Scottish Islands Explorer 44: Jul / Aug 2017

SCOTTISH
ISLANDS
THE UK’S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO EXPLORING THE ISLANDS OF SCOTLAND
EXPLORER
RUM
Island and Castle
Erraid
Stone Circle
JULY/AUG 2017 £3.95
Ulva
Mull
Hidden Secrets
Black Isle
Happy Valley
Orkney
Plus: Seaweed - Island Shopping - Archaeology - and much more ...

ISLAND AND WILDLIFE CRUISES OFF SCOTLAND’S BEAUTI-
FUL HEBRIDEAN COAST
Happy Valley
Page 40
Outposts & Milestones
Fionnphort
Page 16
Page 32
SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER July / August 2017 Volume 18 / Issue 4
NORTHERN LIGHT
CRUISING COMPANY
Exploring St Kilda, Mingulay, The Shiants, North Rona
and many other Hebridean Islands.
Small groups - maximum 12 guests • From long-weekends to 10 nights aboard.
Great Food • Birds • Cetaceans • Walking • Photo Opportunities
Call Michelle on 01599 555723
info@northernlight-uk.com
northernlight-uk.com
Editor
John Humphries
editor@scottishislandsexplorer.com
01379 890270
Publisher
Tom Humphries
publisher@scottishislandsexplorer.com
Production Design
Deborah Bryce
production@scottishislandsexplorer.com
Proofreader
Linda Spiteri
Circulation and Enquiries
Steve Tiernan
www.magazineworkshop.co.uk
01422 410615
Regular Contributors
Tom Aston
Roger Butler
Marc Calhoun
Richard Clubley
James Hendrie
Mavis Gulliver
Jack Palfrey
James Petre
Stephen Roberts
Andrew Wiseman
Administration
Ravenspoint Press Ltd
Kershader Isle of Lewis HS2 9QA
01851 830316
info@scottishislandsexplorer.com
www.scottishislandsexplorer.com
Published bi-monthly
Printed by Buxton Press Ltd
Palace Road Buxton SK17 5AE
01298 212000
Next issue on sale: 18 August 2017
©Ravenspoint Press Ltd
All rights reserved.
ISSN: 1476-6469
Distribution
Warners Group Publications Plc
The Maltings West Street
Bourne Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
01778 391000
Front Cover
The Stone Circle on Erraid
by Richard Holland
CONTENTS
4 Editor John Humphries and Guest Columnist Vivien Martin
5 Vision for 2020 with Walks, the Quiz and Winners
6 Insights One on Ways, Means and Images of Island Life
7 Insights Two on the Wild, Remote, Attractions, Generations & Heavens
8 Impressions of Ulva
Barbara Sellars assesses the ‘barren’, ‘rough’ and ‘of no extent’
13 The Roost on the Black Isle
Jack Palfrey enjoys the innovations and activities of hidden secrets
15 Islands Beyond
Tom Aston shows how Alistair MacLean brought limelight to Bear Island
16 Outposts and Milestones
Robin Cooke responds to Sylvie Sarabia’s paintings
20 Rum’s Kinloch Castle
Emily Richard’s learned to love and be inspired by island and castle
24 Readers’ Opportunities One
For Hospitality and Travel
25 Readers’ Opportunities Two
Shaun Fraser’s First Solo Show & Kevin Percival’s Exhibition
26 Centrepiece
Shona Grant, landscape photographer, is drawn back to South Uist
28 It’s a Shore Thing
Roger Butler looks at seaweed in the Scottish islands
32 Fionnphort
Richard Holland sees more than Mull’s gateway to Iona
36 Island Shopping
Mavis Gulliver saw how community shops serve their localities
40 Happy Valley
Stephen Roberts on a hidden oasis in Orkney
42 The Blind Piper
Andrew Wiseman focuses on Lachlan Bàn MacCormick of Benbecula
46 Uist - Archaeology in Focus
Tom Aston keenly anticipates a conference in early August
48 Responses
Tim Farquhar on Tanera Mòr
49 Crossword Sponsored by the Islands Book Trust
Tom Johnson has put together his 29th challenge
50 Island Incidents
Barbara Sellars reveals more of Inchcailloch in Summer
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 3

Editor’s Welcome / Guest Columnist
VISION FOR 2020
Editor
John Humphries
considers island profiles
Emeritus Professor Barry Higman, of the Australian National
University and the University of the West Indies, is an
enthusiast for both islands and insularity; for landscape, in
general, and planarity, in particular. His recent book, Flatlands,
compares parts of the world which some people would
consider unexciting, those apparently endless plains which
stretch to the horizons.
So he examines the African Savannah, the Great Plains of
America, the Tibetan Plateau, the Russian Steppes, the Low
Countries and the English Fens. What excites him is summed
up by what he calls the ‘notion of invariance’. However, he does
bring to life the differences that they create, while suggesting
that many modern sports are bound to be boring because of
their requirement for a level playing-field.
So turning from those running tracks, race-courses,
chessboards, cricket pitches, football fields, even ping-pong
and snooker tables - that all have to be as standardised as
possible - consider the profiles of islands, especially in the
waters around Scotland. The ‘invariance’ element here is the
sea, at least on a calm day, while each island and islet has a
shape that can captivate and be etched in memory.
Those of us who like islands - and there must be very few of
our readers and subscribers who do not - will all have various
outlines that can be quickly summoned to mind. My cherished
ones are Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel, from childhood
visits to Weston-super-Mare, and North Rona, observed for the
first time at 4:00 am from the bridge of the cruise ship, the MV
Professor Molchanov.
Take a map of the Scottish coastline, trace the coastal outlines
and then picture profiles. For me, there’s Davaar in the southwest;
Bass Rock in the south-east; the St Kilda group in the
north-west, Foula in the north-east. The one that will probably
elude me is in the ‘Far West’ - Rockall. Witnessed by some
fortunate travellers and, allegedly, scaled by fewer people than
have walked on the Moon. Dream on!
John Humphries
For the Editor’s daily item on Scottish islands, go to
john-humphries.blogspot.com
Guest Columnist
Vivien Martin finds
real adventure
Living in the West of Scotland, islands have always been
part of my life. As a child, school holidays meant
heading to Arran for a much-anticipated break from
everyday routines. Arran heralded freedom, and setting foot
on the ferry was always a moment of great excitement - it
marked the start of the adventure.
On Arran we holidayed in a tiny white-washed cottage in
High Corrie; raced around in rowing boats in Brodick Bay
trying to catch the wake from the huge Calmac ferries; leapt
across stepping stones at North Sannox; climbed Goatfell;
explored caves; found ‘treasures’ washed up on the shore
after storms; saw seals and basking sharks; and cycled
everywhere - no matter how steep the hills!
Other islands followed. Over the years we’ve travelled the
length and breadth of the Outer Hebrides; house- and
chicken-sat on Coll; been stormbound on Colonsay;
spotted otters on Skye; radioed for rescue from Eileach-an-
Naoimh; explored Iron Age duns on Bute; looked for St
Kilda from North Uist; stood before massive standing
stones on Orkney and Lewis. The thrill of visiting islands
has never diminished.
But why islands? What draws us to them? I think it’s partly
because, bounded by water, they have a distinct ‘containedness’,
a completeness, which few other places have. Given time
it becomes possible to understand their individual histories,
culture and nature as a recognisable whole.
Moreover, they are places apart, reachable only by crossing
water. Throughout history, islands have been seen as
mysterious places: unknown; on the horizon waiting to be
explored. Even today, boarding the ferry and leaving behind
the every-day, the mundane, the normal, there is a sense of
excitement as you set sail towards another world.
Then there’s the sea itself. The endless changing faces of
water: from huge Atlantic breakers crashing onto the shore
during a storm, powerful and elemental; to the
continuous changing patterns of light on water that speak
so deeply to the human psyche.
Islands fascinate me. I love learning ever more about them.
Along with that greater understanding comes the glorious
realisation that there’s always more to discover ... and that’s
a real adventure!
Vivien Martin
The Scottish Islands Explorer blog [http://john-humphries.blogspot.com] made its entry on
11 May 2011, with a piece on the Barra airport, and a different topic has appeared every day
since then. Some weeks ago the half-millionth page-visit was made by a reader from
somewhere throughout the world. A new item surfaces at 8:00 in the UK or at midnight,
Pacific Time, where the 2,200 plus entries are hosted. Please log on and, perhaps, drill down
for information of interest.
Walks
It is the ambition of many to reach
St Kilda and to step foot on Hirta.
Continuing to walk to parts of the
island is highly recommended.
Priorities are needed before starting
out in Village Bay. Basically it is to
look up and judge your head for
heights; look across to Dun to get a
sense of perspective; look into the
Quiz
Photograph of walkers in the Village Street by Angus Bruce.
David Hoult presents his 40th challenge with an emphasis
on ‘Islomania’. It’s a condition in which a fascination for
islands can increase according to their remoteness. Identify
the following far-flung fragments of Scottish land.
1. Forty miles north of Lewis, a rocky islet visited
annually by men from Lewis to harvest young
gannets.
2. Between Orkney and Shetland, it is often described
as the most remote inhabited island in the UK.
3. A privately-owned archipelago situated five miles
south east of Lewis.
4. Twelve miles south of Barra, and uninhabited since
evacuation in 1912.
church and school, the houses and
cemetery as well as the shop.
However, don’t look too closely at
the installations on the shoreline,
dating from the time of the Army
occupation. It’s where physical or
mental photo-cropping is needed!
Then comes the decision about how
far to ascend. The road to the radar
station at Mullach Mor is metalled
and evident throughout its course.
The views at its summit are fine,
taking in Boreray and with a detour,
Soay.
For the fit and keen the full threeand-a-half
miles in a comparable
number of hours provides the full
panorama and the sense of being
an indigenous St Kildan with a climb
to just over 1,500ft. This is
Conachair, the highest sea cliff in
Britain; with the route over The Gap
and views to Gleann Mor, inhabited
in ancient times, but long-deserted.
There are tracks, but with some
slippery surfaces beneath and often
disturbed birds above. Some feats
are to be avoided - with emulating
the requirements of the young on
the Lover’s Stone being one of
them. The St Kildans were so agile
on the steep slopes that an
evolutionary feature became evident
– prehensile toes. Just make sure
that your footwear is sound and legs
are sturdy.
5. An island 20 miles west of Shetland Mainland,
where Christmas Day is said to be observed on 6
January.
6. An archipelago west of Lewis, notorious for the
mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse
keepers in December 1900.
7. The northernmost island of Orkney, notable for its
distinct breed of sheep, which feeds on seaweed.
8. An archipelago designated a World Heritage Site,
situated 40 miles west of North Uist.
9. An island in the Firth of Clyde, colloquially known
as Paddy’s Milestone.
10. A granite rock 230 miles west of North Uist.
Answers on Page 50
Winners of Orkney -
A Special Place
Anne Cormack / Irene Dendle /
Rod Wallis
4 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 5

