY that evening. The newspaper carries the story of a man who was taken to court for emptying a bucket of dog poo over the head of a minister of the church in Shetland. The culprit must have been running after all the dogs in Papa Stour to collect that much s**t.

Friday 04/08/05

Another dreich day, with rain on the wind. Join Franzesca for breakfast, after which she heads off on the 10.10 bus to Callanish, Gearrannan an Ness. I am lazy and spend the day in the library, updating journals. The Swiss lady returns at 7.30 pm, in the rain. She is a student from Berne, who has just been on a 10 month exchange program to Stockholm. She's into political history. Franzesca and I share a similar taste in Celtic music, so we spend late evening listening to tracks by Runrig and the Proclaimers

Wednesday 03/08/05

Day of predominantly sunny weather, although with quite a few showers in between as well as a lot of wind. Today sees the Carloway Show over on the Westside, but I've seen enough shows. In the evening, two young ladies arrive who are planning for two and one nights respectively. The first, a young Swiss lady, has spent the last month travelling the UK. She came up from Skye today. She arrived in London on July 7th, the day of the bomb attacks. This resulted in travel chaos, with locals asking the tourists for maps. The other lady was Swedish and arrived on her motorbike, having travelled from Berneray (N. Uist). She had been trawling the town for a room all evening. Malin told the story of the Swedish hurricane in which millions of trees had been destroyed. As wood is a major industry in Sweden, this ruined several people, some of whom subsequently committed suicide. Franzesca, the Swiss lassie, also speaks Swedish, so she can converse with Malin in her own language. A nice hot fire keeps things going until 10.30.

Tuesday 02/08/05

Not done very much today, because I'm still knackered from yesterday's expedition. The weather is awful in the morning, lashing rain and high winds up to galeforce. The clouds break at lunchtime, in time for our Hungarian guests to leave on the ferry in relative sunshine. Went to the library at 4 pm to do some writing on my Orkney experiences last September. There were hoards of people requiring Internet access, and the terminals shut down at 4.45, 15 minutes before the library closes.

Monday 01/08/05 - Bank Holiday

Have reached page 400 in the written diary - yippee!

Isles FM starts the day with the usual rundown of the weekend's crime wave. This time it's broken windows, theft and what not. At 11 a.m., I head out on today's walk to the Barvas Hills. It's cloudy but mild today, around 18C / 64F. I go up Macaulay Road, past the hospital and up to Laxdale. Then up the road past the bunkhouse and campsite, branch off right into Newvalley. The road degenerates into a track until this peters out at a ford. It's a simple step across the water, the track disappears altogether and it's moorland walking from here on. Keep to altitude well above the river. After a little while, you reach the Stag's Crag, Creagan an Fheidh. There, the river forks, but keep on northwest. I cross the river and start heading through the moorland. pass near a small lochan. The insect life is quite extensive here, and a right pain. Have to cross a barbed-wire fence, but in retrospect (when everything is easy), I should have aimed for Loch nam Breac. The fence leads to the loch, and there is a gate right at the shoreline. As things stand, I carry on northwest, and aim for the easternmost of the Barvas Hills, Beinn Bharabhais. Finlay's Shieling lies to my left, which in turn is tucked in to the south of the line of the main hills. After recrossing the barbed-wire fence, I start the ascent of Beinn Bharabhais, which is arduous. Close to the summit, a posse of 5 quad-bikes slowly ride off the hill. Traffic can be seen moving on the A857 Stornoway - Barvas road. At 2.15, just over 3 hours after leaving SY, I reach the summit of Beinn Bharabhais at 280 m / 919 ft. The views span 130 miles. To the northeast lies the indistinct coastline right up to Cape Wrath, with a gap for Sandwood Bay. The mainland mountains march all the way to Kyle of Lochalsh; I can easily discern Dun Ca'an on Raasay, the Storr north of Portree, the Red Cuillins and the saw-toothed ridge of the Black Cuillin. To their left is a double hill which is either Beinn na Caillich outside Broadford, or the hills to the south of Kyleakin. A lone hump to the right of Skye could be the Isle of Rhum, 80 miles south of here. Eilean Mhuire, in the Shiants, is immediately to the left of the Lochs Hills. Veering west, the familiar outline of the Harris and Uig hills runs across the southern horizon, but due west my view is blocked by the next hill, Beinn Mholach. The hump of Beinn Bragar marks the position of the West Side village of Shawbost. The entire sequence right up to Upper Barvas is laid out, about 7 miles to the north of me. A large loch, Loch Sgarabhat Mhor, lies directly below Beinn Bharabhas. Behind it is Loch Sgarabhat Beag. To its left a boggy looking collection of lochs below Roiseal Mor, a double hill of 160 m / 525 ft and 174 m / 571 ft. Beyond lie the large lochs to the south of Bragar and Arnol. It's cloudy but warm, with temperatures tipping 20C / 68F. Descend from the summit of Beinn Bharabhas and head due west to the cairn on Beinn Mholach. This is hill is slightly tricky to ascend from the east, because of extensive bogs. Fortunately for me, the recent (relatively) dry spell has dried out the bogs to the point that you can walk on them without fear of sinking right in. I end up too far to the south and have to walk north along the hill's crest for a little way, until I reach the summit cairn at 292 m / 958 ft. This is the highest of the Barvas Hills. I now have a nearly unimpeded view west. The next two hills, Beinn Bhearnach and Beinn a'Sgridhe, are lower and positioned further south. Can now see Old Hill off Bernera and the low humps of the Flannan Isles on the far western horizon. It's impossible to see St Kilda, because it's obscured by the Uig hills. At 3.15, I proceed to Beinn Bhearnach. The view shifts round a little way as you move west, but remains essentially the same. Some of the villages in Lochs are visible, such as Cromor and Garyvard. The water tower in Crosbost stands out on the hillside there. Stornoway can be seen, including the 3 chimney stacks on the Newton power station. Looking north, a spurr runs off Beinn Bhearnach in the direction of Loch nan Caorann. A dry watercourse curves northwest past Loch an Ois, with Roiseal Mor to the east. During the traverse of this ridge, the souther spur, with two double summits jutting out towards the Pentland Road is clear to see. I leave Beinn Bhearnach just before 4 pm, and head south. I'm leaving Beinn a'Sgridhe, as time is pressing on. Within about 30 minutes, I have covered the distance between Beinn Bhearnach and the low pass between Beinn Chailein and Beinn Lite. I have decided not to make for the valley of Allt Airigh Bhradhad, which leads directly southeast into Laxdale, as this requires miles and miles of bog sloggin. I'm knackered. As I'm having another cup of water, the number of midges is slowly edging up to the 'disconcerting' level. There is no wind, so the beasties are getting geared up for a party out here. I trudge up to the pass and have to navigate my way through some horrendous bogs, of the sort that dissuaded me from proceeding back in April. The entire southeastern and eastern slope of Beinn Chailein is covered in very broken ground. It's better not to stay on the higher levels; aim for the 150 m contour, to the south of the summit. The same rule applies to the next two hills, Beinn Mholach and Meannan. I have another break on the southwestern edge of Airigh Lite - staying out of there, a very boggy area. From there on, I'm in 'familiar' terrain. As I descend beyond the pass, I aim for the western end of Loch nan Caorann, which I have some bother reaching. The Allt nan Beinne Mholaich renders the entire valley boggy and wet. I finally do reach the edge of the loch at 5.05, pretty good to cover 2 miles in an hour in this sort of terrain. I drink 3 cups of water out of the loch, cross the boggy inflow (not marked on the map) and head due south to the right of Cleiteachan Loch a Chocair. The monitoring mast on Beinn Thulabhaig is to my left. The tall Beinn Mholach had a similar monitoring mast on its summit, which had been blown down. I reach the Pentland Road at 5.30. Had this idea to sit down for a bite to eat, but the midges stop me, They're out in their zillions. During the 7 km into Stornoway, I not only have to contend with cars, but also with midges which attack every exposed area of skin. I'm forever slapping myself, with my hands coming away with flattened midges. It's too warm, in the sun which has now come out, to cover up. So I suffer in silence. The sheep hide amongst the tall bulrushes at the roadside. The wind picks up when I approach the town, and the mozzies disappear. On return to Newton at 7.20, I have the two pies which I'd originally bought for lunch. I survived in the moors on Mars Bars and appels. The two Hungarian Glaswegians are still with us, and we're left to enjoy their silent feuding.

Sunday 31/07/05

Not doing an awful lot today, apart from watching little screens. The other guests, our Hungarian Glaswegians, have been to Harris today. They managed to miss Rodel Church - I don't know how that is done. The church sits right along the main road in from Lingarabay. Head out for a little walk at 9 pm with Yvette. We go round to Battery Point and Sandwick Bay. Nattering with mrs B takes the clock round to 12.30. Visibility was very good, could see the Torridon mountains 45 miles away. At Battery Point, you could see Trotternish in Skye, Eilean Mhuire (Shiants) and Kebock Head, east of Gravir in South Lochs. A boat sails along the horizon, and appears to be hovering in the air. This is refraction in the atmosphere.

Saturday 30/07/05

The breakfast table was pretty cramped. It can normally accommodate 4, but after pulling it out we can squeeze 5 in. The Canadians leave for Ullapool at lunchtime, following a walk in the Castle Grounds. The Glaswegians head for Callanish firth thing, then head for the Point Show. There is a flood of shows on at the moment; next Wednesday there will be one at Carloway. Last Saturday, the Lochs Show was on in Balallan. Hear that someone was severely injured at Barvas yesterday. While erecting a flagpole, a man touched an overhead power cable and was electrocuted with 33 kV of electricity. He survived it, but required transfer to a specialist burns unit in a Glasgow hospital.

Friday 29/07/05

Today, we have the West Side show over in Barvas. The day is windy and grey, mid-morning even sees some drops of rain on the wind. The sun makes a valiant effort, but on the way across the moor, there is more drizzle. Alight at the showground, a mile outside the village. On the approach, the lady traffic warden is stopping northbound traffic, as there is a line of cars heading south. A lot of cars are parked along the road. You can't park in the verge - that's way too soft. The show is very busy. From south to north, there is the arena for the heavy events, throwing the weight and the high jump are the only ones I witness. The bar for the high jump gets bent when one of the competitors falls right on top of it. Next are the animal pens, containing cattle and some very handsome sheep. Pure black, and one with 4 horns (yep, four). Sorry, didn't bring my camera. Cheviot, blackface, tups, ewes and lambs. A melodeon competition takes place, with youngsters doing a fair job on it. A tent contains home produce, bakery and knitting products, not for eating but to be judged. There is a tent which sells all sorts of things, including the Isles FM CD "B2B" [Butt to Barra], knitwear, you name it. SNH have a useful stand about moorland flora and fauna. There is a beertent, which I give a miss. The fire-, ambulance and coastguard services all have a vehicle in attendance. The little boys are having a whale of a time sounding the sirens. Apart from a non-alcoholic refreshment stand, there is also a make-belief shieling hut. Lesley Riddoch, famous Scottish journalist, opened the show and is now available for discussion. She attracts a lot of folk. I leave the show after an hour, in time for the 3.15 pm bus. It's actually very cold out there, with a stiff breeze and only 15C. When the sun does come out, it warms up nicely, but it doesn't last. Return to SY at 3.35. On leaving for the show, I recognised the Belgian car, belonging to the couple who left for Skye, only to reappear today. In the B&B we now have a young Canadian couple from Montreal for 2 days, and an older couple who come on the early evening ferry. They live in Glasgow, but originate in Hungary. John and Yvette left that country in 1956, following the abortive uprising against the Soviet occupation. Advise them on sights to see.

Thursday 28/07/05

Didn't do much today, apart from chatting to the Belgians over breakfast. They are due to cross to Skye today for a few days, then come back here to take the ferry to the mainland. Like you do. Lots of moaning about the weather, but I could do that in my mother tongue. Collected another batch of pictures and scanned them in at the library. Weather remains cool and somewhat cloudy, but dry. Better than in Birmingham, where a tornado raged through a housing estate. Several people injured, houses damaged, some irreparably, and cars wrecked. Prefer it here in the Western Isles. Sunset 10 pm, but it's still light at 11.30

Wednesday 27/07/05

Fairly cloudy morning with bright intervals and the odd shower. That reduces visibility dramatically. We have two men staying who work for a Glasgow firm. They have to return earlier than anticipated as one man's wee one is in hospital. I decide on an afternoon's excursion to Ness, as the weather is fairly bright. So, off I go on the 1pm bus. The sun promptly packs it in as we cross the Barvas Moor, and it's raining at Barvas. Fortunately, the rain is very localised, although other lines of showers can be seen moving across the island. One line runs unmovingly from a few miles west of Ness across Barvas to the Barvas hills, another goes down the spine of the island. I alight at Suainebost, just before the shope. From there, a road runs in a dead-straight line to Traigh Chumail. Here I sit in the the sun for a wee while, having a cup of soup, and a tea. At 2.30, I cross the machair to Traigh Shanndaigh. The machair is ablaze with flowers of all colours, including a host of orchids. The rabbits have re-excavated the holes I had plugged back in May, and it's a small miracle that the ground does not collapse under my feet. Walk up the beach and over to the children's playpark. This is well used. On the road a group of German tourists are walking towards Lionel. Finally, I go to the Eoropie crossroads, to wait for the bus. I thought it went at 3.30, but the Galson Motors coach appears 20 minutes later. On return to town at 4.30, I notice a large number of foreign cars, Dutch, German, Norwegian and Belgian. The latter belong to a couple who are staying at Mrs B's.

Tuesday 26/07/05

Weather remains unchanged in the morning, still fairly sunny if cool. Set off on the bust to Cameron Terrace, Liurbost, for a walk back to Stornoway. Fifteen minutes later, at 1155, I'm dropped off and I head into the filling station for some sandwiches. After that, I go up the road, north, for a few hundred yards. It's fairly busy, and the verge is not suitable for walking in. I finally reach a gate, which leads to a peatroad. I follow this to the shore of Loch Sanndabhat. After a quarter mile, I leave the loch and head for higher ground. Have to cross some barbed-wire fences. View very nice, back to the lonely clutter of buildings around Cameron Terrace, the Harris and Uig hills to the south and west, the Lochs hills just about visible. Also Eitsal, Stacaseal, Beinn Bragar, Barvas Hills and over to Point and Stornoway. The Lochs road can be seen snaking north thorugh the moors, but I should not be following its course. So, I shift my bearing from Cellar Head to Tiumpan Head. Pass to the north of Loch Ard Airigh A'Ghille Ruaidh (Loch of the High Shieling of the Red Lad). Walk down a steep slope and head towards the next two lochs, Loch nan Laogh and Loch Airigh an t-Sagairt. The eastern end of the latter is marshy and covered in reeds. A river flows out of it, going east. Cross a tributary coming out of Loch Beag na Craoibhe. After that, it's a straightforward if tussocky walk to the Grimshader road, which I reach at 1.10, 70 minutes after leaving Cameron Terrace. Have some fun with a sheep and her lambs before settling down on the top of a nearby hill. There are myriads of flies about, but the wind keeps them at bay. Eat my sandwiches and a cuppa soup. Resume the walk at 1.40, going up the road to the Loch Orasay pumping station. From there, a short peattrack leads back into the moors. There are few reference points, but the trick is to head into the river valley, and follow the water. Loch Innseag can be seen to the south. Allt na Craoibhe veers sharply around a rocky outcrop. There is no path, but it's best to follow the river northeast, right up to the point where it changes course southeast; it's the Abhainn Leireabhagh. It's very green and pleasant. A flock of sheep run off. Cross the river at a shallows with boots off, even if it isn't really necessary to do so. Take a 60 minute break on the top of a hill. It's still sunny and warm, and the flies are a pest. Cross the line of a fence at 3.30, and head just east of north. I get myself fairly high up Cnoc Arnish, and catch sight of the monument to Bonny Prince Charlie's visit here. The cottage he stayed at was burned down just before the yard was built in the 1970s. The sheds of the fabrication yard and the lighthouse peep across the rim of the hills, being lower than my current position. Have some problems with escarpments, which I have to circumvent. Finally come out on the road at GR 420309. The route into town is the one I normally take out of Arnish: through the Castle Grounds. Most of the storm damage has been cleared, but one path is still blocked. Can see evidence of the festival concerts in the grass of the Castle lawn. Only the metal fences remain. Return to Newton at 5pm, as planned. Later in the evening, I note that we have lost 30 minutes of daylight since the solstice.

Monday 25/07/05

Bright but cool day today. Chat to mrs B about local characters, and continue to update last summer's diary, using OS maps from the library, which I have to consult there. The weather is cloudy and cool, but dry. The northeasterly winds we had all winter are back with us. The mountains on the mainland stand out crystal clear against the horizon, and the binoculars show the sun to be shining on the Torridon mountains, 45 miles / 70 km to the southeast. At 9.20, seven fishing boats are visible. Two people are fishing off the rocks at Arnish

Sunday 24/07/05

Nice sunny day, but cool. Go to church in Matheson Road. Regular clergyman, Revd Black, is on holiday, so a church elder takes the service. He mumbles and talks too fast. Sermon is a bit overlong, as the congregation was growing rather restive. The elder did not shake hands at the door. Left church at 12.15. Spend the rest of the day indoors, enabling WAP on the mobile. It's a convenient way to quickly check your emails, but it is expensive.

Saturday 23/07/05

After a dreich start, the sun comes out after 2pm. Go into town for a wee bit of shopping, a new pair of trousers for a start. After all the murk of the last week, the return of the sun makes a welcome change. Today, the Lochs Show is on, but the Saturday bus timetable makes my attendance a bit bothersome

Friday 22/07/05

Manage to oversleep by half an hour. Mrs B comes in to wake me up at 9 o'clock, she had expected me at the breakfast table by 8.30. Situation in London continuing volatile. One man was shot dead in hot pursuit on the Tube! Anyway, up here in little Stornoway, the ferry was half an hour late coming in last night. Usually, it's about 5 to 10 minutes early. In the morning, I have a chat with the couple from Banchory, who have been touring the island over the last two days.

