Festival walkers on Giolabhal Glas
Matt Watts, the North Harris Ranger, said, “We had plenty of guided walks including a couple of excellent hill walks up Bleabhal in West Harris and Giolabhal Glas behind Tarbert, and a packed golden eagle walk (with plenty of sightings as always!). Alison O’Neill led two guided walks over the Machair, getting everyone to go barefoot for both walks! Unfortunately the Clisham Horseshoe walk had to be called off, to save anyone from being blown away from the top of the ridge! The programme culminated in an eleven mile hike through the heart of North Harris the Harris hills along the track from Meavaig to Bogha Glas, with great company and spirits that weren’t dampened by the rain coming in through the afternoon.
“Cameron McNeish gave an inspiring evening talk on John Muir, concluding with a rousing call for a “champion” of wild land in Scotland. Festival regular Laurie Campbell gave a fascinating evening presentation of some of his recent work, and Chris Townsend retold the story of his long distance trek along the Scottish Watershed.
“The Raft Race returned for a second year, with 7 teams on home-made rafts and a crowd of around 100 spectators. Alongside this was the Rhenigidale Hill Race; eleven keen runners raced along the Postman’s Path from Urgha to Rhenigidale and back.
“A personal highlight were the powerboat tours of Loch Seaforth, provided by the Scaladale Centre. We were treated to sightings of Sea Eagles, Golden Eagles, Seals and Dolphins, and a new perspective of the Harris hills.
“The festival dance was held in the Tarbert Community Centre. Harris band Catch 22 provided music for the evening, along with the superb Corina MacInnes and Sandy MacIver playing for the dances.
At least 25 people had come to Harris specifically for the Festival, demonstrating that we’re meeting our aim of boosting tourism at the end of the season. Overall, we had around 570 people attend all events, well up from last year’s figure of 450.”
If you are considering taking your own trip to the Isle of Harris, check out the Outer Hebrides walks available on Walkhighlands.