Page
INSIGHTS
Index Header
INSIGHTS
Page Index Header
Ways, Means and Images of Island Life Wild - Remote - Attractions - Partnerships -
Generations - Heavens
Walking The Hebridean Way
by Richard Barrett
£14.95 Cicerone
978-1-85284-727-2
The Hebridean Way is now open for those
who like the challenge of a long-distance
walking route or are content to participate
along stretches of it. This book is a must for
those intent on planning or those who
want a guide in hand. Its maps identify, its
words inform, its photographs illustrate.
Why not acquire a copy as a bonus? Look
at the inside back cover of this magazine.
This autobiography starts with a young
The Potter’s Tale -
A Colonsay Life
by Dion Alexander
£9.99 Birlinn 978-1-78027-473-7
man, Di Alexander, arriving to work in
Colonsay in 1971, unaware that the
island would become his home and his
mentor. He considers the many aspects
of community, family and commercial
challenges before eventually leaving for
a new career in rural housing. Professor
Jim Hunter’s foreword places the story
in the wider context of Highlands &
Islands development.
Bradt was founded in 1974 and is now the
6 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
Outer Hebrides
by Mark Rowe
£14.99 Bradt (UK)
978-1-78477-036-5
largest independently-owned travel-guide
publisher in the UK with 200 titles in
print. This one is certainly comprehensive,
has been compiled by an enthusiast and
makes an independent judgement on what
to see and do, where to eat and stay and on
that all important factor, getting around.
Here’s a book for car-pocket, rucksack or
cycle-pannier.
Many readers of this magazine must have
The Island in Imagination
and Experience
by Barry Smith
£12.99 Saraband 978-1-91019-279-5
islomaniac tendencies so that this book
should be at their bedsides to encourage
a widening of perspective - to encompass
the literary, discovery, geography,
mythology and psychology. Earth is
apparently home to some half-million
islands, each with its inhabitants and
followers. That’s a lot of people waiting to
learn more about the nature of their
home or hobby or both.
Here is a compendium, sturdily bound
Wild Guide Scotland
by Kimberley Grant, David
Cooper & Richard Gaston
£16.99 Wild Things Publishing
978-1-91063-612-1
with extending covers, that is a guide to
750 secret places and wild adventures.
Readers are led to natural swimming
pools, ancient forests, lost ruins, hidden
beaches, secret islands, miniature glens,
compelling grottoes and sacred places.
Outlets for slow food and drink as well as
wild camping are included. The focus is
on the Highlands & Islands
The author successfully places the
The Island Spirit - Living
with the Tides on the
Western Isles
Photographs by Jörg Waste Poems by
Peter Kerr Essay by John Randall
£52.00 Blurb Inc
blurb.co.uk/b/7836068-the-island-spirit
lives and work of the world-famous
Stevenson lighthouse engineers in their
social and historical context. It draws on
accounts by literary figures, Walter Scott
and, inevitably, Robert Louis Stevenson.
The focus is on Orkney and Shetland
with the climax being the rock on which
the ‘impossible lighthouse’ was built,
Muckle Flugga.
It’s always worth remembering that this magazine has
been designed on the Island of Jura. The photograph that
features on this page appears in Konrad Borkowski’s book
Jura - The Wild Island. Google the details and you will be
transported to the details of his compilation of outstanding
images in a book to be purchased.
As our quiz-compiler, David Hoult, indicates, many
readers have a yearning for the remote. There is nowhere
more so in the United Kingdom than Rockall. It is strange
to think that the islet existed without much publicity for
millennia. Then in the 1950s it sprang to media attention
with James Fisher’s book and the annexing of the rock.
There are collectors of a multitude of items, places and
information. One group that can assist in getting you to
remote islands is SIBLETS - the Significant Islands of
Britain of Low Elevation of interest to Trippers. Again,
google the mnemonic and you will find details of outlying
islets that have probably escaped your attention.
Journeys on the Far North Line from Dingwall to Thurso
and Wick take time, but supply endless vistas of terrain. Its
great feature is to cross the Flow Country of Caithness
without road support. There are prospective plans to
introduce a sleeper service to connect with the Northern
Islands’ ferry from Scrabster. Watch this space.
Property prices in Orkney and Shetland have shown a
steady growth when many areas of Britain have been
stagnating. There are several factors: entrepreneurial
activity connected with fuel supplies of oil, wind- or tidalpower;
a happiness factor associated with a healthy
climate; space; a range of domestic, residential styles.
Purchasing a house often depends on two people or in
Photograph by Konrad Borkowski.
most cases a couple. So weddings that make a contract of
partnership are a rite of passage for many. It’s as well to
recall that marriages in England and Wales are focused on
the licensing of buildings; those in Scotland depend on the
proximity of the registrar.
The enthusiasm of one generation is not always the
preferred option of the next. However, the legacy of Vice-
Admiral Sir Roddy Macdonald was to bequeath his artists’
studio to a Skye charity so that The Admiral’s House at Brae
will be available to painters in the 21st Century.
When a parent becomes keen to introduce concepts of
travel to his or her child(ren), there can be complications.
Neve appears to have overcome many obstacles and, if you
are interested, go to her website by accessing the blog, You
Can’t Take a Baby - A Mum and Two Kids Take on the World.
Many parents would have reservations about taking their
children on a bicycle or on foot along The Hebridean Way.
These are routes for adults who want a challenge of taking
on distance, terrain and the wind. However, they have
recently been opened and are proving popular.
Looking out for economies? Then the growth of solar- and
wind-power devices are generating both power and income
for astute investors. In Orkney, in particular, there is a new
industry connected with the harnessing of tidal energy. For
some it will not be working wives bringing in income, but
working waves.
Gallan Head, beyond Uig on the Isle of Lewis, is, indeed,
cut off. It has installations that were part of our defence
network. Now its focus is to be on higher things - for soon
it could be the Cetus Observatory with views not only along
a stunning shoreline, but to the heavens.
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 7

Impressions of Ulva
Impressions of Ulva
‘Today, there are just four adults and two
children living permanently on Ulva.’
Impressions of Ulva
Barbara Sellars assesses the ‘barren’, ‘rough’ and ‘of no extent’
It was a grey, wet morning at Ulva Ferry, a
thoroughly dreich start to an April day.
Head to toe in waterproofs, my husband and I
were waiting for the ferryman to catch sight of
the red painted board - our request for passage
over to the Isle of Ulva. Thankfully, we were
not having to shout to attract his attention, as
was the case for the travellers, Johnson and
Boswell back in 1773.
The voice of their accompanying servant
could not be heard above the wind of a raw
October night. I can imagine the scene.
Fortunately, the red board is very effective; the
ferry duly arrived within minutes to convey us
to the small island, seven-and-a half miles long
by two-and-a-half miles wide.
At least, it looks small on a map, but as we
were about to discover, it is comparably large
with a surprisingly varied landscape. Ulva has
its own woodlands, moorlands, glens,
mountains, sea cliffs and beaches. It also has a
history, some of it tragic; a place deeply
affected by the Clearances and with more than
its fair share of abandoned crofts.
Narrow Strait
In a brief conversation on the boat, the
ferryman tells me that some 50 visitors per day
are ferried across this narrow strait that
separates the island from its neighbour, Mull.
Tourism is the mainstay of the economy. There
is a restaurant, The Boathouse, with something
of a reputation for seafood. There are several
way-marked paths and we had planned to
combine a number of them, taking in
woodland, shoreline and a visit to the remains
of what had once been the largest township at
Ormaig.
Leaving the jetty, we were soon heading
south on a narrow, muddy path through trees.
Lush growth of deep green moss clothing old
walls and the trunks of the trees gave a rich
and vibrant atmosphere. There’s a distinct feel
of past grandeur in this corner of the island
which was once the ancestral home of the
Clan Macquarrie. It was the last clan chief,
Macquarrie XVI, who had entertained
Johnson and Boswell on that wild October
night.
Shortly after, in 1777, he sold the island to
pay off debts. The advertisement described it as
being ‘in a state of nature’. However, it was
about to undergo a rapid rise in fortunes
followed by an equally rapid decline. It all
began with the Peninsula War. The Spanish
barilla plant was the source of soda ash, a vital
ingredient in the production of glass and soap.
The war cut off the supply and kelp was its
replacement (albeit an inferior one).
8 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 9

Impressions of Ulva
Impressions of Ulva
magnificent view over a plethora of
islands: Little Colonsay, the Treshnish
Isles, Iona, Staffa, the dramatic cliffs of the
Ardmeanach on Mull and the many islets
just offshore. It’s a stunning location.
Melancholy Note
As we wandered around the remains of the
old buildings, I could only think how hard it
must have been for those who lived and
worked here to find themselves forced from
their homes and, most especially, for the
families that had been on Ulva long before its
rapid rise and decline. It’s easy to be romantic
about such things - perhaps it was a hard life
for the crofters and the industry came in as a
gift, an ultimately cruel gift. It’s a beautiful
place but with a distinct melancholy note.
Up above the old village, perched on a rock
amongst the stalks of last year’s bracken,
celandines dotted everywhere and a cluster of
primroses in the shade at my feet, I absorbed
the view. Johnson and Boswell never came to
this spot. Having been told that Ulva is ‘an
island of no great extent, rough and barren’,
they spent the one night with the clan chief
and cleared off the next morning on their way
to Iona.
I reflected on this description. Of no great
extent? Well, we had spent two days there
and sampled only a very small part of it.
Barren? With 500 species of plants recorded,
a wealth of wildlife including a rarity (the
Slender Scotch Burnet Moth occurs only
here and on a small number of locations on
Mull) plus our own first-hand experience of
the moss rich, diverse woodland, it is not
barren.
Rough? Yes, it is rough and wild, but is, after
all, a ‘Hebridean’ island and a wild note is
what I expect from a place with that epithet.
Ulva’s website describes it as ‘a world apart’. I
can go along with that description.
Page 8 top: View over Ormaig towards
Little Colonsay and other island’s
offshore
Below: Ulva Woodland.
Opposite left: The ruins of Ormaig.
Below: Moss covered old boundary
wall behind the Livingstone Croft.
Photographs taken by the author,
Barbara Sellars.
Population Rose
Ulva’s kelp was particularly fine and by the early 19th
Century, the island was the home of a thriving processing
industry. The population rose from 266 to over 600, living
in 16 townships. To support the greater numbers, potato had
replaced oats as the staple food. Then the war ended, barilla
was back and the kelp industry collapsed.
The potato blight of 1846 was the proverbial last straw. The
then owner, Francis William Clark, cleared the island rapidly
of a population that could no longer pay rent or feed itself.
The now more profitable sheep replaced the people. Today,
there are just four adults and two children living permanently
on Ulva.
We had emerged from the trees into an open landscape
above the south shore with a grand, but grey view today
across the waters of Loch na Keal towards the cliffs of Gribun
on Mull. Navigating a rough path along the coastline, we
eventually gained sight of the columnar basalt cliffs which
rise steeply from the shore below before our route turned
inland.
The Livingstone Croft
Crossing the long ridges and furrows of disused lazy beds,
we climbed to a high point beyond which a wide valley
opened up before us, the ground rising again over the far side.
Directly below were the remains of several cottages and in
the distance the ruins of what we guessed was the Livingstone
croft, where the grandparents of David Livingstone had lived.
The wind was now driving the rain across the landscape.
Dropping down into the valley bottom, our path disappeared
into a land of bog and heather. In that moment of doubt
about our exact location, I had a thought that this island was
one you could, potentially, get lost in. At least, it might be
possible to be lost enough to miss the last ferry at 17:00.
Concluding that the building on the far hillside was the
Livingstone dwelling, we struck out in that direction. Behind
the ruins, a clearer track ran on into a coppice, a small green
haven where we followed a moss-covered old boundary wall
to meet up with the track that runs between the ferry and
Ormaig. The worsening weather and limited time made us
decide to leave this venture for another day.
A Weather-challenged Day
Thoroughly soaked and covered in mud, we arrived at the
jetty with time enough to visit The Boathouse. On a more
conducive day, the outdoor seating would have been
appealing. However, a mug of hot chocolate and a slice of
ginger cake was a welcome end to a weather- challenged day.
The following morning saw us back on the island, walking
to Ormaig. How different the day. Views out to sea and to
the hills of Mull were an ever changing dance of light and
shadow as sunshine and dark threatening clouds alternated
in the strong wind.
The abandoned crofts sit nestled into a hillside with a
10 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 11

