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We were back on the Western Isles for the first time since 2013 and had plans to visit a few islands we had missed so far. The first two days the weather was foul so we spent most of the time indoors in our excellent cottage. On Monday, the weather cleared up and it was time to head out to Scalpay.
The linked walk report suggests to start at a junction and then walk through most of the island. We decided to drive to the end of the street on the south side of the island instead and to only start the walk at the point where no car could go any further. Lazy, I know, but karma came to get us soon enough. The start of the walk to Eilean Glas Lighthouse is well indicated and there is a car park too.
The walk to the lighthouse is easy and on a nice way, called the Old Peat Road. It's where the Scalpachs go to gather their peat and I do not understand why it's the "old" road as it still seems to be in use:
Anyway, soon enough you see and then reach the lighthouse, a real beauty from a little distance:
With sheep:
With ship, and the Shiants:
From close up, it is not so beautiful but rather derelict. However, from the ramparts or the helipad you have nice views on the Minch and the odd dolphin, whale and gannet. Good pick nick spot!
From the hill above the lighthouse where the above pics were taken, a less trodden way leads back to the car park, the so-called coastal walk. It is signposted but otherwise more or less pathless and sometimes boggy. So far so good but at one point we could not see the next marker and went the wrong way, as indicated on the above map. I advise you not to try this as we ended up in waist high ferns above a cliff and had to climb down some rocks to get back to the "way". This detour took us the best part of an hour and the wife was not happy as I had promised her just a wee walk on the first day out.
Anyway, somehow we made it back to the car. Here is the first signpost for the coastal walk for those who want to chose this rather than the Old Peat Road. It's just around the corner from the car park and probably easier to do it on the way in than as we did, on the way out:
