Thursday 09/12/04

Was woken in the night by ferocious winds juddering the windows and doors. When I looked out of the window at 9pm, it was blowing a full gale. The sheep nearly blew out of their woollies, the grass lay flat and Loch Erisort had white riders on the water. Walked out at 10 o'clock, just after the bus had left, and headed east along the road. The wind made walking difficult at times, and also tried to wrest my mapcase from me. No such luck. A dog came out to greet me, I said hello, and it went on its way again. Passed through Gearraidh Bhaird / Garyvard, and turned left at the Cabharstadh / Caverstay turning. Reached the road end at 11 o'clock, and was left to my own devices to find a way onto the moors. Bit tricky; there are lots of fences about, and no gates. The first opening left me being buffeted on the edge of a precipice, and having to negotiate some loose wires. Not advisable. So, I backtracked and managed to get into a field with very friendly sheep. My mapcase looks to those animals like a bag of feed, one of them even came right up to me to nuzzle the case. Nah, no luck love. Better go to your ram, he's right behind you... Squeezed through a very narrow opening beside a broken gate and gained the moors. The wind is a hindrance, which makes it force 8. As it is forced up over the hills, it will finally go down towards the loch below at quite a speed. On one of the summits I was nearly blown over, which means it's force 10. Force 9 just makes it impossible to walk. Headed through the hills, at first close to the coastline until the lochan at 371205, then in an eastsoutheasterly direction to a small lochan at 384197. The distance is a little under a mile, but it took me nearly an hour. After that, I finally reached a metalled road at Torasdaidh at 12.15. Wasn't quite sure which way to go, but turning right was the right decision, as this got me onto the road to Cromor - stress the last syllable. Headed northeast battling with the wind. Cromor has streetlights, powered by solar power. The road leads along the inlet of Loch Thorasdaidh, which you'll see on both sides. I headed west at the phonebox, intending to go to Crobeag. Someone let some plastic bags fly out of his hands, they ended up in the sea. Had quite some bother climbing over gates, as the wind was determined to blow me off. Reached the end of the road at Crobeag, and followed the track down to the shore. At low tide, this provides a causeway across to Eilean Chaluim Chille / Columba'sIsland. The tide was in, so I couldn't go across. Found a sheltered spot for some lunch. Whilst sitting there, I noticed that the wind was blowing the crests off the waves, a sure sign that it is approaching stormforce 10. At 1.30, I recommenced my battle with the elements, as I found myself heading straight into the teeth of the gale. For 2½ miles, up to Eishal Junction, I was walking with great difficulty. There is a walkway across to Marbhig / Marvaig, but I wanted to leave that until a day with less wind. Finally reached the junction at 2.45, and the remaining 3½ miles were a lot easier. Reached Kershader at 4pm, just as it got dark. Yep, the sun had set at 3.35. No, didn't do a lot after that. The total distance was about 15 miles, but the wind had made it just that little bit harder!

Wednesday 08/12/04

My alternate day off to town, which cannot be described as the navel of the universe, not even by me. OK, Stornoway has its nice corners, but please don't walk too fast - you're out of it before you can say fork. The weather is the usual drizzle plus strong wind. Nonetheless, that does not bother me, and after updating this journal I went for a walk along Newton / Einicleit, then up Island Road as far as the school. Island Road turns into Smith Avenue after the industrial estate. Went into Smithfield Drive, which is closed to traffic. The primary reason is the big school along it, the secondary one being the huge flood. Took the 12.30 bus down to Balallan, and regular readers will be aware that there is no connecting service into South Lochs at 1pm. So off I trudged into the rain. Couldn't even wait at the Claitair Hotel, as that is closed on a Tuesday. Fortunately, a lady with a small child in the backseat pulled up alongside and offered me a lift. She had the heating turned up at full blast, so I sat perspiring as she drove me the remaining 4 miles to Kershader. Had a bit of a chat about current developments in the area, like the proposed buy-out. Next time something happens on that front will be in May or June 2005. Returned to the hostel at 1.30, and I was too bl**dy lazy to do anything else for the rest of the afternoon. Shame, shame.