THE CRASK INN
A traditional Highland inn -
originating from 1815 - with a stunning
and remote setting.
The Roost on the Black Isle
Jack Palfrey enjoys the innovations and activities of hidden secrets
The Roost on the Black Isle
Situated on the A836 between Lairg and
Altnaharra in Sutherland
IV27 4AB
Bed & Breakfast in four
guest-bedrooms. Home-cooked evening
meals, if booked in advance.
Bunkhouse accommodation in
separate cottage plus space for tents on
the front lawn.
Soup and sandwiches, tea and coffee
plus public-house beverages served
during the day.
On one of the more popular John
O’Groats to Lands End routes for
cyclists and walkers.
Previous owners, Michael & Kai
Geldard, gave the establishment to the
Scottish Episcopal Church early in 2017.
A Communion Service is held on the 3rd
Thursday of each month and Morning
and Evening Prayers offered daily.
Douglas (a Eucharistic minister) and
Denise (a locum GP) Campbell now run
The Crask Inn.
01549 411241
It’s easy to miss, or even, dismiss, the Black Isle, for the
relatively-close Inverness barely subdues the speed of
passing traffic on the A9 and once going north over the
Kessock Bridge there appears to be nothing for which to slow
down. How wrong can anyone be? Take a map and look for
the Tore roundabout.
Consider it to be a remarkable gyratory where two of the
longest routes - the A9 and the A835 - on the North Coast
500 separate (or join) and where the A832 will lead you
quietly east into an area which certainly lives up to that often
quoted phrase, ‘the hidden secret’. You will be on the Black
Isle and in a world where pace slackens, tranquillity pervades
and where the unexpected becomes the norm.
Idyllic
My destination was accommodation at The Roost, under
four miles from the Tore junction, down a long lane and set
in splendid lawns overlooking open countryside. It is idyllic
and its owners, Brian and Eve Cherek, certainly know how to
provide cordial hospitality, luxurious furnishings, comfortable
beds and fine meals. Their secret is ‘attention-to-detail’ and
obviously much enjoy what they do.
They moved from Kent in 2015, having researched assiduously
for their ideal residence. 2016 was their first full year
of business and now they are attracting it through that allimportant
conduit, recommendation. They are surprised
how, even now, trends are developing. For example, numbers
of Orcadians who are visiting Inverness have found them -
swapping one island for another.
Here, indeed, is a most convenient overnight or short-stay
stop on the way to or from the Northern Isles, carrying on
along the A9, or the Western Isles, by taking the A835 to
Ullapool. That all-important hub on the North Coast 500 is
nearby. The centre of Inverness, the capital of the Highlands,
is only minutes away while hills, mountains and moors are
ready to be explored starting just across the Cromarty Firth.
Own Identity
The hinterland of the Black Isle itself is the really attractive,
readily accessible highlight. Here is archetypal
countryside of farmland and pasture, with abundant
birdlife and hides open to the public, dolphins which draw
many watchers, pine martens with attendant enthusiasts.
Here are historic features; specialist shops; its own brewery;
Fortrose, Rosemarkie and Cromarty, each with its own
identity.
There is not only something healthy about the Isle, with
its sea-air, low-pollution and micro-climate, it actually
encourages physical activity. www.transitionblackisle.org
is about community mapping and gathering details of
woodland paths, farm tracks, old railway lines and quiet
back roads for exploration on foot or cycle. Car travel and
parking are easy, but there is a local drive to get people selfpropelled!
So The Roost is a fabulous place to stay, unwind, be
indulged, but also to venture out with feet on either the
ground or pedals. Two aspects of the home that will draw you
back after a day-out, are the warmth of welcome and the
warmth of … the jacuzzi.
Further Information
The Roost Knockbain Munlochy IV8 8PG
01463 811105 / 07801 591390
www.blackisleaccommodation.com
info@blackisleaccommodation.com
Black Isle Cycles www.blackislecycles.co.uk
The Roost
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 13

ISLANDS BEYOND
Small-group expeditions to Arctic Norway, the
Solovetski Islands of Arctic Russia, Greenland and Kamchatka
• Arctic and Antarctic voyages by ship
• Dog sledding, cross country skiing, boating, kayaking, hiking and wildlife trips
• Tailor-made Iceland and the Faroes - flights from Scotland
• Greenland - East and West coast: Wildlife and natural history
• Wildlife of Russian Far East - by ship
• Wild Scotland: Oban - Aberdeen 21 June - 1 July 2018
• Aberdeen, Fair Isle, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen 20 - 29 May 2018
• North Atlantic Saga - Scotland, The Faroe Islands and Iceland 21 June - 1 July 2018
ARCTURUS
The polar arm of Far Frontiers Travel Ltd
Please call for a full colour brochure
Ninestone South Zeal
Devon EX20 2PZ
Tel/Fax (44) 01837840640
arcturusexpeditions.co.uk
www.LHHScotland.com 01381 610496
Apparently when Dutch explorer,
Wilhem Barents and Jacob van
Heemskerk, were the first to approach an
undiscovered island in Arctic waters on
Thursday, 10 June 1596, a polar bear was
seen swimming in the cold waters. The
name stuck and Bear Island became
charted. Commercial activities were
eventually set-up for coal mining, fishing
and whaling, but none survived more
than a few years.
In 1920, Norway was awarded
sovereignty of the 69 square-mile island,
with a 1759ft summit, at the southernmost
end of the Svalbard archipelago. Its
territorial significance became apparent
in the Second World War and several
naval battles took place in its vicinity. A
small group of German soldiers were
marooned there, lost contact and did not
surrender until September 1945.
An Uninviting Place
It has no indigenous population and
the Norwegian meteorological station
has a staff of nine. Few opportunities
exist for travellers to set foot on what has
been, since 2002, a nature reserve. Here,
indeed, is an uninviting place with the
lowest number of hours of sunshine per
year anywhere in Europe. Yet it is known
to many people owing to a thriller novel
and a film.
Alistair MacLean brought Bear Island
into public awareness in 1971 with his
Similar to the first sighting, off Bear Island. Image from Hurtigruten - www.hutigruten.co.uk
- with cruises to the Svalbard archipelago. Below: Poster for the 1980 film, Bear Island.
Tom Aston shows how Alistair MacLean brought limelight to Bear Island
eponymous title and nine years later a
film with Donald Sutherland, Richard
Widmark, Vanessa Redgrave and
Christopher Lee. The book sold eight
million copies and the film seen by more,
although its locations of Alaska and
Canada meant that the scenery bore no
resemblance to the original.
The novelist had that knack of
presenting a complicated plot, in this
case involving the crew of a fishing
trawler conveying a crew of moviemakers
to the island, in a readable way.
MacLean was the son of a Church of
Scotland minister, and learned English
as a second language, with Gaelic as his
mother-tongue. He was born in Glasgow
in 1922, but grew up in Daviot, ten miles
south of Inverness.
Arctic Convoys
He joined the Royal Navy in 1941, saw
action in several theatres of war,
including accompanying Arctic convoys,
the Mediterranean and the Far East.
Following military service, he read
English at the University of Glasgow and
had his first stories published when
securing additional income as a student.
He became a schoolmaster in
Rutherglen, but was soon able to take up
writing full-time.
From 1963 - 66, he had something of a
‘sabbatical’ by running an hotel in
England. However, when his books,
including titles still in the public
consciousness such as The Guns of
Navarone, Where Eagles Dare and Ice
Station Zebra, became successful, he
took up residence in Switzerland for tax
purposes. He died in 1987, not having
maintained his popularity and sellingpower
as a novelist.
Yet he achieved much is his 64 years,
including bringing a remote European
island to the attention of millions and
giving it a special identity. There are
several islands beyond awaiting the same
treatment by contemporary writers. Are
you one?
14 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 15

Outposts and Milestones
Outposts and Milestones
Outposts
and Milestones
Robin Cooke responds to Sylvie Sarabia’s paintings
Rockall is well-known to many through the Shipping
Forecast, but this islet is a lot more than just a landmark.
Being situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, 300 miles
off the west coast of mainland Scotland, it is exposed to
extreme weather conditions. The world's largest oceanic
waves were recorded there in 2000 - rising almost 20ft higher
than Rockall itself.
Although so small, measuring just 79ft wide at its base and
230ft high, Rockall is of significant importance. During the
Cold War, its position could have provided Soviet Russia
with a platform for surveillance of the British Isles. In
September 1955, a small team from the Royal Navy successfully
landed on Rockall by helicopter, cemented a plaque
there, and hoisted the Union flag to stake the UK’s claim to
sovereignty of the island.
The UK has since been in dispute with regard to this
annexation of Rockall, with its fisheries and oil-rich seabed
with Ireland, Denmark and Iceland claiming interest. The
UK declares it to be part of Inverness-shire. In 2010, it was
reported the original 1955 plaque had gone missing! It is
intended a mission will be made to replace it if a suitable
vessel can be made available.
St Kilda has had more books written about it than any
Scottish island. Uniquely in Scotland, it is a double World
Heritage site, reflecting on the one hand its vast colonies of
seabirds and on the other, the ruins of the abandoned settlement.
The evacuation of the settlement in the 1930s was the
inspiration for Michael Powell's award winning film The Edge
of the World.
The visitor to St Kilda is invariably impressed by its remoteness,
the journey to reach it is unlikely to have been an easy
one. Sometimes a visitor may have waited several days, for
the calmer weather needed to make the crossing in smaller
vessels. A handful of cruise ships a year may attempt landings
by tender, but even that is by no means certain. The visitor
may well be greeted by an island group, popping up on the
horizon almost from nowhere.
The mystery of the place is sometimes caused by its being
shrouded in mist. The astonishingly high cliffs can make a
human feel insignificant. When the islanders left St Kilda in
the 1930s, it may well have felt like a ghostly final journey,
with towering cliffs and swirling mists.
Muckle Flugga is at the top of the compass, from westerly
points, including Rockall and St Kilda, takes one to the
northern outpost of it. Positioned just off Unst, the top
island in the Shetland group, is the rocky outcrop of Muckle
Flugga, home to a lighthouse that was manned until 1995.
Prior to this automation, it featured in the odd pub quiz as
the most northerly inhabited part of the British isles
A former lighthouse keeper explained that this rock had a
tiny flat area where the keepers could kick a ball towards an
improvised goal. It was a means to provide some exercise,
relaxation and fresh air on what otherwise looks like a collection
of crags and rocks. Apparently this spectacle of football
on the rock attracted fascinated onlookers from the
occasional passing cruise ships.
Life as a ‘keeper would not have been that easy in winter.
Although the lighthouse stands on a rock 200ft high, it
can still be struck by waves blown up from the winter gales.
Relief of the three man crew of the lighthouse was often
delayed weeks by gales. In later years, crew changes and
supplies were by helicopter, but were still weather
dependent.
Those with a literary interest may know that Robert Louis
Stevenson visited Muckle Flugga in June 1869, accompanying
his father Thomas Stevenson, the Engineer for the
Rockall.
St Kilda.
16 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 17

Outposts and Milestones
Outposts and Milestones
Fastnet.
Muckle Flugga.
Northern Lighthouse Board. Some sources suggest that the
Island of Unst was partly inspiration for Stevenson’s Treasure
Island. If your interest is more in 'the water of life’ then you
may know of the whisky Muckle Flugga named after the
island. It enjoys some winter maturing in casks on Shetland,
although distilled in Speyside.
Fastnet Rock (also called Carraig Aonair - meaning ‘Lonely
Rock’) is nowadays best known for being the mid-way point
of the world-famous bi-annual yacht race, but it has long been
a well-known landmark for sailors. Fastnet Rock is the most
southern tip of Ireland. Owing to its location, it would,
poignantly, have provided the last glimpse of Ireland the 19th
Century emigrants saw as they sailed to a new life in North
America. Hence it is also known as 'the teardrop of Ireland’.
The original lighthouse first produced a light from its lantern
on Friday, 1 January 1854. However, the light was not
sufficiently powerful, particularly for the first sight of landfall
in the weeks those mariners may have been crossing the
Atlantic. A new lighthouse entered service in 1904 and, in
1961, the old paraffin light was replaced by an electric one. In
1989, it became automatic and today it is the highest in Ireland.
Often shrouded in cloud and beset by strong winds,
legends have formed around this famous landmark of
storms and shipwrecks. Consequently, even today, sailors
are always wary of ‘the rock’.
Ailsa Craig (also called Fairy Rock or Elizabeth’s Rock)
is affectionately known as Paddy's Milestone since it is
roughly at the halfway point between Glasgow and Belfast.
Over the centuries, many people travelling between Ireland
and Scotland will have passed and admired Ailsa Craig, an
outcrop of a particular type of granite that for years was the
only source of high-grade material for making curling
stones. The islands ‘Blue Hone’ granite is prized more than
the common green. The last quarrying of granite for curling
stones was apparently in 2013 and that supply is expected
to last until around 2020 or beyond.
While other rocks and islands in this article are remoter,
Ailsa Craig is very close to mainland Scotland and areas of
dense population, Girvan is only ten miles away. To the
north-west is the Kintyre peninsula and the whisky town
of Campbeltown while almost due north is Arran. To the
east is the golfing centre of Turnberry and south is Stranraer
and Loch Ryan.
The island has a history as a quarry, now largely
abandoned, though some of the machinery and infrastructure
remain in place. Known now much more as a seabird
home for gannets and puffins, the elimination of the rat
population in 1991 allowed the re-colonisation by puffins.
Their ground nests were vulnerable to rat predation.
Ailsa Craig.
18 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 19

