BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE AND WILD HORSES

Eriskay in front; South Uist in distance

The ferry from Barra sailing north deposits visitors on Eriskay, a delightful isle filled with romance — for example, the famous Love Lilt and the spot where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed. He set foot on a beach here in the summer of 1745 on the west of Eriskay. I stood on the exact spot.

The isles from Barra north to North Uist are Catholic and statues and

The prince set foot on the sand just below the grass

shrines to the Virgin Mary are dotted along the highways here. I noticed the ticket office on the ferry had several crosses pinned to the walls. The churches are small but exquisite.

I ate a lousy lunch at the pub, MV Politician, memorializing the wreck of this ship that Compton MacKenzie wrote of in Whisky Galore. The movie of the same name was filmed here and on Barra. It took me just an hour to drive all the roads on Eriskay before crossing the causeway onto South Uist to the north.

Loch Druidibeag

South Uist is a long narrow island deeply indented with sea lochs on the east and is one long sand beach and dunes on the west. Inland is moorland rising up to small mountains in the centre of the isle. The Isle of Benbecula separates S. Uist from N. Uist and they are connected by causeways. Today it was very warm with little wind and good visibility.


I stopped at Kildonan Museum and was struck by the hard lives of those who eked out a living here before WW1. They survived by fishing and digging peat. Today they still fish but also farm sheep and some cattle. These roam freely and are often found in the middle of the roads.

I also took some detours from the main north-south road and saw thatched crofts, castle ruins, and many Mute Swans on the lochs. The history here dates back to Neolithic times and Christianity arrived very early. I tooks some photos of some ruined chapels that were built in the 13th century but probably were a Christian worship site much earlier.

A wild pony on N. Uist

My highlight on North Uist was a side trip to Lochs Druidibeag and Sgioport, down a long winding lane to the east coast. At the very end, beside the ruin of a croft were two wild ponies. They are small, like Shetlands, and were quite unfazed by my presence. On the way back to the main road, I stopped and photographed a herd of blonde ponies grazing beside the road and stepping delicately around the heather.

After seven hours of driving, I arrived at the Hamersay House in Lochmaddy on North Uist. This is a modern hotel with a bar and a recommended restaurant. However my duck breast was overdone, which was disappointing.

It was a long day of driving, but rewarding. I'm happy that I have three nights here and, hopefully, a rest before moving on to Harris and Lewis.

This tour of the Outer Hebrides was customized for us by McKinlay Kidd and saved us the bother of figuring out and booking ferries and hotels. They also gave us the places we should see on our travels here. So far, it has proved to be perfect.

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2014. All rights reserved

EXPLORING BARRA AND VATERSAY

Castlebay, Barra

After landing at Barra's beach airport, one of the world's ten best approaches, I drove into Castlebay. This is the main village on the island and is well named for out in the middle of the bay is a medieval castle sitting on a rock. Kisimul has guarded Barra since prehistory. Why? It also has a fresh water spring within it. More later.

I'm staying at Castlebay Hotel, built in 1880, that has a commanding view of the bay. This morning, after an enormous Scottish breakfast, I was ready to explore the whole island and the smaller Isle of Vatersay, to the south. The wind blew the marine cloud away at 11am and I wandered happily.

Earsary on the east coast

Eoligarry in the north

I started on the east coast of Barra, considered to be less beautiful than the west, Atlantic side. It has it's own charm, however. I prowled by rocky, narrow inlets, white houses scattered beside these sheltered harbours, and shooed sheep out of my way. Up the winding road to the north, I found Eoligarry with a small harbour and a vast, empty beach, one of many here. This is a trailhead for hikers and serious walkers as the road ends here. The sun made its appearance and brightened steadily.

The only way to follow the west coast road south was to backtrack a bit, drive past the airport that was preparing for the first flight of the day, and then start stopping around every corner. The coast is sand dunes, empty, and wild. Inland the ground rises to small mountains, covered with rocks, heather, and bracken. The Atlantic swells are unimpeded from the west, and surfers love their purity. I didn't see any, but it's out of season.

Allasdale on Barra's west coast

Along this west side of Barra, the beaches are white sand, crescent-shaped, and quite unspoiled. A walk here is a must. I've found my low-cut hiking boots to be the best thing I packed on this trip. The sand is packed hard by the tides, and the smell of the sea filled my nose. Cattle and sheep were the only living creatures I encountered, except for one woman reading her book on a bench.

The dunes at Allasdale

I circled the whole island and returned to my hotel for a snack lunch in the bar with a pint of pale ale from the Orkneys.

Again I stared at the castle in the bay and read that the Vikings used this site and fortified it before the Clan Macneil made it their stronghold. They were known for their lawlessness and piracy in Elizabethan times. By the 18th century the Macneils had abandoned the castle for a more comfortable spot on Barra. It deteriorated and the clan lost it to bankruptcy as well as their ownership of Barra.

Most of the clan emigrated to Canada and in 1915 one of them made a successful claim to recover the chiefdom and Barra. Eventually the castle underwent an excellent restoration from 1956–1970. It is well worth a visit today by taking a boat tour from Castlebay.

*****

Siar Bay faces west and the Atlantic

I set out for Vatersay, the tiny island south of Barra. A short causeway joins the two islands now, built in 1991. Although tiny, this isle has two of the best beaches in the Hebrides. One faces east and directly behind it, separated by dunes, the other faces the Atlantic.

The roads here are strewn with sheep and often have grass growing down the middle. Sometimes they simply peter out and somehow I had to turn the car around with little room. This lane is the width of a Honda Fit, which is the rental car I have here. I wouldn't want anything bigger....

Eighty people are resident year-round on Vatersay and are mainly fishers and farmers. There is a huge demand for herring, lobster, hake and other fish and shellfish from the Hebrides.

After a pleasant hour exploring, walking, and photographing, I had thoroughly covered the whole of Vatersay. There are no cafés, washrooms, or any facilities for visitors here. Nor a gas station, stores, or gift shops. It is totally unspoiled.

Our tour of the Outer Hebrides was customized for me by McKinlay Kidd, award-winning experts in tours of Scotland and Ireland.

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2014. All rights reserved