Thursday 21/07/05

Yet another cruiseliner in today, but this time the vessel is anchored about 2 miles away on account of its size. This means I cannot read its name, but the Stornoway Gazette has a list of all expected vessels. As it's 21st July today, this should be the Prinsendam, a Holland America Line ship. It costs 4 to 12 thousand dollars to go on a 14-day cruise in her. Have a look on www.hollandamerica.com. As I want a picture of this boat, I hobble down to Holm Point, about 1/4 mile west of the Iolaire Monument near Lower Sandwick. This is a 38,000 tonne vessel which is carrying 736 passengers from 23 countries. A fleet of coaches is taking the tourists on trips. They are ferried to the pier at SY on tenders. On return from Holm Point, I'm invited by mrs B & son to join them on a drive round the West Side via the Pentland Road. We proceed across the island and start our excursion on the pier at Carloway / Carlabhagh. Check the thermometer (61 F / 16 C) and the barometer (30.1" / 1019 mb). These were installed in the 1880s, as a gift from the Met Office. The fishermen I speak to are the only ones left to operate out of Carloway pier. Next port of call is Gearrannan blackhouse village. This is being overrun by tourists from the cruiseliner. Take another look round the village, which I visited on May 2, and this time I see the weaving loom, a pedal-operated Hattersley loom, in operation. "DR" from Siabost is at the pedals and is more than eager to talk about the decline of the Harris Tweed industry in Lewis and Harris. I won't go into details, but one man's greed has brought it down. Whoever is left to work in the tweed industry is happy to sell a few lengths of tweed to Nike for trainers, for goodness' sakes. One of the pet lambs died, but Annie is turning into a very handsome young sheep. You can stroke her; normally sheep take off like a rocket if you try to approach them. Some of the restored black houses are available for self-catering. Rest assured: they are not equipped with a smouldering peatfire in the middle of the floor. The sun comes out during our bit of lunch, a bowl of soup with a roll. Waitress asks if I want to pay in US dollars. No thanks. Drove off to Upper Carloway, admire a cockerel with no tailfeathers.Down to Dalmore where we inspect inscriptions on gravestones. Mrs B's ancestors are from this area, particularly Dalmore and nearby Dalbeag, and it's full of benign ghosts for her.People are surfing off Dalmore beach, which is actually a dangerous beach. The system of sandbanks promotes strong undercurrents, which can sweep you out to sea or onto the stacks on the eastern side of the beach. The cloud returns whilst at Dalmore, and it gets a bit chilly. At Dalbeg, we admire the beach, which is getting less and less sandy, and the lily-covered loch. Quite a few of the island's lochs are now covered in reeds and waterlilies. We now proceed up the road into South Shawbost, from where you can actually see the Norse Mill. Pass through to North Shawbost and Bragar, Arnol and Barvas. A short excursion up Loch Street concludes our roundtrip. On return to town at SY, news is coming through of 4 failed bomb attacks in London. Mrs B goes out for dinner at one of her other son's to return at 11.20.

Wednesday 20/07/05

Day dawns dreich. All 3 of last night's guests depart during the morning, and I'm left trying to discern the Arnish hills through the drizzle and mist. Visibility too poor for off-road walking, so catch up with some writing. Temperature outside has gone down about 4 to 5 degrees in recent times, and the misty weather doesn't help. Cook a meal for mrs B & son, to wit: Savoy Cabbage Special. Recipe available from me at pharmolo@aol.com. Finish the evening with a game of Scrabble, which I win by commencing with a first-word score of 47. I once started a game by scoring 74. Conceit? Nah.

Tuesday 19/07/05

Awoke to the spectacle of two cruiseliners in the harbour, one at anchor off Arnish, the other docked at Pier 1. The Deutschland, off Arnish, is a massive vessel, which is using its lifeboats to ferry passengers ashore. I'd have to find out how many sail in her. When I go into town later in the day, I find the smaller Black Prince tied up alongside the pier, with poor old Muirneag shunted out to pier 3, where the ferry normally docks. A piper stands at the bottom of the gangway, continually playing the same piece. The weather is showery, and apart from a stint on the library computer, I don't have much on the agenda. Showers pop across the Arnish moors, reducing visibility markedly. Although the sun doesn't set until 10.15 (we've lost 20 minutes since the solstice), it gets very gloomy at 9 o'clock. The cruiseliners leave at 8 pm. The Calmac ferry has to wait for the Deutschland to leave before it can dock. We have 3 guests in; a lady from Uist up for a hospital appointment and a jolly elderly couple from Angus, who have frequently visited the islands over the years.

Monday 18/07/05

Today, the last of the festival guests leave for the mainland on the 1.45 ferry, which is half an hour late. There is a phenomenal number of passengers on board. I'm catching up with reading Harry Potter - finished the book at 1.30 a.m. A fairly sunny and pleasant day.

Sunday 17/07/05

We have a birthday girl in the house, who doesn't want too much of a fuss. So we don't fuss, apart from a meal in the town in the evening. After breakfast, the men in the house head off to South Lochs for a double walk. The weather is wet, but not all that bad. Noted on the way there that the village of Balallan stretches for 4 km along Loch Erisort. The run down the B8060 is a trip down memory lane, as I was staying down there over the winter period. We proceed to Cromor, in the far northeast of the district. After parking the car, we walk back through the village to the bridge across Loch Chromor, but almost at once turn left to proceed along a grassy lane. Pass through a gate and climb onto the moor. Have to take my 2 companions plus one dog into consideration, so progress is slow. Pass the broch of Dun Cromor. It's raining steadily as we continue southeast, parallel to the loch shore. At the end, we climb onto a ridge of Soval, the nearby hill (70 m) to look south across Loch Mharabhig and Marvig village. Return over Soval to the eastern shore of Loch Chromor. Nice view out to sea through the islands that lie off-shore. Finally drop down to the road-end in Cromor. A lamb had escaped from a field, but now wants to get back to its mum. The lamb finally made a mad dash past us, jumped 4-5 feet in the air, over the dog's head. Fingal was pleasantly surprised to see his lunch running straight into his mouth - not. On return to the car, at 3pm, we drove to Marvig, Calbost, Gravir and Orinsay. From Orasaigh / Orinsay we intend to walk to the deserted settlement at Stiomrabhagh, 1½ miles to the west. The weather was growing worse by the minute, visibility deteriorating and heavy rain in a strong southwesterly wind. First you go up some steps, then follow the waymarkers across the moor. Route leads to the south of Loch Shagachain, which is where I cancelled proceedings due to the conditions. Got some complaints for rushing - sorry, that's my normal walking speed. Returned to SY within an hour. Were presented with High Tea by mrs B - tea with cakes. Then it was off to town for dinner. Well, I've never seen such a shambles in my life. Four of the main restaurants in town were closed. It may have been busy due to the festival , and it being Sunday, but this was very, very poor. To cut a long story short: we went to HS1 on Cromwell Street, where there was an hour's wait. Three hours later, at 10.30, we still hadn't had a bite to eat, so we went back out again. We chatted to a Polish girl, Martina, who was out in the Laxdale campsite. She had come for the festival but didn't like the island, didn't like the town and didn't like the music. Why the heck bother to come all this way? We did offer her to join us in Newton, but by 10.30, some in the company were singing aloud, so I don't blame her for declining the offer. Food was prepared at Newton at 1 in the morning. Incidentally, I'm getting on fine with Fingal the dog; his master isn't that much to speak of when drunk. So is his wife, who tongue-lashes him about bedroom problems at the dinner table.

Saturday 16/07/05

After a late start, the others head off to Harris. I stay in town, as I have a lot to do. Start with a stint on the library computer, for which there is a heavy demand. I also buy a copy of the new Harry Potter book. Inititally I would have bought it at the Baltic for £12.99, but Woolies have it on sale for £8.99. Also bought qa small present for Mrs B's birthday tomorrow. Dropped everything off at Newton, where I also noticed that my boots are literally falling apart at the seams. So, back into town for a new pair, which I (luckily) found in Sportsworld. Had to do it all myself, level of service in there precisely zero. Was handed the bootsbox wrapped in a binliner. The lifeboat had an open day, so I went to its berth on Cromwell Street Quay. As I walked about on deck, a rgrey seal popped out of the harbour. Had a chat with the coxswain about the area that the boat covers, recent callouts etc. Saving lives is priority 1, saving abandoned vessels priority next. The last occasion they actually saved lives was in December '04, when a boat ran onto the rocks at Arnish and sank. Unfortunately, the skipper died. It seems the fishing boat had been left to leave the harbour on autopilot, whilst the crew were 'plotting a course' down below, with nobody above deck. The autopilot went wrong, and the boat crashed onto the rocks. At 3 pm, I went to the Lewis Games. There was a free shuttlebus to the playing fields at Tong, 4 miles outside SY. Very busy there. A lot of stalls selling various wares, varying from crafts to food. Three different bouncy castles dotted the area. A central arena had been cleared for the typical games, like tossing the caber, throwing a weight over a bar 12 ft above ground and lifting the stones. Actors staged a 10 minute play about the Stornoway cornmill. A man performed a 'one-man-and-his-dog' act with ducks, instead of sheep. I was not amused, it was faintly cruel. Left for town at 4.45. The afternoon turned nice and sunny later on. The rest of the day turns into yet another ceilidh, one that finishes at the slightly more decent time of 1 a.m..