Rum’s Kinloch Castle
Rum’s Kinloch Castle
‘Like Kinloch Castle, Rum often
represents the dreams of people who do
not quite fit into any normal world.’
Rum’s
Kinloch Castle
Emily Richards learned to love and be inspired by island and castle
Once I was a princess and lived in a castle. It
was a tall tower on an island, inhabited
only by myself and an imaginary giant snail. I drew
myself at the top of the tower, looking out over the
battlements towards the sea. I was four years old.
When I was 41, I lived in a castle again. At night,
if there were no storms blowing, I would sometimes
go up a winding stone staircase and look out from
the tower over the battlements. The moon would
shine on the sea and there would be no sound but
the wind in the trees, the bark of stags and in
summer, the swoop of a bat. I had no need to
fantasise now. My castle was real.
But Kinloch Castle is more than sandstone and
oak, tiles and turrets. More than most castles, it’s
made up of wishes and dreams as much as historical
truths. It never had a military purpose; it was
never a family home. Built from 1897-1900 of
pink sandstone, by 300 craftsmen working day and
night for their patron, George Bullough, Kinloch
Castle was the fulfilment of a fantastical dream, the
result of a complex web of psychological and
historical interactions.
A Proclamation
Standing alone on the Isle of Rum just out of tiny
Kinloch Village, the castle appears diminutive
from the mountains beyond. But from Loch
Scresort, approaching by ferry, it’s almost the first
thing you see. It’s improbably huge beside the little
cottages that nestle by the bay, yet so near that one
could seemingly step across the water to the front
door. This was where George wanted it to stand,
so that it greeted his guests on their arrival with a
proclamation of his status as the owner of the
island, the builder of a castle.
Some would argue that his ownership of the
island was a simple act of appropriation. But
while acknowledging the social inequalities
inherent in the castle’s history, Rum's history also
reveals a complex and varied tale of exile and
ownership, success and failure, belonging and
not belonging. Today, it challenges any simple
notion of what belonging means. Many of the
animals and the trees that we see today as
naturally belonging on Rum, originally came
from elsewhere.
The ancestors of today’s deer were brought
there, at great expense, by train (some from
King's Cross), and the trout were imported from
the mainland. Today’s sea eagles are the descendants
of Norwegian chicks released on to Rum
in the 1970s. George (1870-1939) brought
people from the mainland, and imported trees
from around the world. The islanders today
come from very different places and have the
most diverse histories.
Gossip and Speculation
The castle’s creators, George and Monica
Bullough, had strange histories, too. George’s
grandfather had been born in the slums of
Accrington, devising his way out of poverty to
forge a business in the heady atmosphere of the
Industrial Revolution. His son, John, made the
business a global success, but was divorced by
George’s mother because of his brutality.
George wanted none of it. On inheriting the
business and an immense fortune, he took off
to travel the world, leaving gossip and speculation
in his wake, before returning to build
Kinloch Castle.
20 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 21

Rum’s Kinloch Castle
Rum’s Kinloch Castle
Page 20: Kinloch Castle with
Hallival beyond
(© Mel Worman).
Above: Kinloch Castle Great Hall
with portrait of Lady Monica
Bullough.
Opposite top: Emily Richards on the
castle steps at the start of her
residence (© Mel Worman).
Opposite below: Billiard room
(mapio.net).
Born in New Zealand in 1869, Monica was
the daughter of a French aristocratic family
exiled in the Revolution. Despite a
subsequent conventional upbringing in
England, her life before George was anything
but secure. When she met him in around
1897, she was living alone, separated from her
first husband and child. She, too, was the
subject of scandalous, albeit unproven
rumours. After her divorce was granted, she
and George married in 1903, in Kinloch
Castle itself.
Together they turned the castle into a
fantasy home. A ballroom with a ceiling
covered in stars; their enormous yacht
moored up in the bay while they partied in
the castle; a Japanese garden and hothouses
where miniature alligators swam; cuttingedge
technology of the times such as the giant
Orchestrion, showers with bizarre settings,
and one of the first private telephones in
Britain.
Pathways or Patterns
When I first came to Rum in 2013, after my
partner, Mel, had found a job with Scottish
Natural Heritage looking after the castle, I
was lost and uncertain on the island. I was
also terrified by its seemingly unending
wilderness and lack of any conventional
pathways or patterns. I could find my way
around cities with no problem, feeling at
home in the multicultural, metrosexual world
of London or Berlin. But on Rum there
seemed at first to be no place for me. How
could I ever belong?
Yet Kinloch Castle, with its extravagance,
impracticalities, and wondrous inventions, is as
strange as a city and more beautiful. And in the
mornings, coming from our flat into the Great
Hall, with the light shining through the mellow
colours of the stained glass on to the red Persian
rugs, Steinway piano, moth-eaten lion skins, and
carefully carved oak balustrades, stared at by
long-dead stags whose heads loom from the
shadows in the gallery, I felt strangely at home.
I gazed up at Lady Monica’s portrait and
thought that despite the immense differences
in our looks, financial assets and social status,
she, too, had not entirely belonged anywhere,
either sexually or socially, and that even today
her memory is often overshadowed by gossip.
Yet here, she had apparently found a place
where she could be happy.
Here Together
Monica loved the castle and the island. She and George
came here together every year until he died in 1939, and then
she returned alone most years until her own death in 1967.
Aware of her mortality, she sold island and castle to the
Nature Conservancy Council (now Scottish Natural
Heritage) in the 1950s for a knock-down price, insisting that
they were both protected and inseparable.
I agree. A landscape is not made up of opposing elements
which can be separated simply into ‘natural’ and ‘man-made’.
Imagination shapes landscapes, even those that seem most
untouched. All of Rum has been shaped by human beings
and their behaviour. Here are traces of crofts, burial places,
religious sites and tracks going back into prehistoric times.
From the Vikings, to the crofters expelled in the Clearances,
to George and Monica and their retainers, people have come
and gone, leaving traces of their histories, strange and
beautiful as the island itself.
The castle is part of this history, and it is more. For many
visitors, it represents fantasies about what an island should be:
a refuge, a fairy tale, a holiday home, a hunter’s paradise, a
wild place, a business. And as for residents, people do not
generally come to Rum for any sensible economic reason; at
least, that's not the main reason. Rum inspires people; it
allows them to dream, to be themselves in a way that most of
modern life does not. Like Kinloch Castle, Rum often
represents the dreams of people who do not quite fit into any
normal world.
People have to dream before they can make things happen,
and Kinloch Castle still inspires dreams. For me, it proves
that even in the most unlikely places, the most unlikely things
can happen. And during my two years on Rum, as I learned
to love the island along with the castle,
I learned something else. Where we live is not just about
where we belong, but about what we can imagine.
22 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 23

Page
READERS’
Index Header
OPPORTUNITIES
For Hospitality and Travel
READERS’ OPPORTUNITIES
Page Index Header
Dùchas is Dualchas / Instinct & Heritage
An Lanntair Stornoway Isle of Lewis HS1 2DS
The London-based design boutique,
Wingback, has brought out a travel wallet
with room for the essential documents to
be carried conveniently. It is slim and
stylish, compact and comfortable to carry,
made in the finest Italian leather and
ready to endure many journeys. Five
colours and seven thread colours are
available, with personalised lettering
available if required. View more of this
product, ready for countries and islands
worldwide, at www.wingback.co.uk
Your regular contributor, Jack Palfrey, was fortunate enough to stay last
month in the Ardanaiseig Hotel on the banks of Loch Awe, Argyll. His
findings will appear on Page 13 of the next edition together with some
opportunities for a special seasonal package. In the meantime, the hotel
has been judged by HotelsCombined as being in the top 3% for customer
satisfaction. Earlier in the year the Editors of the UK Good Hotel Guide
named it as Scotland’s best romantic and country house hotel.
Instinct & Heritage at An Lanntair,
Stornoway, will be Shaun Fraser’s
first solo show and will feature
many of his works following from
the An Suileachan artist-residency
which he undertook last year at Uig
on the west side of Lewis.
He draws from recurring themes
within his practice of links to
landscape, connections with place
and notions of identity. Glass
features strongly, with some
sculptural items in bronze as well
as screen prints.
Saturday 5 August - Saturday 9 September 2017
Opening on Friday 4 August at 17.00
Admission is free from 10.00 - late on Mondays to Saturdays
www.lanntair.com 01851 708480
Shaun’s Degree Show at the Royal College of Art will run from Saturday
24 June until Sunday 2 July 2017 at the Ceramics & Glass Department,
Woo Building, Battersea Campus, Howie Street, London SW11 4AY.
Tanera
(Ar Dùthaich)
The most recent range of
travel cases from American
Tourister is called Soundbox.
They come in playful colours,
but have that essential feature,
durability. The zipped polypropylene
will expand, assisted
by the locks as well as the
cross ribbons on both top and
bottom of the compartments.
The concentric circles on the
surface give a dynamic effect
and offer resistance against
scratches. The cabin, medium
and large sizes will each help
brighten your stay and lighten
your load.
Whether in a good hotel bar or in the
comfort of your own armchair, there is
often pleasure to be had from a glass of
Scotch. Here is something to hold in the
other hand - the excellent A Field Guide
to Whisky by Hans Offringa published
by Artisan [978-1-57965-751-2] at
£17.99. It has an abundance of information
condensed into 323 short entries
covering production methods, varieties,
trends, tips, trails and trivia plus 230
photos. It is also beautifully bound.
An Exhibition of the Work of Kevin Percival
at Rhue Art Ullapool IV26 6TJ
Sunday 18 June - Thursday
24 August 2017
24 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 25

Shona Grant,
landscape
photographer, is
drawn back to
South Uist
As a landscape photographer, I find that I am drawn back
to the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides where I grew
up. I am very familiar with that landscape. Its clear sea, wide
sandy beaches, machair, lochs and the sky line dotted with
small houses, dominated by huge skies.
Uist does not have the drama of Lewis or Harris and as a
photographer you have to work that bit harder to produce a
strong image. For me, the winter months are my favourite
time; when colours are muted and the land seems to go into
hibernation. It feels like a wild place on the edge of the land.
I work as an artist and illustrator, and I have found that my
www.shonagrantphotos.com
photography has developed from recording views to now
making photographs with a more painterly style. I like to show
the movement of the waves and their relationship to the often
dramatic skies which are so much part of the Hebrides.
I hope to convey how I feel as I am standing there and to
get across a sense of the place whether the viewer knows the
island or not. Being a relative newcomer to landscape
photography, I was amazed and delighted to have my work
Atlantic Ocean - South Uist accepted by the Royal Scottish
Academy’s Open Exhibition last year, and I hope to exhibit
further this year.
26 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 27