Tuesday 07/12/04

Took the southbound bus as far south as Ath-Linn. opposite Seaforth Island. I had to tell the driver where it was. Grid reference 197120. There is this track that leads northnorthwest towards Loch Langabhat. It goes up at a punishing gradient, getting up to an altitude of 270m, 900ft in 2 miles. The view back is stunning, as you look straight down Loch Seaforth towards the sea. It looks like a fjord, and is only one of a few sealochs in Scotland to actually bear that semblance. The other ones being Lochs Nevis and Hourn, north of Mallaig. They are surrounded by mountains close on 4,000 feet high. Loch Seaforth's mountains aren't that high, but none the less dramatic. Once you crest the summit, Loch Langabhat comes into view. I've mentioned this loch last week, when I could see its length from Roineabhal, west of Balallan. The distance is not that great, about 6 miles. Back to the trip. Was overtaken by a couple of guys in green in a landrover, who said they were going stalking. Well, they went to the end of the road by the lochside and came straight back. I didn't see any deer either, to be honest. To the left of the track the cliffs of Liuthad (492m) rear up, a pretty dramatic aspect. Loch Langabhat stretches out for many miles, effectively blocking any links between east and west on the Long Island. Morsgail is only 5-6 miles away to the northwest, but requires an impossibly long detour through Leurbost and Garynahine - I think it totals 40-50 miles to reach there from here. On arriving at the shore, there were two rowing boats. One had a big hole in the side, the other was full of water, and consequently too heavy to shift. I wouldn't have minded going for a row on the water... Unfortunately, this would have landed me in all sorts of trouble on account of the wind. The strong southerly wind would have blown me right out of my way. Walked up the shoreline for half a mile, then turned back. I knew the return trip to Ath Linn would take me an hour, and it did. I only had a few minutes to spare before the bus turned up, and it duly deposited me at Balallan, for the change to the South Lochs bus. Was back at Kershader at 3pm, only to find that I didn't quite have enough dosh to pay for more than one night. And I also needed food. The shop does not have a massive variety of food, this is actually alarmingly restricted. Bread only comes in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Nearest shop of any description - Stornoway, 22 miles away. In other words, another tripin order tomorrow.

Monday 06/12/04

Made no posting in the Northern Trip blog, but as it was Monday it was a bustrip up and down to Stornoway.

Sunday 05/12/04

Went out for a bit of walk at 11 o'clock in the morning. After a night of rattling windows, doors and what have you, it was a perfect morning. Not a breath of wind, quite acceptable temperature (10C). Went on to the moors, first across to Gravir Glen. Oh, the Gaelic name of that township may make some of you smile. Grabhair. The 'bh' is pronounced as a 'v', and the 'ai' as a short 'ee'. It was the usual bogslog, but I am familiar with the walk, and managed to avoid the deep water at the southern end of Loch nan Eilean by going down right to the shoreline of the loch before crossing that treacherous little stream. Reached Gravir Glen at 12.30, and crossed the valley. Climbed onto the hills on its southern side for some lunch, then continued south, with the aim of reaching Orinsay. The going was quite difficult, lots of bogs and tussocks. The orientation was quite tricky as well. The lie of the land, the hills and valleys, makes you divert off the southerly course. You're forever tempted to head southwest, but that is wrong. You'll end up in all sorts of bother by a major loch system a bit further west, and you might even find yourself in the Eishken Estate. Getting onto the road at Orinsay is simple, once you have crossed that blinking stream, that decides to go meandering at that point. Do NOT go right, as you'll run into an unmountable fence. Reached the road at 2.30. The weather was changing gradually but inexorably all the way through the hike. First the sun went. I did not really mind that. It is very low in the sky, only 8 degrees at noon, so it is right in the eyes. Then the wind started to pick up. Walked up the road again, which passes right on the northern edge of Lemreway, and proceeded back towards the centre of Gravir (only a small village, but very strung out). Once out of Gravir, at 3.45, the rain came. The roadsign at Eishal Junction quotes an incorrect roadnumber: B8066, which should be B8060. I was offered a lift about 3 miles east of Kershader, which I did not decline. The light had virtually gone. There was no traffic on the road for the 2 hours I walked along it. Returned to the hostel at 4.20. The gale came back, as did the rain.

Saturday 04/12/04

Saturday was not noteworthy, really. The bustimetables have changed, and not for the better. The first bus doesn't go until 11.39, and it leaves Stornoway again at 14.20, so you have precious little time to do what you have to do on a Saturday. Return to Kershader at 3pm, which leaves precisely 1 hour of daylight. I'll have to stop watching this much telly... Oh, the weather, before I forget about it. Atrocious! It was blowing a gale and the rain was horizontal. Fortunately, this usually means that it is mild, and 12C is mild.

Friday 03/12/04

After a brief trip to Stornoway for shopping purposes, I took the 12.30 bus back to Balallan and disappeared onto the moors behind the township. It's basically down the track towards Ròineabhal, and then straight ahead. Following the track down onto the moors gets you into some pretty dodgy terrain. The ground moves as you walk along, and there are some pretty horrendous bogs. There is a gate, where the farmer has left some pallets on the ground. They are slowly sinking into the bog. If you step on them, you do stay afloat, but there is a horrendous smell. The hill in front is Treallabhal, which you cannot reach. There is a very big loch in front, Loch Treallabhal, which stretches for miles in either direction. On return to Balallan, I was exactly in time for the bus back to Kershader. Chatted briefly to the driver, who told me that he had once sunk into a bog up to his armpits, and he had to be hauled out by two others. He would never have managed by himself.