Friday 15/07/05

Appear for breakfast at 11.30, much the worst for wear. Pop into town after Alison and her dad leave for home at 1pm. It's very busy in town, busier than I've ever seen it in the 8 months that I've been in the island. This evening, I'm going to a concert by Runrig in the Castle Grounds. The Peatbog Faeries are the supporting act. Mrs B cooks my food. Concert starts at 9. The Peatbog Faeries are disappointing, they should drop the blaring brass section. Safety messages appear on the screens either side of the stage. E.g., someone is wanted in the First Aid tent at once. The Faeries bog off at 10.15. It takes more than half an hour for the stage to be rearranged for Runrig, which makes the crowd restive. They go wild when they do arrive, starting with their song Morning Tide. Nice song, good supporting video. Although mobiles should be switched off, there is a forest of camera phones being held high. Even a video camera is spotted. Noise is quite high, but bearable. Runrig finish with their rendition of Loch Lomond, known by all. At 1 o'clock, we all file out and troop down the narrow road to the Bayhead bridge, into town. A few pubs are open, but I give them the go-by. A drunken woman shouts after me, but I ignore her. Return to Newton at 1.20, and continue with some sort of ceilidh until 2.45

Thursday 14/07/05

Today, we were to have gone on a walk to the beehive dwellings under Scalabhal in Morsgail. Unfortunately, the weather throws a spanner in the works because of heavy rain. I know the route to be boggy at the best of time, so it would be a complete mudbath now. After lunch therefore, we hop off to the district of Uig, 30 miles west of Stornoway. When we leave, it's still wet and misty. Arrive at Ardroil Sands at 1.30. The continuous rain has now given way to heavy showers. Walk down the beach in the rain, right out to the tideline. A walk across to Carnish is impossible, because the tide is flooding a good part of the way. Return to the car for a little drive round Timsgarry, very familiar territory to me from previous visits. Proceed back down Glen Valtos to Miavaig, taking care not to knock down sheep in the road. At Cliobh, we stop to listen to a corncrake. As I train my binoculars on the meadow, I see a brown bird flying off low over the long grass. Drive round to Valtos Pier, where a family is fishing for crabs, using limpets for bait. Mum has been coming here for 38 years. You can see the crabs walking on the seafloor, 10 ft down. We carry on to Cnip beach, where the clouds break to let the sun out. It transforms the area into a completely different place. We pass A'Beirigh farm, Riof and Uigean on the way back to Miavaig and points east. The dark wall of the rainfront can be seen moving away east awsw we drive back along the familiar route of the B8011. We come back to Stornoway via the Pentland Road at Achamor. This route sports a number of delapidated shieling cabins. The dead sheep is still rotting in peace beside the cattlegrid at Marybank; the carcass has been lying there since (at least) April 11th. At 7 o'clock, the other guests head off to the Hebridean Celtic Festival concert in the Castle Ground, where Van Morrison is due to play. Queue apparently stretches right back from the harbour. When mrs B, Alison and myself take the dog for a walk, the music echoes round the streets. The quayside along Cromwell Street is thronged with people on foot, in cars, on boats all listening for free to the music eminating from the marquee across the water. The music follows us on the way back to Newton. At 11 o'clock, Alison finds a hedgehog in the garden. Mrs B, myself and Alison play games of draughts and a memory game before that. The concertgoers return at 1 am, and a ceilidh ensues, heavily laced with drink. One person drops off to sleep at 2.30, but the hardened souls press on until 4.30, when it gets light again. As I watch the dawn breaking, I see the lone figure of a female tottering along the pavement. She stops opposite Island Road to attempt to operate her mobile phone. When Fingal pops up from the foreshore, she comes to her senses (somewhat) and wobbles on.

Wednesday 13/07/05

Following a late start, I go into town where things are starting to liven up. After my stint on the library computer, I come across a little piece of street theatre, performed by local artists. It depicts the choices forced on islanders in the 19th and 20th centuries. After that, I cross to the Castle Grounds, where this week's concerts are to be staged. They are to take place in a large, blue marquee. A security fence has been erected to keep out all those without valid tickets. Tickets which consist of a wristband. Have a drink on a seat at Cuddy Point, where some kids are packing up following a canoeing expedition. I climb up the hill behind Cuddy Point to have a close look at the refurbished Matheson Memorial. Make my way to nearby Lews Castle, where the portaloos are positioned. Return to town via the usual route. Last night, I was drawn into a pubcrawl, which I cut short after 2 pubs and 2 half-pints. The other two returned outrageously drunk, which did nothing to improve the atmosphere in the house.

Tuesday 12/07/05

This week, there are two major events in Stornoway. The Hebridean Celtic Festival (music and culture) and Sail Hebrides. In the context of the former, there are Gaelic lessons in Pointers Cafe on North Beach Street. Nothing happening there though. I visit the library and Somerfields on return. Weather not very good today, cold, windy and wet. I was invited to join the other guests in a sight-seeing expedition to Great Bernera and the West Side. We set out in two vehicles at 2 pm. The trip to Tobson beach, on the western shore of Great Bernera, takes 50 minutes. Aquatic wildlife was found in rockpools, as well as a dead seal which was perched fairly high up a rock. It had two bullet holes in its lower body. Next stop: Bostadh Beach at the northern tip of Great Bernera. I notice that the machair flora is in full bloom. It is absolutely covered in daisies and buttercups. large number are on the beach and in the Iron Age house behind the beach. Someone is camping on the dunes. Nice views out towards Old Hill to the north. This 80m (270 ft) high island can be seen from as far away as Galson, way up towards Ness. I walk to the narrows that separate Great from Little Bernera. On return from there, I go into the Iron Age house. I've visited that twice during the winter months, when it was closed and under 4 inches (10 cm) of water. The house is now dry and open, with a local lady explaining about life 2,000 years ago. At 4pm, we return to the cars. The guide jumps on the bus home. Our little group proceeds to the Callanish Stones, very familiar to me. We had a cuppa and some cakes, then had another look round. Scientists were scanning the exterior of the stones using laser beams. This would yield a lifelike image on-line. Return to town via Carloway and Barvas, arriving back at 7.20 pm.

Monday 11/07/05

Bit of a bad day, really. At lunchtime, two other friends of Mrs B and her son came off the ferry. We end the day with a very boozy ceilidh.

Sunday 10/07/05

Went for a walk this afternoon, just for a change. Up Island Road and Smith Avenue, past the Nicolson Institute. Then across Goathill Avenue and into Leverhulme Drive. This has a roundabout halfway down. At the end I turn right into Westview Terrace / Barraidh nan Rop. This brings me out on the Perceval Road, which I follow east for a short distance. Then I turn into Sand Street, which brings me down onto the sands between Stornoway and Tong, the Cockle Ebb. This is a large area of tidal mudflats, through which the Laxdale River and a few minor tributaries flow down to the sea. The Ebb is dangerous, because the tide can rise very quickly, and there are patches of quicksand. I found that the Laxdale River is easily fordable. I reached there at 3.15, at low water. The river held about 25 cm (10 in) of water. Kept the boots off for the rest of the walk to Tong, 2 miles to the northeast. It's a wet area, with one or two little streams. However, the ground was firm underfoot, not unlike the Wadden Sea off Holland, Germany and Denmark. The traverse took about 40 minutes. Just before reaching Teanga Thunga, the long sandspit stretching south from Tong, there was an area of what felt like quicksand. The spit is used as a racetrack for bikes. It offers nice views across to Steinis and Mealabost, as well as the airport. Spoke to a local man who had been watching my approach. He advised me that I could cross the moors adjoining the Ebb to Newmarket. Well, that was a nightmare. Wet, fencing at inconvenient locations, a river and a forestry plantation. The river wasn't too difficult, but the forestry plantation had soft ground, deep runnels and what not. Was knackered by the time I reached the outskirts of Newmarket. Returned through Laxdale and Perceval Road, the same route I used for coming out. The other guests had taken themselves off to Garry Beach, north of Tolsta.

Saturday 09/07/05

Today, mrs B's son arrives with a friend who also brings his young daughter. They are here to attend next week's Hebridean Celtic Festival. Another couple is due on Monday. One other paying guest is staying here, a lady from the far northeast of Scotland.

Friday 08/07/05

Continue to monitor the news regarding yesterday's bomb attacks in London. Nip into the library to continue with the old journal. Mrs B's granddaughter singles me out for an extensive chat about friends and foes at Sandwick Primary.