It’s a Shore Thing
Roger Butler looks at seaweed in the Scottish islands
‘Nutrient-rich seaweed, an abundant
source of fertiliser, improved barren and
often meagre plots of land.’
It is impossible to imagine a Scottish island without
seaweed. Whether you are wandering along a
windblown-beach or tackling a tidal causeway, your feet
are likely to tread upon several species in the space of just
a few minutes. They may be slimy and slippery or they
might lie dry and shrivelled, but the hundreds of species
of seaweed deserve to be better known.
Many, of course, can only be seen by those who venture
underwater although even the casual explorer can soon learn
to identify a wealth of fascinating varieties. Most people can
probably recognise a few kelps and wracks, but how many
have spotted the Sea Noodle, the Thin Sausage or the Oyster
Thief ? Rosy Dew Drops sounds like something from
an old fashioned sweet shop while Mrs Griffiths’s Little
Flower could have been grown in a primary school
classroom.
The names get even better: Beautiful Eyelash, Bunny Ears
and Brown Jelly; Pink Plates, Polkadot and Purple Claw.
And, with a keen eye and a little bit of patience, all of them
- with their striking shapes and unusual colours - can be
found around the Western and Northern Isles.
Good Hunting Grounds
The term seaweed is a collective name for marine
algae (classed into groups of red, brown and green)
which thrive on shores and in shallow seas all
around the world. There are approximately 7,000
red, 2,000 brown, 1,000 green species on the planet
and the rugged shores of Scotland are home to
almost 7% of these. Some grow at the top of the
shore, some on exposed rocks and others cling to
vertical outcrops in shallow water. Rock pools make
good hunting grounds.
Red seaweeds are diverse and often delicate and many
of the 300 or so species which grow around Scotland are
small enough to require microscopes for identification.
They do, however, include the leathery reddish-brown
Dulse which was mentioned in an early poem which
described how the monks on Iona gathered this as food.
Crofters once commonly cooked it up in a broth with
oatmeal, but it was also used as an early remedy for
intestinal parasites.
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 29

It’s a Shore Thing
The browns, largely comprising kelps and wracks, are the
most obvious group and their knobbly elongated fronds
represent everyone’s idea of a seaweed-strewn shore. A patch
of seemingly impenetrable Forest Kelp, anchored to rocks by
their clawlike base, can intimidate swimmers, snag a
fisherman’s hook or catch a kayaker’s paddle. It always makes
the sea look strangely mysterious and the long wavering
fronds seem to exaggerate the depth of the water.
Particularly Tricky
Oar Weed (appropriately also called Tangle) has a similar
effect and can easily grow up to two metres in height. The
olive green wracks are usually tough, leathery and particularly
tricky to walk over when wrapped around wet rocks. They
are usually distinguishable by their flat branched ribbonlike
fronds and some species are easily identified by their wellknown
air bladders.
These are usually paired on Bladder Wrack, with one on
either side of the central mid-rib, but may be absent in young
plants. Spiraled Wrack, another common species in the
islands, also appears to have bladders, but these warty lumps
are the result of gases developing in the fibre of the fronds.
Serrated Wrack has flattened fronds which terminate in
broad serrated fingers, while the long strands of Thong Weed
used to be collected to be boiled up as a side dish with
poultry.
Green seaweeds are classed as plants and their colour comes
from the chlorophyll found in plants. Around 100 species are
found around the Scottish coast and they vary from tiny
varieties which actually live inside other seaweeds to the
velvety half-metre long branches of Green Sponge Fingers.
Types of Sea Lettuce, whose flattish wriggly leaves frequently
appear in aquariums, are found from exposed shores to
brackish drainage ditches but large rafts can sometimes drift
onto beaches.
An Abundant Source
In August 2009, unprecedented amounts were washed up
on the islands and beaches of Brittany and the rotting leaves
produced quantities of unwelcome toxic gas. Despite the fact
that seaweed neither looks nor smells edible, it would have
been an abundant source of food for the first, transient
hunter-gatherers and for early farmers who probably spotted
how deer and cattle grazed on the foreshore.
During the long Hebridean winters, brown seaweeds used
to be collected as an essential source of fodder and this helped
to free valuable stored crops for use by families as well as
vulnerable livestock. Space in the old island black houses was
often taken by the storage of seaweed.
The semi-feral sheep on North Ronaldsay have actually
evolved subsisting almost entirely on seaweed. They are one
of few mammals with such an unusual diet and are now
confined to the shoreline by a six-foot dry-stone wall
encircling the island. This was originally built to enclose the
sheep, but as seaweed farming became uneconomic they were
displaced outside to help protect the fields and crofts. Their
meat is intense and gamey due, in part, to the
high iodine content in seaweed.
Two Crops of Oats
Nutrient-rich seaweed, an abundant source
of fertiliser, improved barren and often
meagre plots of land. Composted heaps were
gathered after winter storms and, dug directly
into the soil, created the piled up ‘lazy beds’
crisscrossing awkward slopes above coasts. A
crofter with a good supply of seaweed could,
apparently, grow two crops of oats in successive
years on the same plot, without any need
for rotation.
In the late 17th Century, new uses for
seaweed were discovered which led to island
boom years. Soda and potash, used in the
soap and glass industries, were extracted by
burning kelp and wrack and this helpfully
removed Britain’s reliance upon imports from
Spain. In 1695, Martin Martin noted the
potential of kelp on his journey through the
Western Isles and by 1722 production was
underway in Orkney.
The kelp industry spread, though not to
Shetland, and even unpopulated islands were
seen as a source of seaweed. Kelp was burned
for up to eight hours at a time in large pits and
the following day the ash would be sent to
Glasgow or further afield. The industry was
profitable until potash deposits were discovered
in Germany. Iodine was later taken from
kelp, although this was soon being mined, at
lower cost, in distant Chile.
Ice Cream Production
The late 19th Century brought another
development when chemicals derived from
seaweed were discovered. These are called
alginates and they continue to be used as gels
and stabilisers in food manufacturing,
including ice cream production. A thriving
alginate factory was established by the west
coast of South Uist, but this closed some years
ago when imports began to dominate.
The Hebridean Seaweed Company, based on
Lewis, is currently Britain’s largest producer of
these organic products for animal feed, soil
enhancement and cosmetics. A new Shetland
distillery is making gin, with a strong hint of
Bladder Wrack, and a commercial seaweed
farm has recently been established off Oban.
Some say Scottish seaweed could once again
play an important role in island life.
Page 28 top: This dazzling pink
seaweed - it could be one of several
red species - was washed up on the
sands of Iona.
Below: Egg Wrack, here showing
fresh annual growth, is found
throughout the islands though it
appears to be absent from the
western coast of Skye.
Page 29: Gut Weed, which can
thrive to a depth of up to 22ft, is
closely related to Sea Lettuce and
forms bright moss-like carpets in
the shallow sub-tidal zones on the
islands.
Left: These old ‘lazy beds’ on the Isle
of Muck are reminders of the times
when islanders used composted
brown seaweeds to improve their
barren plots. The Isle of Eigg can be
seen in the distance.
Below: The rosy-red Beautiful Fan
Weed has broad forked fronds and
can be distinguished from similar
species by its curled and ragged
edges.
Photographs taken by the author,
Roger Butler.
30 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017

Fionnphort
Fionnphort
Fionnphort
Richard Holland sees more than Mull’s gateway to Iona
Some places are destined to live in the shadows of others. They have the reputation of
simply being the gateways to somewhere else; their identities ignored by the hordes
using them as stepping stones to reach more ‘significant’ destinations. Beal in
Northumberland, Lamlash on Arran and Fionnphort on Mull all suffer this fate as the
portals to Lindesfarne, Holy Island and Iona respectively.
It was as one of the hordes heading to Iona, that I decided to pause in Fionnphort for a
few days before taking the final step to the sacred isle. Here, the most westerly point on
Mull, sits at the far tip of the Ross of Mull peninsula. Arrival by bus from the Craignure
ferry port does little to dispel the idea that all passengers must be going to Iona. The bus
travels right through the village before terminating at the CalMac Portakabin by the ferry
slipway.
Reportedly 140,000 passengers a year board the MV Loch Buie for Iona, but five minutes
walk back up the road and Fionnphort soon dissipates the tourist hubbub. The village has
a population of approximately 80 and is a classic ribbon-development, clinging to both sides
of the A849. It is well-served with places to shop, sleep and eat and the Keel Row acts as
the unofficial village centre offering live music, pub and restaurant.
A Panorama
The Fionnphort Post Office attracted interesting publicity some years ago, when it was
labelled as having, ‘the hole-in-the-wall with the best view in Britain.’ According to The
Scotsman, the cash machine offers views of Iona, Coll and the lofty Ben More on Mull.
With a panorama like that, you could be forgiven for forgetting your PIN.
It has been a fishing port for centuries and shellfish, mainly crabs and lobsters, are still
regularly landed and sorted at its pier. These higher value species are undoubtedly targeted
as they offer the best long-term prospects for the local fishermen. Most of the catch is
exported to markets in Spain and France, but some finds its way to the renowned Ninth
Wave Restaurant in Bruach Mhor just outside the village.
‘ ... Fionnphort should be viewed as
less of a stepping stone and more of a
destination in its own right.’
32 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 33

Fionnphort
Fionnphort
This is understandable when you learn that the restaurant’s
co-owner, John Lamont, is a local fisherman himself. In 2016
the restaurant was congratulated in an Early Day Motion in
Parliament owing to its increasingly important contribution
to the local economy. The restaurant’s name is taken from
Irish mythology, with the Ninth Wave acting as a gateway
between the Earthly world and a mystical, ‘other’ world.
Ice Age
The name Fionnphort, on the other hand, derives from the
Gaelic translation of ‘white harbour’ and the appropriateness
of this is obvious from its beautiful white sandy beach. The
large rock in the centre of the bay, with a perfect fissure down
the middle, is known locally as Fingal’s Rock. In folklore, the
Irish giant, Fingal, awoke one morning and threw the rock at
a Scottish giant who was antagonising him, cracking it in the
process. Less romantically, the rock is actually a glacial erratic
deposited in the Ice Age.
North of the village, the beach peters out at Bull Hole and
a pier emerges that once served the renowned Tòrr Mòr
quarry. In the 19th Century, this site produced vast quantities
of Ross of Mull granite; much sought-after owing to its
highly attractive pinky colour and the scale of the blocks that
could be excavated. There are reports of single sections of
more than 50ft long being produced. The stone is a biotite
microline granite and its colour is officially described as
‘warm pink/red with grey/brown feldspars.’
Tòrr Mòr granite was transported around the world, used
locally at Iona Abbey and in 1839, by Alan Stevenson for his
masterwork, the Skerryvore lighthouse. Stevenson had been
scouring the west coast of Scotland from Inverrary to Tiree
looking for suitable material and was greatly enthused by the rock.
Immortalised
The quarry reopened for a short spell in the 1990s, but is
now abandoned again and has that unique stillness only
found in places previously alive with industrial cacophony.
Further connections with ‘the Lighthouse Stevensons’ and
their extended family can be found two miles south on
Erraid. This mile-square tidal island was immortalised in
literature by Robert Louis Stevenson in his 1886 adventure
story, Kidnapped.
The book’s hero, David Balfour, was stranded on Erraid
(spelt ‘Earraid’ in the novel) for over four days. Stevenson
gave the island rather critical observations Through Balfour’s
descriptions it provided, ‘The unhappy part of my adventures’
and was, ‘So desert-like and lonesome’ that it, ‘Struck me with
a kind of fear.’ His final indictment being, ‘What should
bring any creature to Earraid, was more than I could fancy.’
David Balfour endured terrible rainstorms on Erraid and, due
to his ignorance of the island’s tidal status, was unable to find
a means of escape. By total contrast, the glorious spring day that
accompanied my trip to Erraid over 200 years later was an
incredibly happy part of my adventures. The walk along the
narrow sand bank of Erraid Sound beneath the low cliffs of the
island fires a real sense of anticipation.
Ecological Beliefs
It is currently occupied by members of the
Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual community
with strong ecological beliefs. The community
live in the cottages built in the 1860s by the
Stevensons as a base for their work on the
construction of the Dubh Artach Lighthouse
west of Colonsay. It was Thomas Stevenson
who brought his son, Robert Louis, to Erraid
which is now the start of The Stevenson Way,
a 230-mile wilderness walk to Edinburgh
which follows David Balfour’s fictitious
journey through the barren Scottish
Highlands.
After explorations, I stumbled upon the
idyllic scene of a herd of cattle lazing on the
sand, enjoying some warm, late afternoon sun
and waiting patiently for the tide to come in.
The cows were completely trusting and
undisturbed by my presence, even though
they had many calves to protect. It was a
beautiful vignette of utter contentment and
left me with a strangely privileged feeling of
having been allowed to share their tranquility.
Just before the Erraid road rejoins the A849
in Fionnphort, there is a fading wooden
building on the right hand side. This is the St
Columba Centre which was opened in 1997
to commemorate the 1400th anniversary of
Columba’s death and built to house an exhibition
on him and the religious community he
founded on Iona. Alas, it appears to have been
closed for many years and information as to
the reason why, has proved elusive.
A Destination
The Sound of Iona, despite its strong
tides, regularly welcomes dolphins,
porpoises and occasionally, basking sharks.
Evidence of the strong tides is
demonstrated by the wide arc the Loch Buie
ferry has to make to dock at Baile Mòr on
Iona. Back among the many passengers
destined for Columba’s island, I realised
that Fionnphort should be viewed as less of
a stepping stone and more of a destination
in its own right.
Perhaps the settlement’s relationship to
Iona is like the Ninth Wave, it acts as the
gateway between an Earthly world and a
mystical one. However, the village is a
delightful world in itself and travelling
from it in any direction leads to many more
worlds, Earthly or otherwise.
Page 33: Tòrr Mòr Quarry.
Opposite: Baile Mòr, Iona.
Above: View to Erraid.
Photographs taken by the author,
Richard Holland.
34 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 35

