St Kilda - Hirta: Mullachs Bi & Mor, Conachair, Oisebhal

[Gordon Ballantyne]

This trip to St Kilda was accomplished over two days, with a bit of to-ing and fro-ing between the islands to get the safest landing conditions with the weather conditions at the time. Unfortunately, on this trip, the benign sea conditions occurred simultaneously with intermittent cloud and rain. However, overall everyone seemed to achieve some of their goals and were very happy with the trip. Personally - as a first timer, I had a great trip !

Sunday 22nd Sept

Down at the Leverburgh jetty for 7.30am amid great expectations and excitement.
12 of us loaded up our camping gear on the Enchanted Isle for the trip out to St Kilda. Whilst the other 12 people embarked on to the boat Hirta. Soon Enchanted's powerful twin 500hp Cummings engines were thrusting us over the sea at a comfortable 22knots, in a mini convoy with Hirta.
At that moment an old sea shanty came in to my head which seemed appropriate, causing me to croon quietly to myself....."It's not the leaving of Leverburgh that grieves me, but my darling when I think of you " !
(With apologies to "The Leaving of Liverpool" )

Boarding the Enchanted Isle at Leverburgh

Dave McG giving the other boat Hirta the once-over

Pushing off from the pontoons of Leverburgh

Our wee convoy heading for St Kilda

Maybe it was just the effect of the Stugeron, but in what seemed no time at all ( 2hrs), someone was shouting "there they are" and sure enough the islands appeared, jutting up on the horizon.

First sighting of Boreray

Approaching Boreray for the first time

Stac Lee near Boreray

The plan was to visit BORERAY to see if a landing was possible, then land on the main island HIRTA, to camp ovenight. The two boats - Enchanted Isle operated by Seaharris and Hirta operated by Kilda Cruises worked together to provided a safety factor in case of problems, especially when transferring personel on to the islands. Next day we were to visit Dun & Soay and attempt a landing on the way home. I've tried to show what the boats did below, but the scale is not good for easy understanding.

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When we arrived at the first landing point on Boreray, with its huge cliffs towering above us, a landing was out of the question, with the sea state far too high for safety. Next we visited a sight on the west side which was still just too marginal, so we headed to Hirta to land those of us who were only going to Hirta on the jetty there.

The eventual Boreray landing site

A more genteel view of the Boreray landing site

Leaving Boreray for Hirta on Day 1

Approaching Hirta for the first time

Entering Village bay on Hirta for the first time

The boat immediately left to take a look at the landing site for DUN - just across Village bay. It was still too rough, so the "Islanders " came back to HIRTA to set up camp, with a plan to attempt Boreray or DUN in the afternoon, since the seas were calming down all the time. One of the boats had a look at the Soay landing site. ( Soay is the most difficult landing sight and it was ruled out pretty quickly ).
Meanwhile, aware of the usual phaffing that goes with an expedition of this type, I decided to make the best of the clear weather and headed off up the military road towards the first if my tops - Mullach Bi.

The jolly boat for shore transfer on Hirta

A wet jetty on Hirta

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Managed to get a few snaps on the way up whilst watching the boats trying to make a landing on DUN.

Village bay from the MOD track up to Mullach Mor

Once at the bealach I struck off along a path towards Mullach Bi - a HUmp. About half way there, the mist closed in with great speed followed by heavy rain. Trudged over Claigean an Tigh Faire up on to Mullach Bi in the now blustery conditions. Didn't stop long, so headed back to the road and up on to Mullach Mor where the comms masts started to loom oot o the mirk. Suddenly a workie 4x4 appeared out of the mist, so I stood aside to allow it an unhindered passage.
A second 4x4 approached a few minutes later and it stopped to offer me a list down. As I dripped over the passenger through the window, I thanked them and declined - "get thee behind me satan" !
Continued wandering up among the comms masts and their terminal buildings and out on to the hillside beyond towards Conachair - the Marilyn. Splashed across the bealach and up on to the top as the rain moderated. The rain was playing havoc with my phone , so foties were difficult - Viz. non existent.
Weaving down the other side of Conachair I saw what I thought was an old steel fencepost, which, when I drew closer turned out to be the half buried prop of a crashed WW11 wartime Beaufighter.