Thursday 07/07/05

Four bombs explode on the London Underground in the rush hour. That surfaces at 10.20 a.m., and keeps me glued to the television for the rest of the day. Horrendous. Updated the journal for last summer.

Wednesday 06/07/05

Today, London was awarded the Olympics in 2012, which gave rise to celebrations both in Singapore and in Stratford, East London, itself. There was senseless rioting in and around Stirling, with the M9 being blocked. Fairly warm and sunny weather, better than further south at any rate. Pop into the library, but the broadband modem manufacturers have no solution to Mrs B's broadband problems

Tuesday 05/07/05

Unremarkable day, where I went into town after lunch for some work on the library computer. By nightfall, there was a large tanker offshore. A coastguard RIB dashed out to the vessel, which had a bright light shining on its bow. The tanker moves off shortly afterwards, its bridge section brightly illuminated.

Monday 04/07/05

Nice sunny if blustery day. The two climbers depart for Lochmaddy. I head for town after lunch, for a short walk. It's actually quite warm, as the wind seems to have dropped from its force 6 at the start of the day. After a session in the library, I set out along Cromwell Street and Bayhead. Nip into the Bayhead Convenience Store, where a door collides with people coming in and out. Set forth along the golfcourse to Willowglen Road, then up the street to the War Memorial. It's a lot more pleasant there today than it was on New Year's Eve. Nice view across North Bay and Tong Sands, northern suburbs and the rest of Stornoway. Sit in the sun with the sun just off the memorial tower. This is apparently in a dangerous state, so it's not possible to climb to its top, at 26 metres. Pity. Return to town via Stewart Drive, Macaulay and Matheson Road. Later in the evening, well after midnight in actual fact, I go for a walk to the Coastguard and Power Stations. It's still very light indeed at a quarter to one in the morning. A double red light can be seen just to the left of Gallows Hill, possibly the mastlights on the transmitter at Eitsal. Fishing boats come chugging into port, and lights of others can be seen out in the Minch.

Sunday 03/07/05

It is an unseasonably windy day, with a full gale blowing in from the southwest. Apart from a scattering of heavy showers, it's not a bad day at all. I head for a church service in the Church of Scotland on Matheson Road. On the way there, all sorts of things are blowing about. Dustbins, cones, you name it. There is nobody about, apart from the odd minibus ferrying people to church. I am unfamiliar with the CoS service format. On entering the church, one of the church elders shakes me by the hand and gives me a hymnal. I sit down about halfway down the church; everybody sits as far back as possible. Only the back half of the church is occupied, along with seating on the balcony. We set off with the minister entering the pulpit. His good morning is echoed back by the congregation. Two psalms are sung, the singing incidentally accompanied by an electronic organ. I don't know the tunes, but manage fine in my parroting act. Parish notices are read out, then the children are set out to their separate Sunday School. We sing a paraphrase, which is a section of Old Testament, set to music. Readings ensue from the New Testament, and most of the congregation read long out of their own bibles. After a hymn, the minister launches into his sermon. He does a good job relating the scriptures to everyday life, even cracking a joke: How do you know St Peter was a Christian? He asked for his mother-in-law to be cured. Minister Black also gave a gentle dig to his brethren in the Free Church, regarding Sabbath Observation. Quite good. Have a brief word with several members of the congregation on the way out, at 12.15, and thank the minister. It's still blowing hard on the way back to Newton. The other two guests have gone out to Arnish lighthouse. I head out to walk to the Iolaire monument at 2.15. Take pictures of the crashing waves and conclude it's blowing a steady force 8. Go round the coastguard station, then down Millar Road and round the shore to Lower Sandwick. Beyond that village, I head across country to the monument, where I arrive at 2.50. It's quite spectacular, with big, 10 ft high, waves rolling in off the Minch. The wind touches force 9 on the headland. It's a mild afternoon, with the temperature at around 17C. I sit down for about 15 minutes to admire the scenery. I think of the 205 sailors who drowned there 86½ years ago, and how close to shore they were. If you ever go there, you'll see a pillar about 20 metres off shore, which is where HMY Iolaire went down early on New Year's Day 1919. Return to Newton along the road, then a shortcut past a slightly rundown farm. Don't recommend that particular route, you run into problems with fencing and barbed wire. On return I have to wash the salt off my specs. Mrs B cooks me a nice meal with lamb chops. The gale finally subsides during the evening, leaving a steady force 6 through the night.

Saturday 02/07/05

Today's weather deteriorates into pouring rain after 3pm. I go into town at around that time to revisit the Western Isles Museum. Two guests arrive who originally arrived on the island last night at a quarter to one. They spent the night on a campsite at Coll, 5 miles up the road. I do not understand why they didn't go to the campsite at Laxdale, which they pass on the way to Coll. The gentlemen in question are keen climbers from Lomondside, who have quite some experience in the hills of Central Scotland. Interesting chat.

Friday 01/07/05

The early leavers nearly got run over by a speeding motorist. Mrs B has problems with her broadband connection which I am no longer able to resolve. Shame. In the evening, I go to a classical / gaelic concert in the Town Hall. Central performer is a cello player who moved to the island back in September 2004. He is accompanied by a pianist on an electronic instrument. There is also a solo singer, a girl member of the group Teine (Heat). Everyone announces their own pieces, except for the singer who just mumbles her way through the English translations of her Gaelic songs. Concert is attended by a shameful 35 and finishes fairly early in the evening at 9.15.

Thursday 30/06/05

Weather today is iffy, cloudy with rain later. Temperatures have climbed nicely to about 17C. Spend the day updating last summer's diary, with the aid of maps in the library late in the afternoon. Three guests in at the moment, all from one Glasgow company. Two of them return from a night out very late and quite inebriated. And they are to leave for the ferry at 5.15 a.m.

Wednesday 29/06/05

Nice sunny day today, quite warm as well. Sit outside, on the steps behind the seawall. Updating my diary for August 2004, yep 10 months behind. Surprising what you still remember though. In the evening, news comes through that Western Isles Council have approved a planning application for both windfarms in Lewis. The social and economic benefits were said to outweigh the environmental disadvantages. Unfortunately, I believe that they are looking at the wrong figures. Number of jobs promised: 300 - 500, which is actually closer to 100-200. Number is based on the assumption that the turbines will be constructed at the fabrication yard at Arnish, south of Stornoway. The Council forgets however that such an order is subject to European rules, which requires that this project be put out to tender. Even if Arnish is to do the work, they'll have to adopt 7-day working, and I somehow don't see that happening just yet. But, it is all subject to Scottish Executive approval and possible European Court action on the part of the RSPB, who have vowed to fight this tooth and nail.

Tuesday 28/06/05

Was told this morning that someone would be flying to Ullapool today, under a parachute towed by a fast boat. As it's a nice, sunny day, I head off into town to view the event from a nice vantage point. However, the crowds I had been warned to expect at the launch site, Cuddy Point, were nowhere to be found. On the way there, I passed the lawn in front of Lews Castle where a very colourful chut was laid out. In the Inner Harbour, two fast boats were manoeuvring between North Beach and Cuddy Point. By 1pm, the parascentist (that's what it said on the boat) had finished his on-camera interview and proceeded to his chute. A cable was rigged up between the towboat and the chute. This was deployed using the force 3 easterly wind. The boat gathered speed * snap * the line snapped. The parascentist dropped to the ground and the whole shebang had to be rigged up again. Two seals bobbed about in the harbour, very inquisitive as to what was going on. At 2pm, we started from the top. Unfortunately, the chute got caught in a gust of wind and veered off into the trees. The parascentist crashed to the ground, taking a few branches with him and thereby breaking his fall. He ended up on the bench, but was not hurt. The chute was left hanging in the tree. It was quite some bother to get it down, and it was torn. Brand new and all. The wife told the spectators, all ten of us, that the man was quite devastated. Everybody drifted away after that. I went to the library to have lunch (a bit late at 3 pm) and update this journal. Went back to mrs B. Ended the day with a colossal stomach upset, which took some time to subside.

Postscript: Read in the Stornoway Gazette on Thursday 30th June that a Good Samaritan had been found, who had supplied a new parachute. A picture featured in the Gazette, showing the man flying past the Beasts of Holm, 2 miles south of Stornoway. He arrived safe and well at Ullapool later in the day.