Island Shopping
Island Shopping
Island Shopping
Mavis Gulliver saw how community shops serve their localities
Island life is wonderful, but having been an
island-dweller for 25 years, I am all too
aware of the difficulties, frustrations and
expense of obtaining goods from the mainland.
For some items, shopping outwith the islands
is unavoidable. Mail order has come into play,
but for day-to-day items a well-stocked shop is
a necessity.
In places where it is difficult for commercial
shops to survive, there has been a trend
towards community shops with facilities that
are essential to the viability of many islands.
They meet the needs of local people by
providing goods, becoming focal points as
well as sources of both vital services
and employment.
In the 1980s, we crossed to Eriskay by ferry.
Since 2002 it has been possible to cross the
mile-long causeway, which, in addition to the
road, carries the island’s electricity and water
supplies. Services on South Uist are readily
available, but the island shop is so well-stocked
that, for many residents, such trips are rarely
necessary.
Enticing Display
It was a joy to meet Catriona Walker,
Manager of Co Chomunn Eirisgeidh, and to
enjoy tea and cake at the tiny table surrounded
by an enticing display of books, jewellery,
candles, Harris tweed bags, jams and Eriskay
tablet. Of particular interest was the display
case of Eriskay jerseys. Knitted to a traditional
pattern, these can be ordered in a variety of
colours and sizes.
The shop, which includes a post office, started
as a co-operative in 1980 when the former shop
and post office closed. By selling £50 shares the
community raised £7,500 and this was matched
by Highlands & Islands Enterprise (now
Highlands & Islands Development Board).
HIDB also provided a grant to assist with staff
costs over the set-up period.
As a co-operative, Co Chomunn Eirisgeidh
was able to join the Co-operative Group as a
corporate member. This allows it to order
direct from the Group. Catriona told me that
fresh fruit and vegetables have made a huge
difference to quality, variety and the shop’s
viability. However, it also has a commitment to
locally produced items, stocking these
whenever possible.
The Largest Employer
Unlike some community shops, Eriskay does
not rely on volunteers. Catriona has four paid
assistants with flexible working hours. There
is also part-time paid work for schoolchildren
at weekends and during holidays. Bringing
much needed work to this small community,
the shop has become the largest employer on
the island.
There are volunteers too. JR and Paddy,
former ‘posties’ are on hand to unload the van
and make deliveries, Donald and Katie
MacLellan help with banking and Iagan
MacInnes looks after the electrical equipment.
Catriona told me that this labour is much
appreciated as it saves expenditure throughout
the year.
36 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 37

Island Shopping
Island Shopping
Page 37 top: David Carslaw has
been manager of the communityowned
Raasay Stores since it
opened in 2013.
Below: Eriskay jerseys in traditional
patterns can be ordered in a variety
of colours and sizes from the shop.
Below: A warm welcome from
Catriona Walker, Manager of Co
Chomunn Eirisgeidh, the
community shop on Eriskay.
Opposite left: A steady flow of
customers browse and buy from
the varied produce available at
Bùth Bharraigh.
Right: The notice outside the
former Co-operative Store in
Castlebay gives an indication of the
goods available at Bùth Bharraigh.
But the key to this spacious
community shop lies in the last
four words - 'and much,
MUCH MORE!’
The photographs were taken by the
author, Mavis Gulliver.
Home deliveries for the housebound and a
twice-weekly bus service to the shop provide
a vital service for the elderly and infirm. The
shop is particularly appreciated by Gaelic
speakers who meet in the tiny café for a
regular blether. In addition to being a focal
point for local people, most visitors to the
island pass through the doors.
The Nearest Pump
Residents no longer have to travel to South
Uist for their shopping, although they have
to do so for fuel. Visitors need to note that
the nearest pump, next to the chip shop
south of Daliburgh, is seven miles away; and
that there is a 24-hour pump in
Lochboisdale.
One could argue that the combined shop
and post office on Raasay is of even greater
importance to the feasibility of this tiny
island. Without a causeway, and relying on
the CalMac ferry from Sconser, a trip to the
shops on Skye is on board MV Hallaig, a
state-of-the-art diesel / electric vessel,
named after Sorley MacLean’s famous poem,
Hallaig.
In 2012 when the shop failed to attract a
buyer, the island faced a crisis. How could the
islanders exist without the daily supplies of
milk, bread and other essentials? It was feared
that the fragile population would drift away,
so a steering group was set up to explore the
possibilities and community-owned Raasay
Stores opened in 2013 under its manager,
David Carslaw.
Complete the Purchase
Together with £10,000 raised from selling
shares to local people, and supported by
Investing In Ideas, Village SOS, The Prince’s
Countryside Fund and HIE, a total of
£180,000 enabled The Community of
Raasay Retail Association Limited to
complete the purchase.
The shop and post office are housed at 29/30,
Inverarish Terrace in two former cottages. The
post office has a separate counter which opens
every morning with 15 hours paid by The Post
Office. David deals with all stock matters and
day-to-day running, but has four part-time staff
to help him. The shop does not rely on
volunteers except for fetching and carrying.
It stocks island produce wherever possible. The venison
and Dexter beef from the island are sent to Skye for
butchering and some is returned to the freezer and chiller
to lie alongside a wide range of other goods. Bread, milk,
fresh fruit, vegetables and papers are delivered daily - except
on Sundays. Eggs, stationery, postcards, maps and books are
available too.
Extend Its Services
When the hotel closed for refurbishment, the island was
‘dry’ for over a year. Christmas was looming, so the first
decision the committee had to make was whether or not
to apply for an alcohol licence. They went ahead and with
just a few days to spare the shop was able to extend its
services by becoming an off-licence.
As with other community shops, it is possible to phone,
email or message Facebook to place orders. They may be
able to deliver for you - or you can collect them yourself.
Although it might be a good idea to avoid 10.00 am. That’s
the time the newspapers arrive and the regular shoppers
must be hungry for news of the outside world because it is
the busiest part of the day.
Bùth Bharraigh on the Isle of Barra is currently housed in the
former Co-operative Store in Castlebay, but its future premises
are uncertain. Threatened with demolition of its shop, the
committee is working with an architect and consultants to
renovate the existing premises or to move to a new site.
Learn Something New
What is certain, is that Bùth Bharraigh is dedicated to
providing a service that is second-to-none. In addition to
shop sales, there is free wifi, cycle-hire, a help-yourself café
and a launderette. Every Sunday there is a craft ceilidh where
anyone can take a current project or learn something new in
a friendly, supportive atmosphere.
The Buth employs three people helped by a dozen
volunteers. In 2016, 80 Barra residents were paid £48,000
for their produce. £6,600 went to nearby concerns and
£4,200 to other Outer Hebrides businesses. By re-investing
profits in the organisation and by supporting ventures
within its vicinity, the economy is boosted and enterprise is
encouraged.
As with all such ventures, the dedication of staff and helpers
has brought a new focus to island life. To visit any of these
community shops is to encounter a surprising variety of
goods and to meet with the friendliest of service. Run by, and
for, island people, they are best placed to meet the needs of
the neighbourhoods which they serve.
When heading to the islands it is tempting to stock up with
provisions from the mainland. Years ago, when the range of
goods was limited, it was reassuring to arrive with adequate
food. Now, community shops are so well-stocked that they
can supply most needs. Buying from them avoids the lastminute
dash around a supermarket and helps to support the
local people.
38 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 39

Happy Valley
Happy Valley
Conditioned to Orkney’s moorlands, dotted with sheep
and cattle, stumbling across ‘Happy Valley’ came as
something of a shock. Orkney is not known for woodlands,
in fact trees are a rarity. Yet here was a small patch of wood,
close to Stenness on West Mainland. The lack of woods is not
surprising for what grows here is limited by soil type, drainage
and exposure.
I almost failed to find it, as it is not signposted. Perhaps, it
is a quiet place where locals like to hide from tourists!
Turning off the main road by Stenness Loch, I worked my
way up the hill (Bigswell Road) and saw a clump of trees off
to my right. It did not look substantial enough to be what I
was looking for so I headed back, asked for directions and
discovered it was exactly the right place. First appearances
were deceptive.
In fact, appearances deceive throughout Orkney. Happy
Valley seems to be in the middle of nowhere, yet is
surrounded by places of significance. South is Ward Hill,
highest point on Orkney’s mainland at 880ft; east is the site
of the Battle of Summerdale; to the north-west is Stenness
Loch, inland water surrounded by stone circles of the third
millennium BC, Stone Age villages, chambered tombs and
runic inscriptions.
This Secret Place
Here also is Brig-o’-Waithe, where the first UK civilian to
die in the Second World War was killed by a stray bomb.
Happy Valley, it seems, is not as isolated as one might think.
Straight ahead is a wooden gate in a stone wall, inviting you
to enter this secret place. Over the wall can be seen a low
building with grass growing on its roof in the Faroese style.
Wild flowers grow in profusion at the base of the wall while
sycamore trees edge the car park.
The low Bankburn Cottage, a traditional early-to-mid-19th
Century Orcadian building, has a long, narrow, single-storey
range, consisting of a three-bay house in the middle, flanked
by a shed or byre at each end. The house has a central door
with flagstone path and small windows. It is an unreconstructed
dwelling, a rare example of a traditional Orkney
home which appears in good condition, having been reroofed,
but currently has no running water.
The garden is created along the Burn of Russadale which
was diverted to feed a series of ponds, falls, sluices and a water
Happy Valley
Stephen Roberts on a hidden oasis in Orkney
wheel to provide electricity for the cottage. There are
specimen trees and tree-lined gravel pathways. Owner, Edwin
Harrold, managed to grow yew, European lime, monkey
puzzle and fuchsia. The riverside walk is ornamented, with
stone fleur-de-lis recalling Scotland’s historic alliance with
France, as well as seating for the weary.
Constant Accompaniment
Compared with customary Orkney locations, the experience
of walking into the wood, with something lush and
green, prompts the word ‘oasis’. In the right season there is a
bluebell wood and patches of sunlight and shade, and
birdsong is a constant accompaniment. The Orkney Islands
Council 2013 ban shooting of geese and ducks helped create
a haven.
Fairies have allegedly occupied this dell to influence the
construction of garden created by nature enthusiast, Edwin
(Ned) Harrold, in an area formerly known as ‘Bankburn’.
From a bare hillside, he conjured up for 50 years from
the1940s, what we see today, but had to abandon the project
as he became too old (he died in 2007, aged 97). His
ambition to create a local woodland area succeeded, for today
there are some 700 trees and gardens to discover.
In 2004, Orkney Islands Council took over the garden, with
the ‘Friends of Happy Valley’ being formed three years later
to help maintain it. Here is a group of local people concerned
for the future of the site. In 2008, volunteers planted further
trees to augment the original woodland and three years later
Happy Valley had been designated a Nature Reserve.
All Restored
Community-focused work now includes habitat creation
and wildlife surveys. Bankburn, including garden structures
and walls, is now a listed-building. The Friends officially
became a charity in 2014. Work was carried out on the
cottage in 2012, with roof, gables and chimneys all restored
and the car park expanded to cope with demands
Repairs were also carried out to the streamside path and a
wildlife pond was also created in the field next to the car park,
further enhancing the diversity of this world in miniature.
This whole enterprise has also been a good example of
funding going where there is a genuine local concern to see
something done.
The cottage continues to have an occasional purpose. In
2014, for example, the building was the centre for traditional
building skills training, which focused on lime-pointing, with
experienced stonemasons leading the training. It is vital that
these skills are maintained in Orkney, which has the highest
proportion of traditionally-constructed dwellings of any local
authority in Scotland.
Hats off then to Edwin Harrold, a man who customarily
appears to have been photographed in a trademark flat cap.
For 53 years, he fostered Happy Valley as a place where people
could come and where wildlife could thrive. The various
Entrance to Happy Valley.
The Burn of Russadale.
parties now involved in nurturing this unique Orkney
landscape intend to preserve his legacy for all, be they bipeds
with rucksacks and cameras or a multiplicity of wildlife.
Further Information
Orkney Islands Council www.orkney.gov.uk
British Listed Buildings www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
About Orkney www.aboutorkney.com
Orkney Image Library www.orkneycommunities.co.uk
The Orcadian www.theorcadian.co.uk
End of Bankburn Cottage, with entrance to right.
The fairies.
40 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 41