The Beaufighter prop on Conachair

Shortly after leaving the prop, I found a fairly big white egg which had been broken into - presumeably by a gull or skua. Anyway whatever it was, it hadn't completly emptied the contents of the egg as it was really mingin. I carried it down for a wee while, intending to present it to the warden for positive identification. ( it turned out to be a Fulmars egg and must've made its 'een water laying an egg that size from sic a wee bird ! ) A few minutes later I'd had enough, so I laid the egg down and took a photo of it as I couldn't stand the reek o it any more.....

The stinkie Fulmar egg on Conachair

On the plus side, the the rain stopped and the mist suddenly lifted with the views across to Oisebhal , Dun and Boreray being magically revealed.

The MOD ship loading building debris on the slipway

Cloud clearing from Oisebhal

The Gap - a notch in the cliffs between Conachair and Oisebhal

Sea cliffs near the Gap

Village bay from the S side of Conachair after the cloud cleared

Dried off my phone and indulged in and orgy of snaps, spotting people on the top of Oisebhal in the process.
As I approached the Gap - a bealach between the two hills, two of the guys in our party approached, doing my route in reverse.( sorry guys, I've forgotten your names ) We exchanged greetings and commiserations about the weather then I followed the path past the Gap ( a notch in the cliffs with a dizzying drop down to the sea ) and up on to the top of Oisebhal - the last HUmp. Just as I reached the top, the clag started to waft back in over Conachair. I tarried for as long as I could on top of Oisebhal, soaking up the breathtaking rugged scenery.then descended the broad flank of Oisebhal through the many cleits and grazing Soay sheep, heading for the fanks of An Lag Bho'n Tuath in the glen below whilst being marshalled by a greater Skua which circle around me, but not diving in as happened to a friend of mine who had been aggressively attacked by one in Gleann Mor on a previous visit, many years ago.

A skua keeping an eye on me at the top of Oisebhal

Couldn't believe how many cleits had been built just on this slope !
Back in the village, I set about finding my camping gear. The ranger had kindly put it under cover in her house. Once recovered, I walked up to the campsite and pitched my tent and cooked supper. After a sucessful landing on DUN in the afternoon, the boats returned with the happy adventurers, with stories of Simon nearly falling in the water whilst landing and Puffin burrows and guano abounding on the ascent.
The ranger opened her TAT shop which everyone piled into. I put a donation in her Puffin box for rescuing my gear from the rain earlier.
A meeting in the museum was convened after supper by Mark Trengove to discuss the program for the following day, as plan A had been shot to pieces by the weather
It was agreed that the Boreray expedition would leave at 6.30am whilst the "Hirta people" would stay on the island and wait for their return. This meant a long lie for us "Hirta people ! ...............TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2

[Sgurr]

Makes me want to go back, despite the rain. Think I know some of those guys. Have seen on facebook some pics from Norman and Peter, but not sure if there was anyone else I know. We just did Hirta when we went and came to the reluctant conclusion, after looking at some of the below, that our total would remain at whatever the new total (after all the new additions) minus 5. Currently stands at 1552 Marilyns. No wonder St. Kilda is a double world heritage site.

[Gordon Ballantyne]

Makes me want to go back, despite the rain. Think I know some of those guys. Have seen on facebook some pics from Norman and Peter, but not sure if there was anyone else I know. We just did Hirta when we went and came to the reluctant conclusion, after looking at some of the below, that our total would remain at whatever the new total (after all the new additions) minus 5. Currently stands at 1552 Marilyns. No wonder St. Kilda is a double world heritage site.

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Braw shots Sgurr..... One of our group got a vid of Gannets diving near Boreray.
Words & phots can't really describe the atmoshere of this place !

Cheer Gorodn

[Sunset tripper]

Great stuff Gordon. I was on St. Kilda a few years back and it is a fantastic place. Should be on everyone's list.
I might try and get the pictures together and put a walk report up, though not sure I can do it justice.
Would love a shot at Boreray.
All the best.

[Sgurr]

I would have loved to have a bash at Boreray when younger, but even getting off it now seems alarming

https://www.facebook.com/dorothy.stirling.9/videos/2466883066738300/