A Week of Islands

Our week in the outer Hebrides started with a long 2 day journey and a stop in Fort William to break the journey. This is Island No. 1 and the bridge over to the Island of Skye. It is a very long island and it took almost 90 minutes to drive to the Ferry Terminal at Uig.

 

The Ferry Terminal at Uig. From there to Lochmaddy in North Uist it is an hour and three quarters Ferry crossing and the weather was perfect.

Island No. 2 North Uist and my first walk on our nearest beach on our first evening.

Another beach near the cottage and a perfect expanse of white sand.

Island No. 3 called Baleshare to the west of North Uist and this is the Causeway across to it.

This is John and Sandria on the huge barrier of loose pebbles next to the beach on Baleshare.

Island No 4 is Flodaigh which is the smallest island we visited. John was very impressed with this old Vauxhall car but decided it might cost a bit too much to repair.

The Causeway to Flodaigh

A thatched cottage on Flodaigh

Island No 5 is Benbecula and a fresh water Loch.

These are 2 panorama photographs on North Uist at a place called Sollas taken by John to show the magical colours of the sky and sea at the time he took them.

Island No 6 is Berneray and the causeway to it from North Uist.

This is Peat Cuttings just next to Berneray.

Island No 7 is Eriskay, the island featured in the film Whisky Galore and the Ferry arriving at Eriskay Ferry Terminal to take us to our next island Barra.

John and myself on a lovely viewpoint overlooking the harbour at Eriskay

Eriskay harbour.

Island No 8 is Barra and this photo taken by John is one of the nicest views on our week long holiday. This is the bay where the scheduled flight from Glasgow arrives. We watched the arrival of this flight just to the left of this.

The plane from Glasgow is just about to offload its passengers.

Island No 9 and our favourite one is Vatersay. This is the East Beach on the Isthmus that splits the island. 

This is the West Beach on the other side of the narrow Isthmus. It was a most enjoyable holiday despite the bad weather and I drove nearly 1000 miles in the week with a fair bit of them on single track roads. 

A Visit to Berneray and a Meeting With two Crofters

A drive this morning to the north of North Uist and a visit to the Island of Berneray. This is a Croft near Berneray where we stopped to visit a War Memorial and I had a long blether with a Crofting couple.

This is Crofters Effie and Andy who were cutting Peat just near the War memorial. They were both in their early 70s and had about 50 acres of Croft with Sheep and Cattle. They cut Peat every year and its really hard work, but they were the happiest and most contented couple I have ever met and very happy with their life on North Uist. It was a real pleasure to meet them.

A lovely inlet near Berneray

Cut Peat left over from 2020

Andy and Effie's cottage

This is called Macleod's Folly

A Caterpillar near the Peat cuttings

The memorial placed by Andy and his family. Their son served in Afghanistan for 10 years.

Land to be cut for Peat later this year

Inscription at the War memorial

One of a pair of Buzzards sitting on a disused cottage chimney

The other Buzzard

A grand view from the Peat cuttings

The Causeway to Berneray

The Peat cut by Andy and Effie this spring.