The Blind Piper
The Blind Piper
The Blind Piper
Andrew Wiseman focuses on Lachlan Bàn MacCormick of Benbecula
In Benbecula, where Calum Iain Maclean (1915 - 1960)
had spent so many years collecting folklore, a ceilidh that
he attended left an emotional and lasting impression upon
the young collector:
No mention of the tradition-bearers of Benbecula would be
complete, if we did not include the grand old gentleman, the
blind piper Lachlan Bàn MacCormick. As well as several
traditional pipe-tunes, he recorded two tales, and has more to
tell. My most moving experience as a folklore collector, was to
have recorded from him. He is 92 years of age and his eyes have
been completely sightless for the past eight years.
In his diary, Maclean recorded the ceilidh in some detail,
for not only was such work part of his duties as a professionally-trained
ethnologist, but even more so because it was such
a great social occasion and one which he would later recollect
with pleasure.
Settled Down
Lachlan Bàn MacCormick (1859 - 1951) was a native of
Creagorry, Benbecula, and later joined the 2nd (later 3rd)
Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders in 1889 when he was
30 years of age. He was called Lachie Bàn due to his very fair
hair and complexion. While in the Camerons, he reached
the rank of Pipe-Sergeant and would later serve in the Lovat
Scouts. It is likely that after his demobilisation he returned
to Benbecula and settled down to life as a crofter.
In his day he was considered one of the best pipers in the
Hebridean scene and was a competition prize-winner as well
as being a highly regarded instructor. A composer of merit,
some of his tunes are still to this day part of the piping
repertoire such as the catchy strathspey (similar to a
hornpipe), The South Uist Golf Club.
MacCormick on more than one occasion would also take
to the bench and, when not competing himself, would judge
his fellow-pipers in light as well as the classical music of the
pipes. In November 1949, Maclean wrote an account in his
fieldwork diary of a visit, including a reference to the delight
and honour of having a reel composed for him by
MacCormick:
When we arrived we found a full house as all the
neighbours were in. Lachlann Bàn is an uncle of Catriona,
Peter MacAlasdair’s wife, who also visited the house tonight.
Lachlann Bàn is 91 years of age and was also famed as a
piper. He used to pipe at weddings and funerals. He was also
a piper in the Militia and rose to the rank of Pipe-Major. He
learnt by ear and could compose his own tunes. Lachlann had
always been short-sighted and he was grey-haired from a
young age. He has now been blind for more than eight years.
He sometimes recognises voices but mainly he had to ask who
was speaking to him. He still has good hearing. He was very
familiar with William MacLean, a famous piper who was in
Creagorry and it pleased him greatly to hear that I was
related to him.
Hereditary Pipers
Pipe-Major Willie MacLean (1876 - 1957) mentioned
here had also been a fellow Cameron Highlander and had
at one time owned the Creagorry Inn. A noted piper and
composer of the reel Creagorry Blend, MacLean could trace
his piping lineage back to the MacCrimmons, hereditary
pipers to the MacLeods of Dunvegan, through his
instructor at Catlodge, Malcolm MacPherson, styled
Calum Pìobaire.
Maclean then goes on to give further details of the ceilidh
and how MacCormick played the pipes to the joy of the
audience who were present in his house:
He played on the pipes and I could see how much this
pleased Lachlann Bàn. Lachlann then played as he sat on a
bench with his back to the window and his fingering was a
good as it ever was. If it were not for his blindness he would
still be an excellent piper. He looks as if he were only 60 years
of age although he was 91. He played the tunes far quicker
than pipers do today. He knew that I had the Ediphone
recording device and that he was being recorded playing the
tunes. He played an old tune that he had heard in the army,
two tunes he composed himself, and another composed by his
son, Allan, who died around 1930. Lachlann Bàn heard his
recording replayed on the Ediphone and he very much
enjoyed this.
42 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 43

The Blind Piper
SCOTTISH
ISLANDS
EXPLORER
Some two months were to pass when Maclean, accompanied
by Donald MacPhee, revisited MacCormick, on
Thursday, 19 January 1950, to find him in not such a good
mood. However, as soon as MacPhee engaged him in conversation
about his old Militia days then Lachlan soon perked
up. Lachlan Bàn was then handed a chanter and he managed
to play two tunes.
Regretted
One was composed for the South Ford and another called
Salute the King. Although they were both recorded, they were
difficult to make out clearly. Maclean noted that MacCormick
might well be past his best in order to take down his tunes and
regretted not having got hold of him earlier.
Of the five stories which Maclean managed to take down
from MacCormick’s recitation, two of them concerned fairy
lore both of which were recorded on this particular visit. A
summary may be given of one of these tales which were once
common stock among storytellers. MacCormick’s mother
had heard it from James MacDonald who told the tale in the
presence of priest called Maighstir Dòmhnall (Father
Donald):
He said that fairies still existed and they used to wait until
Michaelmas until the corn was ripe when they would then
harvest and make ready to take to the mill. They used to bake
sruan, special commemorative cakes. Two neighbours on their
way over to the mill heard music emanating from the fairy
44 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
Page 42 & 43: Postcard of Lachlan Bàn MacCormick.
Creagorry Hotel, Benbecula.
Left: Creagorry, Benbecula c1959.
hillock. One of the men entered while the other stayed behind.
For a year there was no sign of the man who went into the hillock
and they thought he was dead by now. The year after at the very
same time the other man was passing the hillock and saw a
doorway open. Before entering the man placed a knife in the
doorway and inside he saw his companion dancing with a sack
still on his back. The man did not wish to leave so that the other
man had to drag him out. The man thought that he had only
been in the hill for a minute. The other man told him he had
been in for a year and his relations thought that they would
never see him again. Off home he went still carrying the sack
from the year before.
As Good a Storyteller
Maclean remarked that he thought MacCormick as a good
a storyteller as he was a piper. Many old tunes as well as his
own compositions were faithfully taken down on the
Ediphone and, perhaps, remain to this day at the National
Folklore Collection in Dublin. Possibly they have not been
heard since the very night they were first recorded.
Although having only been in the company of Lachlan Bàn
on two occasions, such impressions left a remarkable impression
on Maclean’s memory for he had never been as moved by
any other tradition-bearer, despite having met many custodians
of these customs. They included three others from Benbecula,
South Uist and Barra respectively whom he had reckoned to
be outstanding exponents of the oral tradition.
Long-distance walking route through Scotland’s Outer Hebrides
by Richard Barrett
When you subscribe to
Scottish Islands Explorer
for two or three years
Enjoy every issue of the magazine
delivered direct to your home plus a FREE
192-page book which gives invaluable and
illustrated advice on walking The Hebridean Way.
This offer is open to new, existing and gift subscribers
Subscription renewals paid in advance through this offer will be
extended by the appropriate period of time. Those sending
the magazine as a gift may claim the book for themselves.
The book will be delivered to UK addresses only
Subscription Rates
Two years 12 issues:
£44.97 Europe £58.97 Rest of the World £75.97
Three years 18 issues
UK £62.97 Europe £80.97 Rest of the World £99.97
Order online:
www.scottishislandsexplorer.com/subscriptions
and indicate your wish to receive the book
Telephone Lines 01379 890270 or 07510 127014
Cheque made payable to ‘Ravenspoint Press Ltd’ and sent to:
Scottish Islands Explorer Elm Lodge Garden House Lane Rickinghall Diss IP22 1EA
Quote ‘The Hebridean Way’ Limited availability while stocks last. Offer ends 31 August 2017.

Uist - Archaeology in Focus
Uist - Archaeology in Focus
Uist - Archaeology in Focus
Tom Aston keenly anticipates a conference in early August
You can always rely on the Islands Book Trust to select,
explore and present topics that are both relevant and
of interest. Recent research has shown how the development
of British civilisation and culture has been greatly influenced
by movements originating in the islands of the north and
west. What were once seen as outlying settlements are now
shown to be innovative hubs.
In my childhood, we were accustomed to hearing almost
exclusively of southerly influences - from Greece, Rome, the
Holy Land, the Germanic tribes, the conquest from
Normandy and the Renaissance from European sources.
Now, here at St Peter’s Hall, Daliburgh, South Uist and
beyond, from Thursday 3 until Friday 5 August, there will be
something of an antidote.
Our understanding of the past has undergone something
dramatic, with technical, forensic and electronic devices
producing revolutions leading to revelations. The collecting
of fragments and their classification have been the preserve
of the archaeologist, but with increased understanding of
scientific data, more accurate connections have been possible
to an increasing number of devotees.
Strands of Knowledge
The journey from the fragmentary items to the whole
picture is an exciting one and this conference will certainly
be piecing together those strands of knowledge that provide
insight. The organisers have focused on the Western Isles and
Argyll to show the Prehistoric Context; the Norse and
Medieval influences; the Islands Dynamic; and the special
interests raised at Udal, North Uist.
There are some 30 archaeologists listed on the programme,
ensuring a variety of views and interpretations. If you were to
have a professional interest in the subject, then good
networking is guaranteed. So the focal points will be
extensive and the coverage of topics wide and it means that
those with an amateur enthusiasm will be well catered for.
Among the topics that are listed, some particularly aroused
my favourite approaches and places. The factors of isolation
and connectivity that are well enshrined in island life will be
considered. Trends depend on people identifying with and
copying others, in other words, reacting. Detachment can
lead to the leading of relatively unchanged lives with customs
and traditions being preserved.
Survive on the Shoreline
Machair is a feature of the Uists that continues to attract
visitors to the islands and to delight many who were not
expecting the sensations it produces. One topic - ‘Coasts on
the Edge’ - will examine how an evolving landscape has led
to people who had to survive on the shoreline adapting to the
demands of the soil and the vagaries of the weather.
‘Historic Shipwrecks of the Hebrides’ brings to mind those
eras - to which people long grew accustomed over millennia
- when the seaway was not just the preferred route, but the
only one. Communities flourished when landscapes and tidal
conditions were compatible, but were devastated when sailors
and boatmen were involved in accidents, often fatal.
North Uist has more fresh surface-water than any other
comparable area of Britain. Take a look at a map to see how
the colour blue dominates. The archaeology of water
management is a topic and I was interested to read of canalbuilding
in South Uist in the mid-18th Century when a link
between loch and sea became a feature that led to
enterprising ways of life.
Forces Unleashed
The incomers from the Nordic regions brought vigorous,
often violent, changes to the ways of the Gaelic people. Yet
they co-existed and to an extent thrived until crises, such as
plagues, interrupted development. However, the powerful
forces unleashed from the north became subdued and within
a comparatively short historical period power was back with
the local kindred. This is to be examined in detail.
Although St Kilda has long attracted
research, it was the establishment of the
missile range on Benbecula in the 1956
that kick-started much. Intensive archaeological
investigations, particularly on the
airfield at Ballivanich where a wheelhouse
complex was uncovere, were undertaken.
Strangely the findings were never
published in one source, but found their
way piecemeal to several authorities. This
will be addressed.
Coastal chapel-sites on Lewis will be
discussed as will the islet settlement of
Eilean Domhnvill, North Uist, where there
is evidence of residence from 3750BC.
Here were, apparently, the first farmers in
the West and evidence of a thriving
Hebridean Neolithic culture. This frame
puts time into context with a span of
almost 6,000 years between us and them.
It’s with the focus of the forensic that the
lives and deaths of two adults found at Udal,
North Uist, have been investigated and will
be presented. Detective work has revealed
much about everyday existence in remote
places where to eke was vital with the tasks
of scrimping, scraping and saving food,
while somehow preserving teeth to chew it.
When it comes to the remote, there is
little to match the east side of South Uist
where the few tracks come across the hills
rather than along the coast. ‘Walking the
Wild Side’ will show how five years of field
studies have been revived by three retired
Uist residents keen to delve into an area that
has not had full professional treatment.
Their findings will also reveal tips on how
to get around in difficult terrain.
The phrase ‘movement and transformation’
will be used to describe migrations. It
also applies to a basic concept of the
conference, where interested parties are
encouraged to move dates in their diaries
to attend in order for their awareness and
knowledge to be transformed by experts in
the field and enthusiasts on the ground. Do
take the opportunity of joining them.
Further Information
The Islands Book Trust
Laxay Hall Laxay Isle of
Lewis HS2 9PJ
Office open on weekdays
from 09:00 - 14:00
01851 830316
Range of prices for the
Conference:
From free for the Buchan
Lecture to daily rates
from £30 and up to £195
(£165 for members of
the IBT) for the full three
days, covering lectures,
refreshments, lunch,
dinner and excursions.
46 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 47