Monday 27/06/05

Today, the American ladies, Susan, Katie and Ginny, will be heading back to Washington DC. There was a bit of confusion about their flights, but that got sorted. On Wednesdays and Fridays of the weeks from now until September 3rd, we'll have 3 ferries a day. They leave here at 6.15, 12.40 and 19.00, arriving back at 12.15, 18.35 and 0.45. Mrs B is delighted with that prospect (not), because it means that guests going on the early ferry will have to leave at 5.30 a.m.. The weather is not great today, dreich is the word. Over the last two nights, it's been fairly gloomy around sunset time, 10.30pm. There is a man in this town who walks his dog from his car. In wet weather, I can see a wee white dog going up and down the causeway, followed closely by a light coloured vehicle. This is apparently someone in the money, who cannot be bothered to invest in a brolly or waterproofs. Ministers of the church sometimes conduct services on the wards in the hospital. As from now, they are required to ask for consent from all on the ward before proceeding. And they have to wash their hands before touching anyone. The Monday morning newsbulletins on Isles FM relay the usual weekend crimewave. Drugs, children found in possession of alcohol, cartheft, smashed windows and drunken behaviour. It appears that a Landrover collided with a deer on the A858 just west of Lochganvich late on Saturday. Car was damaged, but nobody was hurt, even the deer just ran away. Mrs B had a domestic disaster with the Americans who reported breaking a bed. They are well built, these young ladies, and they were mucking about. We suspect they flopped on the side of the bed and broke the spar on the side of it. The Americans duly went on their plane at 2.25, whilst mrs B's son organises a repair of the bed. Is that what you call "having a crack"? Unearth a Gaelic phrasebook in the Baltic Bookshop. Heard that a ship had lost power in the Minch near the Isle of Rum and had requested a tug. Tug went off at full steam - only to turn up off Norway. Meanwhile, the vessel concerned was left drifting in the Sea of the Hebrides. Well done.

Sunday 26/06/05

Day starts sunny, but cloud increases rapidly on a brisk westerly wind, force 5. Drops of drizzle are carried on the breeze, but not much else happening. Mrs B cooks me a meal tonight. Updated the walks records, by using an on-line OS map. I don't have all the maps I used over the previous 10½ months with me.

Saturday 25/06/05

Fairly bright day, with even some sunshine. Talk to the Americans, who are off to Laxdale. After lunch, I take a bus to Tolsta to wander about on the beach and the moors. The bus is a new, demo type, which kneels for the passengers to step on more easily. Busdriver isn't very pleased with it, long wheelbase and large turning circle. Have a bit of a natter with him at New Tolsta. Go down the road to the beach and wander around on the tideline. Notice a tern being attacked by a skua. A gull comes to the rescue. I retrace my steps and proceed down the track towards the moors, which is the route towards Muirneag. I trod this route fully exactly 3 months ago. Don't have time to go all the way to the hill, but go round the east end of Loch Diridean, as far as the cairn at grid reference NB517490. It's fairly windy out there. Retrace my steps through the broken country, and time my arrival at New Tolsta perfectly to coincide with the departure of the 4pm bus back to town. Nice view coming down the hill between Tolsta and Gress, where you see all the way down the east coast to the Shiants. Back in Stornoway at 4.45. The Americans go out to pubs and clubs, but forgo the pleasure of the first when they find the police inside, busy breaking up a fight. Saturday night does tend to be rowdy in Stornoway, reason for me to avoid it. The ladies don't return until 1.15 am, when it's still light to the north. They went out to Callanish during the afternoon, and caught the wrong bus back. So they went all the way through Carloway and Barvas.

Friday 24/06/05

Another cloudy day, with some drizzle. Forgot to mention last Friday about the two very pretty Swiss girls who were touring Scotland prior to launching their professional careers. The salmon are running in the island's rivers at the moment, subject to heavy rain. We've had some rain in recent days, but no huge amounts. An American lady arrives in the evening with her teenage daughters (15 and 19) in tow. She is over to visit relatives in Laxdale / Lacasdail. Heard a story of a relative of mrs B's who went across to St Kilda one day. He had a companion with him who started to panic when the weather turned nasty. Six hours into the trip, there wasn't a sign of the islands, and the companion was wailing: "We've missed St Kilda, we're lost". "Ach, shut your mouth and tend to the boat", was the snappy reply, and the relative went down to plot a course for Barra Head. As he was working on that, a shout came from above deck. "We're there! If we hadn't seen it, we would have knocked St Kilda clean in half!" The storyteller has to go shortly afterwards, because his sheep are out of their field, and straying down the road in Lower Sandwick.

Thursday 23/06/05

Weather remains wet and grey, although it does clear up during the afternoon. Help mrs B with a few notices, like a breakfast menu and a fire safety notice for the rooms. The inspector duly arrives at 4pm sharp, with favourable results. There is a major row going on up in Ness. A heated meeting took place regarding the proposed windfarm up there, to which 93% of people are opposed. The community council and Comhairle nan Eileanan Siar (Western Isles Council) were given a serious earbashing for not listening to the people, not representing the overwhelming majority. There are to be no negotiations with Amec, the windfarm developers. As a result, 4 members of Ness community council have resigned, as they favoured talks with Amec. Next week, CnES is to make its decision on the windfarm, which I await with bated breath. This is not the final say, their conclusions will be submitted to the Scottish Executive. Heard a report that 2 people were hurt in a collision on Cromwell Street, near the pedestrian crossing. All those hurt were backseat passengers, so my idea is that they were not wearing seatbelts.

Wednesday 22/06/05

The Germans left for Harris today, but they are not having very good weather with it. The wind increases to galeforce, as NOT per forecast. The rain is relentless. Temperature not bad, at 16C. The rest of the country is suffering under a heatwave, but NOT the Western Isles. No guests in tonight, as mrs B is expecting a visit from VisitScotland tomorrow.

Tuesday 21/06/05

Spent the day processing the pictures which I scanned in in the library. Due to the time constraint of 60 minutes, I only had time to basically scan them in, and had to use mrs B's comp for further sorting out. Weather started out as wet as it did on Monday, but it cleared up for the afternoon. Three Germans staying with us at the moment: mum, dad and daughter.
Petra is about my age, and works as a Procurator Fiscal Deputy in Dundee. Parents are from Nuremberg in Germany. They had been up and down the Westside all day today. Last night, mum had left her handbag with passport and money in a restaurant here, but has now got it back. Mrs B offered them a traditional Lewis welcome after they had been out for dinner, but that went clean over their heads.

Today, 21st June, is the longest day of the year. Here in the Isle of Lewis, we're at latitude 58°N, which puts us within 8° of the Arctic Circle. Up there, the sun shines for 24 hours each day. Down here, it is 18 hours 15 mins, sunrise 04.19, sunset 22.34. This leaves 5 hours 45 minutes without sun, but certainly not without light. I have been mentioning since May that it was still light at 1 a.m., and I have included in previous entries pictures taken after midnight. This entry includes pictures taken last week, which shows how light it still was between midnight and 1.20; the latter time being the 'darkest' point of the day. From now on, the nights will lengthen (as they will all over the northern hemisphere), until we're back on sunrise 09.15 and sunset 15.35 (21st December). I'll miss the long evenings, when it is broad daylight until well past 11 o'clock...

Monday 20/06/05

Not a lot happening today, been trying to get some info together re. project HMS Timbertown, which I commenced back in January. Have translated the articles from Dutch into English, but the results of my research were all previously sent off to Holland. Got the pictures back from the Shiants - very foggy!

Sunday 19/06/05

Fairly sunny day, spent in idle sloth. Mrs B serves me dinner, as per normal on a Sunday. The weather worsens in the evening, with strong southwesterly winds and dark clouds. It is supposed to be 32C (90F) down south; well, they can keep that down there. Quite happy with the local 17C (63F).

Saturday 18/06/05

Right, getting out and about today for a change. Set off on the 1020 bus to Balallan and from there to Lemreway. There is a trip to the Shiant Islands leaving from there, as from 1130. Have a look on www.shiantisles.net. At frist the islands' proprietor, Adam Nicolson, gives a talk. Unfortunately, my bus doesn't arrive until 1125, just in time to catch the end of the lecture. Pay £15 for the boattrip, for which 153 people are booked in. I'm number 130 on the list, so I'm in for a bit of a wait. Come to chat to various people, including a lady from Isle of Wight who complains bitterly about incomers and a local man who has been across several times. Two fast boats are in operation, although three were booked to do the work. The third has developed a fault, and a replacement was seemingly unavailable. Each boat can only carry 11 or 12 people, and the return trip takes 45 to 60 minutes. One boat is a RIB (rigid inflatable boat), which covers the 8 miles to the Shiants in 20 minutes. The other is the slightly slower Eishken estate boat. I don't leave until 4 pm, which means I have to wait for 4½ hours. By that time, the mist has come right down to sealevel, the tide has come in and it's raining steadily. The Eishken boat takes its time, flapping about in the seas off South Park, in thick fog. There is no swell at all. We finally arrive at the Shiants at 4.50 pm. The anchorage is on the eastern bay between Eilean Taighe and Eilean Garbh. These two are joined by a narrow isthmus. Eilean Mhuire lies a mile to the east. The islands all rise steeply out of the Minch, 400 to 500 feet. Eilean Garbh (Rough Isle) can only be accessed if you're prepared to climb 450 feet up a very steep incline. Once over the awkward access ridge to Eilean Taighe, lush meadows roll towards the one solitary house, appropriately named Shiant Isles. A party of Czech archeologists have taken up residence there for a month. Facilities basic, one person expressed a yearning for a bathroom with four walls. Food is available, but the expiry dates should be checked. Coffee was found there which should have been discarded in 2001. Nice views - once the fog lifts. I chat to a group of men who have arrived here in a yacht. They had a mishap, in that the towline for their dinghy fouled the propellor as they came in to anchor in the bay. On Monday, I heard that the Stornoway lifeboat had to go and tow them to safety because the batteries on their boat had given up the ghost. Carry on south across House Island, with the 400 ft highest point shrouded in thick fog. It's clearer on the western seaboard, but I can still hear the deep boom of a foghorn out in the distance. The biggest islands of the Galtanach, which stretch out west from Eilean Garbh, slowly materialize out of the fog. I presently stand on the top of a 250 ft high cliff and veer south southwest towards Mianish. The gulls do not appreciate my presence, and hover over me. I see no nests on the ground, though. I speak to an American lady who has been camping out at Lemreway over the last few days, in anticipation of this trip. She is a nanny to the filthy rich, which means she also earns a nice dollar or two. On return from the south point, the fog starts to lift. By the turn I return to the strand, half an hour later, Eilean Garbh is clear. Scalpay looms up, 17 miles to the west, the hills of Park (to the north) unwrap their foggy cloaks and Skye is clearly visible, 12 miles to the south. The Ascrib Islands are dotted in front. The boat leaves Eilean Taighe at 7.30, to arrive in Lemreway at 8.10. The fog has lifted off sealevel, but bits and pieces of cloud hover low on the hills. Carol from Bayble, Point, runs me back to SY and while I go on a trip down memory lane during the 14 miles trip up the B8060 (where I stayed between last November and February) we have a bit of a natter. Carol is a field archaeologist, and as such walks about as much as I do, at least until recently. Return to Stornoway at 9 pm, me very hungry.

