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DATE : 21st to the 24th August.
HILLS Theiseabhal Mor, Beinn Tangabhal, Sheabhal, Thartabhal,Grianen, Beinn Mhartainn, Beinn Chlaid, Beinn Eireabhal, Beinn Sciathan, Easabhal and Roienabhal. (All sub 2000ft)
ISLANDS Vatersay, Barra, Erkisay and South Uist.
INTRODUCTIONTraveling to the Western isles is a time consuming business, what with a 5 hour ferry run to barra and that doesn’t include travel time to Oban! Now the plane taking an hour from Glasgow is appealing especially with a landing on the beach! But its not cheap . Think on it this way you lose two days travelling by boat, two days of your time off then the 130 quid bill doesn’t seem too much. The flights worked well arriving in the morning and leaving at 4.30pm on the last day but above all its an amazing experience flying over the Islands and peaks at only 5000ft!
My intention is to walk the hills of the Western Isles over several trips from the south to North taking in all the Marilyn peaks. Really I should be starting at Berneray but this was going to be difficult and much more planning is required some of which was sorted out on this trip. So for this journey it will be from Vatersay to Lochboisdale in South UIst.
THE JOURNEYBoarding the plane at Glasgow airport what struck me was just how small this plane really is. Its little bigger inside than the inside of my wee Ford Transit connect van and a bit of a struggle it takes to get to your tiny wee seat. The pilot turned and gave the wee talk and explained to me not to open the escape hatch until the propeller stoped. This seemed to be a bit pointless later watching this machete like prop wizzing by feet from my face. Its highly likely if we had to ditch that it would probably be me stopping the prop.
After a few minutes of the engine running it shut down and the pilot turned and said we would leave after his coffee. Joke aside we had a problem and we all had to return to the waiting area until the engineer looked at the plane.
This was more than just a wait for me,you see I wasn’t supposed to be there. I had avoided a wedding with Babs family claiming to be skint but they were flying out with the same airline at 10.40am and now my new depart time was 10.50am! I looked at their depart gate on the screen and it was 19, I was 18! I hid in the crowd at 22 until the last moment then darted for the gate always looking out the window. I made it.
The flight out was a huge relief and now I could relax and enjoy the scenery below. Over to Dunoon then across the Kintyre to head over Mull and Coll, at only 5000ft it was amazingly clear, what an experience just a pity I forgot to take pictures until Mull.
Crossing Mull with Calgary bay below looking to Ulva and Gometra.
The rough coastline of Coll
Approaching the southern Western isles
Here goes!
Soon the Islands began to appear and the engine began to slow up as we flew over some small uninhabited islands. This should be good landing on a beach and what a day, outside it looked like some carabean island rather than Barra.
Plane makes it way to the terminal.
Barra plane
It was a very smooth landing and soon I was picking my bag up at baggage reclaim (a bus shelter) and onto the bus round to Castlebay.
The beach at Vatersay and the start.
THE WALKI had hoped to walk the hills from Vatersay to Lochboisdale on Uist on a continuous walk, camping along the way but the forecast had me running for a B&B. As it turned out the weather was ok apart from one day (Sunday). I dropped off my gear and headed for the bus round to Vatersay and from here started the walk from the most amazing beach.
The weather was good if somewhat strong winds but this is a blessing for the walker in August and in 4 days I saw not a single midge. The walking was on short grass and the whole experience a very enjoyable one.
Vatersay beach.
Looking down on to the Vatersay Isthmus.
Soon I reached the summit of Theiseabhal Mor and the Islands south were spread out to view. The coast line to the west looked wild and it was hard to belief that less than 3 hours previous I was at Glasgow airport now that I was in a place like this.
On the top of Theiseabhal Mor. How the heck do I get to all those islands!
Next hills on Barra. Beinn Tangabhal.
I walked down towards Barra and crossed the causeway to below Beinn Tangabhal, it was another short climb but looking south I could see the weather was going to change. The weather really turned for the worse with howling winds driving hail across the hillside and I decided to avoid the summit area till this passed by. I sat in the shelter of a boulder and watched it until it subsided before a brief visit to the top before darting down to Castlebay Bar.
Causeway linking Vatersay to Barra.
Hail blasts across the hillside.
Sheabhal and Castlebay village.
The weather was now torrential rain and I held out to lunch time before starting the walk up Sheabhal.(This was very different to Clova’s sunny day in April) It will be a hill I will be visiting again so rather than sit watching telly I got out. The weather remained almost dry to the summit although the cloud base was roughly 100m after this hell unleashed. Few times can I ever remember such ferocious rain coupled with howling wind for such a prolonged period in summer ( the Cairngorms is the only place I can think of) and here it was only in the 1000ft+ area. I navigated round to Thartabhal, then Grianan and the logical route would be to drop down north to the road but I took a left turn west out to Beinn Mhartainn although it was of little use of a view point. I thought the chambered cairn marked on the map might provide some shelter but its been a long time since it was one of them. So it was full steam ahead to the Isle of Barra hotel.
Atop Sheabhal. This was as good as the weather got.
Chambered cairn below Beinn Mhartainn.
Round the road to the Isle of Barra hotel the weather continued to be interesting and entering the hotel, getting a drink and sitting down, the woman got a mop and bucket to clear the puddle marking my path from the door. A few drams and pints later I had the drive to jog back the 2 miles of coastline road to Castlebay.
Next day was a cross over Beinn Chlaid and its tops leading East to the ferry north to Eriskay. This would be a good spot to watch the plane arrive but below the beach used as a runway was flooded with the tide.
On Beinn Chlaid looking to Sheabhal, Thartabhal and Grianan.
From Beinn Eireabhal looking down to the flooded runway. (Tide in)
Looking East to the ferry slipway to Eriskay.
Barra ferry arrives at Eriskay.
Eriskay is probably more famous for its whisky galore history rather than hillwalking thats for sure, at only 607ft its highest summit(Beinn Sciathan) is still a fantastic spot for a bit of lunch on a good day. To be honest this was the last hill I did although were following a South to North trail, it just seemed handy for the ferry and to enjoy some lunch and a bottle of red wine in the sun. Hills are to be enjoyed eh!
Eriskay ferry
Trigpoint on Eriskay
Causeway to Uist.
Now everyone remembers “Whisky Galore” and this is the very island its based on although back then the 1.5 mile causeway wasn’t there but it is very shallow the channel. I continued on over the causeway to the base of Easabhal.
Uist The SS Politician sunk between the tiny islands left of the Causeway.
SS Politician.
All these hills have loads of cairns but Easabhal has many summit ones although the most northern one gives fantastic views north over the level plain to Lochboisdale.
Looking North to the higher hills of South Uist. ( Next stage)
Out to the final hill and furthest North this trip.
Final summit Trig.
End of the road.
This was the end out to Roineabhal, now I just had to return home.
This point is normally an anticlimax but the journry home was fantastic and my seat this time was on the north side.
Looking back to the airport.
Plane arrives.
Leaving the Island.
You tell me.
Flying over Beinn Bheula summit.
Loch Fyne, Bheinn Bhuidhe.
The Luss hills.
This weekends hill probably. Cruach nam Miseag. Handy getting a fly over the week before.