RESPONSES
Responses
One of the Tanera Mòr properties. Photograph by Mark Holland.
CROSSWORD
Page Index
29
Header
by Tom Johnson
When you have solved the crossword, transfer the letters from some of the numbered squares
into the small grid and so discover the lighthouse at the end of an island chain.
If you type Tanera Mòr, or the Summer Isles, into a
search engine the first thing you are likely to see is the
island's Wikipedia entry: ‘Tanera Mòr is an uninhabited
island in Loch Broom in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.’
I must confess I have always found this hurtful; because,
for eight months of the year for three years, I cleaned,
cooked, catered, hauled and generally called Tanera Mòr
my home.
Three years ago I came up to the Highlands to escape the
crushing routine of modern life. I was working in Bath as
a mortgage adviser; shouldering my way through the
crowds of sightseers to my eleven-hour stint in the office
before listlessly heading home through the now quiet
streets. Once a year I would leave Bath for a holiday on
Tanera, and whenever I thought of the island the sun was
always shining, woodsmoke rose lazily from the cottage
chimney and the breeze carried the scents of rowan trees
and peat.
Far From Isolated
So where is this paradise? Tanera sits just a mile of the
Coigach peninsula in the North-west Highlands. It has a
wonderfully remote feel with staggering views of the
mainland to the east, and uninterrupted views to the Outer
Hebrides, on a clear day, to the west. Tanera is far from
isolated, despite the wonderful feeling of remoteness, and
is actually remarkably easy to get to.
It's only a two hour drive from the nearest airport at
Tim Farquhar on Tanera Mòr
Inverness; is only twelve miles from Ullapool, where a
daily boat trip departs, twice daily at the height of the
tourist season, for Tanera. From the start of April until
the end of October I lived on the south end of the island
overlooking the bay, and the small anchorage known as
the ‘Cabbage Patch’.
With the help of my girlfriend, Holly, I ran the island's
cafe and post office, where the famous Summer Isle stamps
are sold and cleaned the cottages, of which there are nine
in total, to prepare them for holiday-makers. These tasks
filled up a lot of my time, but there are a myriad of other
tasks such as: servicing generators, checking for potential
leaks in water pipes, chopping logs, painting sheds, cutting
the grass and keeping paths clear of the ever-encroaching
ferns and brambles.
A Challenge
I am often asked what life is like on the island, and the truth
is that it is often very tiring. Every task is complicated by the
fact that we were surrounded by water and had a complete
lack of roads. Boats and carrying are so often involved. Just
moving the lawn mower from one garden to the next could
sometimes be a challenge. However despite all, life there is
immensely satisfying.
From coming perfectly alongside the pier in one of the boats
to seeing the visitors leave with smiles on their faces, there is
much to satisfy. Who knows, one day I might even get around
to correcting that Wikipedia entry?
ACROSS
1 Coastal village in East Lothian around Alder Bay (8)
5 River and glen, through which is a walking route to
Kintail and the continent almost, we hear! (6)
10 Southernmost peninsula of Islay and location of the
American Memorial (3,2)
11 My slow hen wandered on this small island near Gairsay
in Orkney (5,4)
13 South American Indian members of the central Andes (5)
15 Batsman's leg-protectors (4)
16 Traditional Hebridean some with a double dry-stone wall
and thatched roof (10)
19 Location of Lochcarron, Gairloch and Ullapool (6,4)
20 A cold sea-fog on the Scottish east coast (4)
22 Southernmost peninsula of Skye, once the stronghold of
the Macdonalds (5)
23 Village overlooking Loch Alsh and Skye, "the homestead
of the Macraes" (9)
24 Sunday joint, accompanied by mint sauce (5,4)
26 Hamlet on the shores of Loch Scavaig at the tip of the
Strathaird peninsula (5)
28 Country bumpkins (6)
29 Sports halls for PE and trampolining, eg (8)
DOWN
1 Painting of the clear Tay (3)
2 But it's not Greenland! (7,4)
3 Commits to memory (6)
4 Employee at Ardbeg or Talisker, say (9)
6 Mountain range in 19 of which Sgurr Mor is the highest peak (8)
7 Letter from Peter Hobday (3)
8 "The Bay of Alders", Gavin Maxwell's home at Sandaig (11)
9 Spoke of the destiny of this church's garden party (4)
12 Very quiet tearaways cavorting on Orkney isle (4,7)
14 Perthshire town suggesting a barrel-maker and county (6,5)
17 Main settlement on this month's small grid isle! (9)
18 Choosing not to drink alcohol with the golf score? (8)
21 Santa's grotto? (6)
23 Bank of Scotland adventurous? Not very (4)
25 Biblical boat from near Kirkwall (3)
27 Pastureland (3)
Send your answer from the small grid to:
editor@scottishislandsexplorer.com or text to
07510 127014 or by mailing it to SIE Elm Lodge IP22 1EA
to enter the competition for a free year’s
membership of The Islands Book Trust.
Small grid answer to Crossword 28 was Millport
Winner of Crossword 28: Margaret Maceachen
Solution to Crossword 28
48 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 49

ISLAND INCIDENTS
Barbara Sellars reveals more of Inchcailloch in Summer
Savills Fochabers
7 The Square, Fochabers
Morayshire IV32 7DG
01343 823000
savills.co.uk
Ireturned to Inchcailloch at the beginning of August,
boarding the first ferry of the day from Balmaha. The
man in the ticket office seemed surprised that my husband
and I did not intend to return until the very last sailing. “It
only takes about one and half hours to walk around the entire
island,” he cautioned.
Evidently the visitors (and there were several on the boat
that morning), do not usually spend the whole day on the
island. This is a pity, because it’s well worth the time on a fine
day, especially when the summer’s growth was now at its peak,
full and dense, the island’s oak trees sailing in a deep green
sea of bracken, some seven feet high in places.
Beyond it to Explore
While our fellow passengers from the boat took the path to
the summit, we continued in the direction of Port Bawn and
then on beyond it to explore some new territory. To the left
of the bay, a faint track follows the shoreline heading out
towards the very south western tip of the island. It was a little
awkward underfoot in places.
Scrambling through stunted alders and over moss and grasscovered
boulders, we emerged from the trees onto a rocky
shoreline dotted with wild flowers: thyme, birds foot trefoil,
hawkbits, harebells and lady’s bedstraw. Despite being only
ten minutes from well-worn paths, there was a strangely
remote feel about this spot. Bird feathers and deer droppings
were evidence of wildlife visitors but other than the
occasional passing boat, we were alone.
Returning to Port Bawn, the contrast could not have been
more pronounced. In the space of an hour, the sandy beach
had transformed into something akin to a seaside holiday
resort! There were buckets and spades, inflatable dinghies,
children in swimsuits, towels draped over fallen logs, folk
50 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
Inchcailloch in Summer: Port Bawn, Inchailloch by Barbara Sellars
sunbathing and every picnic bench occupied.
As we walked across the sand between the picnicking
families, yet more visitors were arriving on the Cruise Loch
Lomond boat from Luss. It was a busy day on Inchcailloch.
Once upon a time, before the trees were planted, the island
had been inhabited. For 2,000 years, up until the late 18th
Century, it was farmed. Oats and barley were grown here. The
remains of the last farmhouse can still be seen close by the
north-west shore.
Acutely Aware
Now people are back on the island again, albeit as visitors;
the current estimate is some 15,000 annually. Later that day,
in my own moment of quiet stillness, engaged in photography,
I became acutely aware of the sounds of summer
around me; a continuous drone of insects and the frequent
echoes of voices ringing through the trees as people made
their way along the central pathway between the beach and
the ferry.
When I had first visited Inchcailloch back at the
beginning of March, I had naively thought it was a place
that very few people knew about. However, it was clear that
the many individuals in shorts and sunglasses, confidently
striding in the direction of the beach, were no strangers to
this place. ‘A well-known secret’ was the phrase that went
through my mind.
In the Next Issue …
Raasay - House
Colonsay - Kiloran
Shetland - Life
Arctic - Terns
Boswell - Johnson
Arran - Aran
Mull - Museums & Mausoleum
On Sale 18 August
1. Sula Sgeir 2. Fair Isle 3. The Shiant Isles 4. Mingulay 5. Foula 6. The Flannan Isles 7. North Ronaldsay 8. St Kilda 9. Ailsa Craig 10.Rockall
BEAUTIFUL AND ACCESSIBLE PRIVATE ISLAND
holm of grimbister, grimbister, kirkwall, orkney
Period farm cottage with kitchen, living room, sun lounge, bedroom, shower room 40 acres (16.18
hectares) or thereby of arable land including 2 small ponds delightful range of traditional farm buildings
with conversion potential causeway to the mainland at low tide mains services hosted wind turbine
generating free electricity about 40 acres (16.18 hectares) in total for sale as a whole EPC = G
Offers over £300,000
Contact: Jamie Watson 01343 823 005 jbwatson@savills.com

CYCLING
RED DEER
OTTERS
MINKE WHALE
DOLPHINS
BEACHES
PAP WALKS
JURA PASSENGER FERRY
One shop, one hotel, one bistro, one distillery ...
and 6000 red deer.
Jura, one of Scotland’s most remote and beautiful islands, can be
reached directly from the mainland for one of the most relaxing
breaks imaginable or even just for a day!
The Jura Passenger Ferry runs from picturesque
Tayvallich on the Knapdale Peninsula into the
village of Craighouse on Jura from March until September.
For timetable information, visit the website
jurapassengerferry.com
CONNECTING BUSES TO AND FROM GLASGOW BUCHANAN ST
Call 07768 450000
to make your reservation
£20 each way - Under 5s FREE - Bikes FREE