Friday 17/06/05

Get the pictures back, and am quite amazed at the quality of the pictures taken at midnight - without flash! Weather not unreasonable.

Thursday 16/06/05

Broadband connection now back in working order. Go into town to work on internet and to collect the Thursday papers: Stornoway Gazette, West Highland Free Press and Hebridean.

Wednesday 15/06/05

Spent today sorting out mrs B's broadband connection, which fouled up for a reason best known to myself.

Tuesday 14/06/05

Mrs B is being connected to Broadband today, for her Internet connection. Meanwhile, the weather outside was quite acceptable, although a bank of high cloud did move up from the south. It produced rain in the evening. One guest who had booked in failed to show up. This was a lady from the Uist who was due to attend hospital. It later transpired that she had missed her bus. Bedtime at 1.30; I'll want to stop keeping late nights.

Monday 13/06/05

Quiet day, what with the weather cold, wet and windy. Sun comes out at 2.30. Do some translation work on the Timbertown project, which I started in January.

Sunday 12/06/05

At lunchtime, I kick myself out to explore the moorland just north of Stornoway. Walk down Macaulay Road, down the hill past the hospital and up the road to Guershader. The War Memorial looms up on the hillside, but cannot be approached through that route. Go downhill, north into Lacasdail / Laxdale. Notice that the lambs have grown big, and the sheep are being shorn. It's very quiet now. Take the cross-street into Newvalley, and walk up the moorland track as far as the ford. This is negotiable, if awkward. Finally call a halt to proceedings at Hogaraid (GR 394354). It's a very pretty location, amidst low hills. The river is not fordable. I could conceivably follow this stream uphill into the Barvas Hills, but it's mid afternoon now (3 pm), and I just don't have the time. Traverse the hills to the radio relay mast and come down past the quarry. Then on to Marybank and back into town via the Castle Grounds, by 4.20. A few folks are out walking dogs &c.

Saturday 11/06/05

Although the weather is quite acceptable, I'm not going anywhere at all today. I take the book with Runrig songs from the library, this band will be playing at the Hebridean Celtic festival next month. This festival gives the tourism industry in Stornoway and the island a headache. They are expecting 15,000 to attend - compare this to the town's population of 7,000 and the island population of 22,000. The songs prove difficult to reproduce on the keyboard. One guest arrives in the evening, but he keeps very much to himself.

Friday 10/06/05

Breakfast an hour later than usual (which is 8.30 a.m.) because I didn't hit the sack until 2 a.m.. It's an overcast but fairly bright morning.

BBC Photographic competition

I have entered 5 photographs for the "A Picture of Britain" competition, being run on the BBC at the moment. Check them out (and rate them as high as possible please) on http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/arts/apictureofbritain/showrecord?Id=17885 (and 17913, 17899, 17869)
I am aware that there are only 4 references on the list, but I am awaiting confirmation on the 5th. Thanks for your support

(postscript: Competition closed 31 July 2005)

The SS Politician

Earlier this week I mentioned a colourful Stornoway character, who will remain unnamed, save for the initial A. I'll try to recount the main stories he told me over coffee on Monday, as they are absolutely priceless.

The Politician

As the Politician lay stranded on a rock between the islands of Eriskay and South Uist, she was abandoned by the crew, and left until salvage or other fate effected by officialdom. However, this being 1941, and officialdom never doing anything fast, the locals decided to salvage some her cargo themselves. The cargo consisted of whisky, Jamaican banknotes, bathroom appointments (baths, washbasins) and much more. (Read Roger Hutchinson's The Politician, The Real Story). Obviously, the whisky was the most desired, and there were thousands of cases of various brands and blends on board. Each case measured several feet in height and length, and was awkward to handle. A. sent several cases off to Stornoway in a large box, marked Engine. He himself got on board the Lochmor (the then island ferry) to go to Tarbert, Harris, also in possession of a case. It was blatently obvious that the whisky was illegal, as it was marked Not for resale. The case was spirited on board the Lochmor and hidden in a cabin. On arrival at Tarbert, the police came on board and spoke to a member of crew. Both men watched A. walk through the village with his case on his shoulder. However, the policeman took no further action, as the crew member told him to let this one go. Only a few hundred yards from the quayside, the case fell off W.'s shoulder, and he hailed the hotel taxi. "Sorry, I've got a fare", the driver said. A. showed him a bottle out of the case. "I'm really sorry, but I've got this fare from the hotel". A. showed him a second bottle. "OK, put it in the boot", the driver said and took him to Stornoway.

Fifteen years later, A. was speaking to a neighbour, who answered to the same name as the Tarbert police constable in 1941. The copper was telling some stories, including that of the young man with the case of whisky, and that the crew-member had told him to let go. "Aye", said A. "That was me, man".

As I mentioned above, the Politician also carried bathtubs and the like. One Eriskay family helped themselves to a bathtub. This being 1941, there was no mains water supply. Nonetheless, they planted it next to the stream running past their house. In 1986, A. visited Eriskay again and met the family. Outside the house sat the bathtub, in which various generations of the family had been washing themselves over the past 45 years. And it was still in use at that time...

Thursday 09/06/05

It's volunteer day in town, so around midday I go out to have a look. The police are recruiting special constables and put up a demo in how to deal with aggressive people. Bystanders are allowed to bash a well-padded man with padded baseball bats. Have a chat in the townhall with people from Uig about beach cleaning. Sounds as if that happened earlier in the year. Also have a word with a lady from local radio station Isles FM. Its star presenter, Kenny There you go MacLeod is hosting a show from the townhall. Finally, I head for the coastguard station. Nobody is there to see me, although I'm allowed in. All out for lunch? Ring them up later to report the whale that's been rotting outside South Dell for the last 4 months.
Once back at Mrs B's, I play the Isles FM CD Langass (that's a village in North Uist) and read the Uig Recipe book. Later in the day, two Dutch guests arrive, one of whom was a colleague of a close relative of mine. Have a bit of a chat with them, and continue that once they return from a night out in the pub. They bring a fiddle and melodeon, and accompany me on the keyboard until nearly 2 a.m.. It's getting light again by that hour...

Wednesday 08/06/05

The three Norwegians are back with us. They were considering to cycle from Castlebay to Stornoway, but I think they are over-ambitious in thinking that they can achieve that in 2 days. Once again, little activity on my part. An Australian couple joins us in the evening; the man is tracing his ancestors and is very successful.

Tuesday 07/06/05

A rather windy morning, with sunny spells rather than the wall-to-wall sunshine of yesterday.
Weather closed in at lunchtime with a sharp shower. Went into town for a minute, during which it felt very mild. The yacht Air sailed at 5pm, after more crew were ferried in by the helicopter. It gave 3 hoots on the whistle prior to sailing.

Monday 06/06/05

Sunny if windy morning. The helicopter on the big yacht is flying around the boat. Can see quite a few people moving about on board. They are just under a mile away, but my binoculars are strong enough to offer a good view. Anchor is aweigh at 10 o'clock, and Air leaves her anchorage in Cala Chlumaig. This ship has a crew of 26, and was launched from a yard in Bremen, Germany, only 7-10 days ago. She is currently undergoing seatrials. Mrs B's brother in law calls in at half past 10 and proceeds to tell some stories that happened in his life.
He was involved in the democratic salvage of the cargo of the Politician which sank off Eriskay in 1941, prompting the famous story of Whisky Galore. It was a story of help yourself to plenty of whisky. There were also some fantastic stories about democratic culling of deer on the hills of Lewis and Harris, on the estates of Morsgail, Scaliscro and Eishken. Latterly in 2002. Nowadays, poaching is much more difficult, with nightsight goggles and what have you.
At 12 noon, the cruiseliner Alexander von Humboldt comes into port. Two hours later, the Hebridean Princess follows suit. Town is full of people around 2 pm. I walk to Arnish, through the Castle Grounds, in 1 hour 15 mins. Look around the lighthouse, then divert to the small cape that separates Cala Steornabhagh from Cala Ghlumaig. Am only a few hundred yards from Air, which has now returned to her anchorage. The crew is cleaning, painting, polishing and skiving -crewmember engaged in latter activity is hiding on the steps at the stern of the vessel. I have a look by the BPC monument (I have previously ranted about Bonny Prince Charlie, so will spare you the ordeal), then return to town at 5.30. Two guys were climbing the rocks just outside Arnish. Stornoway was buzzing with cruise passengers. It's sunny, but with a chilly wind. The day closes nice and sunny

Sunday 05/06/05

Pleasantly sunny day, although there was some cloud first thing. Went out for a walk at 3.40 pm. Head out east along Inaclete Road, to Seaforth Road. It's windy and not at all warm. Cross Sandwick Road and continue to Steinish. Go down to the shore to overlook the tidal mudflats of Tong; it's not possible to cross over there, as the water is too deep and the sand is treacherous. I throw stones for an old dog, who likes to retreive them. Walk down Steinish towards the gate leading into the airport. It's actually a bit hilarious, because the gate is 8 feet high, but the adjoining barbed-wire fencing is rickety and barely 3 feet high. I watch a small red plane take off from runway 07, followed by the service plane from the adjacent main runway at 4.30 pm. Go up the road towards Sandwick, then return to Newton along the cemetery and the shore. Pass through Viewfield Terrace, where the accident took place last night. Bike and bicycle had only just been removed, and a roadsweeper was cleaning the road. Position of everything had been marked out in yellow paint. The road is closed to traffic, and nobody was allowed to move their cars. It appears that the crash took place outside no 14, but the debris came to rest outside no 22, four doors down. The 17-year old bicyclist was flown to hospital in Glasgow, and is very seriously ill.

Saturday 04/06/05

Three Norwegians staying here at the moment, two of them from Kirkenes, in the Arctic north, close to the Russian border. They experience problems with brown bears, which eat pigswill. And you're not allowed to shoot them, unless they actually attack lifestock or people. The Norwegians are planning a cycletrip round the islands. Later in the morning, a bank of seafog (haar) drifts in and obscures the view of the Arnish moors. The midge season is said to have begun. After lunch, I head for the library, which has a computer problem. Only 3 terminals available. Carry on for a stroll down to Willowglen and Marybank, then back to town. The sun is warm, in contrast to the cold wind. A girl decided to choke in Willowglen, but her mate is standing by. The big yacht still lies anchored off Arnish. Late in the evening, word goes round that a 36-year old motorcyclist was killed in a crash just up the road. He collided with a cyclist in Viewfield Terrace, only 200 yards away. Police and ambulance service attend. I've seen the biker concerned many a time, roaring up and down Macaulay Road. It turns out he lived out in Tong, about 4 miles away. He rode a yellow machine, and was decked out in garishly coloured leathers. The teenager, who was riding the bicycle, was seriously injured.

Friday 03/06/05

Rain has given way to heavy showers. Have an extended breakfast with the cyclists, who are an interesting bunch to talk to, as they are also walking enthusiasts. All sorts of tales out of bothies &c. They are heading off on the lunchtime ferries. Showers continue more on than off through the morning. The yacht in the Glumag is swivelling around its anchor. The showers clear by mid afternoon, leaving warm sunshine. It's June after all! Walk over to Goat Island to take a picture of the yacht. Share an Indian meal with mrs B, and close proceedings with a game of Scrabble, which I lose this time round. It's still light at 1 a.m.

Marine Turtles

There are 7 species of marine turtle left in the world. The leatherback turtle is the larges; the biggest ever found measured 2.9 m (nearly 10 ft) in length and weighed 915 kg. They eat jellyfish, which is why they occur in British waters. Eggs are laid on tropical beaches. The temperature during the incubation period dictates the gender. Anything above 29C creates females, under 29C and it's male. The hatchlings head for the light horizon, where moon and stars reflect off the water. The land behind the beach is usually dark. Threats include egg poaching, development of beaches (hotels) and light pollution. Turtles die of starvation at sea after ingesting plastic bags, which they mistake for jellyfish. They can drown after becoming entangled in static fishing gear, like ropes for lobster cages.

All sightings of marine turtles should be reported on http://www.euroturtle.org/turtlecode

Turtles that are fitted with a satellite transmitter can be tracked via http://www.cccturtle.org/sat1.htm

Organisation that are concerned with sea turtles are SNH (in Scotland), and the MCS (Marine Conservation Society).

Thursday 02/06/05

The day dawns dreich and it gradually starts to rain by 10 a.m.. In the afternoon, it's absolutely tipping down, so once again no outdoor activity. I'm in town three times, first to get papers and a haircut. Second time round I use the internet in the library and borrow two books. One book is a droolingly sweet and inaccurate account of a journey through the Hebrides. I'm left to ponder how on earth they can manage to stretch the 10 mile hike from Tolsta to Ness to 13 miles and where was the Doune Tower Hotel. It's supposed to be 6 miles north of Tolsta, but there is no indication of any permanent building anywhere along the route. Walked it twice myself. Four totally soaked cyclists book in, who cycled from Gearrannan to Butt of Lewis to Stornoway, all of 55 miles. Very unpleasant conditions. I head off to a meeting about sea turtles at 7.30, but the meeting suddenly turns out to be commencing at 8.30 pm. A separate journal entry is dedicated to this meeting. Afterwards, I chat to our brave cyclists who hail from Banchory on Deeside. They are on a sponsored trip to raise funds for a project in Nigeria. They are cycling from Barra to Butt, south to north in order to have the prevailing (SW) winds in their backs. The weather being what it has been for the last few months, they have had headwinds all the way. Oh a huge yacht lies anchored between Arnish and Goat Island. It even has its own private helicopter!

Wednesday 01/06/05

Mrs B has left for Inverness for the day, and I'm left 'home alone'. With the weather being its atrocious worst - tipping down with rain - I do absolutely zilch. My landlady returns at 8.20, and we share a meal she brough back from Inverness

Tuesday 31/05/05

My only activity of the day took place in the evening, when I went across to Shawbost to listen to the corncrake. Bus left at 7.30 pm, but it managed to leave town 10 minutes late. Changed into another minibus at Barvas to head into Shawbost. This was full of teenagers in Shawbost School uniforms. The driver dropped me off in the wrong part of the village, Carnan Park instead of South Shawbost. Had to walk across from the Fibhig end to South Shawbost and the cross street to Loch a'Bhaile. As I went down the last street, I noticed a group of 15 people, some with telescopes. Heard two corncrakes and 2 folks actually saw the birds concerned. Also saw a diver and a mallard flying past. Very nice and peaceful, although when we left at 9.30, it did get a little nippy. Got a lift back to town with some tourists and had a pleasant journey back.

Monday 30/05/05

So, on Saturday the undercarriage of the mailplane collapsed as it landed at the local airport. Got drawn into an all day social natter at mrs B's kitchentable. The kitchen table is incidentally the focal point of island life. Turned slightly sour when one gent alleged I knew nothing of island culture. He has never spoken to me before at all, so that was not very nice. At half past midnight, went on a walk to Goat Island and heard a corncrake!

Sunday 29/05/05

Today was spent in idle sloth, apart from writing an acerbic letter to the Free Press. This was in response to a report in last week's edition, which recounted some of the utterances by local councillors re the Lewis windfarms. So, if you stop the grouse shoots, this should offset the effects of the windfarms - because they have an adverse effect on what they eat! Grubs, heathershoots??? The £16m being pledged towards the South Lochs economy will only benefit those that have subscribed to Nick Oppenheim's Muaitheabhal [Muyaval] trust. I just do not believe that the Free Press blindly swallows all this crap. 80% of people in north Lewis are opposed to the windfarms. Anyway, had my dinner served by mrs B, again. The weather was wet to start with, but cleared up later on. It was not fully dark at 1 a.m.

Saturday 28/05/05

Awoke to some atrocious weather, easterly gale and pouring rain. The Muirneag was unable to dock, and had to go out again. Heard that Kenny There you go MacLeod and AJ Kennedy, Isles FM presenters, were both arrested on air yesterday morning on allegations of torturing listeners for years and a breach of the piss. The arrests were carried out by the top brass of Stornoway police. If listeners pledged £250, they would be released after an hour. Or not. Good laugh. This morning, the Stornoway Half Marathon is being run, nice weather! The wind drives the rain through the woodwork round the windows. Two of mrs B's sons are coming back on the ferry at lunchtime, provided it sails. Heard that the duckrace at Ballantrushal (near Barvas) is cancelled. The wind slowly abates through the day, although it does remain unpleasant. Was served dinner by mrs B.