Dramatic Photography - Scottish Islands Explorer

Transcription

SCOTTISH
ISIANDSfp”
November/December 2011
THE UK'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO EXPLORING THE ISLANDS OF SCOTLAND £3.75
Dramatic Photography
WeeCumbrae i Vatersay
Aisla Craii
Enjoyed
Experienced
: Evoked
Plus: Mesolithic Man • Foula • Tidal Islands - and much more ..
■._.1'
ST*
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SCOTTISH
ISLANDS
Explorer
November/December 2011
Editor
John Humphries
[email protected]
Publisher
Tom Humphries
[email protected]
Production Design
Deborah Bryce
[email protected]
Proof Reader
Melanie Palmer
Regular C ontributors
John Randall
Marc Calhoun
Jack Palfrey
Tom Aston
Mavis Gulliver
Lizzie Williams
Roger Butler
Richard Clubley
Adm inistration
Ravenspoint Press Ltd
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Isle of Lewis
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T: 01851 880737
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www.scottishislandsexplorer.com
Volume 12 / Issue 6
contents
4
Editorial an d G uest C olum n
5
Vision fo r 2 0 2 0
6
Insights
8
In Search o f M eso lith ic M an
Roger Butler on an archaeologist’s 20-year hunt
12 S u m m er Isles
Lizzie Williams addresses changes
13 Th ree Score and Ten Ports o f Call
Jack Palfrey finds two ships that are appealing
Islands Beyond - Looe Island Page 15
15 Islands Beyond
Richard Clubley encounters Looe Island
16 To have Kissed a St Kildan Lassie
Andrew Wiseman examines an anthor’s delight
20 I K now W h e re I'm G oing!
Kennedy Wilson traces a film journey to Mull
23 A G o vern o r G eneral Comes H o m e
John Abbott considers a ‘speck of land’
Published bi-monthly in February,
April, June, August, October and
December.
Next issue on sale: 18th December 2011
© Copyright 2010 Ravenspoint
Press Ltd. All rights reserved.
25 Scotland's Island C o untry
Richard Clubley relates another island experience
26 D ram atic Skye
Andrew & Rosie Woodhouse share their work
D istribution
Native Publisher Services Ltd
Leigh House
Varley Street
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Tel: 01924 228308
Front Cover
Sligachan, Skye
by Andrew & Rosie Woodhouse
Back Cover
Ben More on Mull from the north end
of Iona by Roger Butler
■
28 Flashes fro m Th e B utt
ISSN: 1476-6469
Journey to M ull Page 20
Donald MacKenzie on the top end of Lewis
32 The W onders o f W ee C um brae
John Steele enjoys a small island
36 Tidal Islands
Peter Caton looks off-shore and steps out
40
R e m e m b ered on Vatersay
James Hendrie recalls an air crash of 1944
43
P h o to g rap h y on Harris
Ruth Fairbrother and Peter Leeming are drawn
4 6 The T im e o f M y Life
John Randall introduces a new book on Foula
50 Island Incidents
Tidal Islands Page 36
Sam Berry researched moths on Shetland
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER
3
delivery by Friday 23 December. It's a
that's too early for Christmas."
A genial exchange o f views took
place
Carols and concerns
in
which
the
timely offer.
conductor
It will also soon be the tim e o f year
explained that the following day was
for resolutions and there's nothing like
Advent Sunday and during which I
having something in mind to consider.
asked whether old-style dance-band
The fantasies that we dwell on can be
numbers
constructive. We sometimes make
would
not
be
more
acceptable for the shoppers. I failed in
allusions to creating castles in the air.
my musical
my
This may be stimulating, involving
excuses and left w ith the unfaithful.
illusions about having a different
requests,
made
However, I am a little perturbed that
lifestyle. It's only a cause for concern
soon it will be that tim e o f year again
when dangerous delusions occur and
when
the belief that we are actually living in
festive
encroachment
traditionally takes place.
these castles takes over.
It was on the morning of Saturday 30
So here I am about to be hypocritical
However, it may be simpler and safer
November last year when I had a
and bring up the subject o f seasonal
to cut resolutions to the core. An
difference of opinion with the Salvation
present-giving and cards. Once again
advertisement
Army band about to strike up in the
this magazine is endeavouring to do
Galaxy that I saw on the side o f a taxi
for
the
Samsung
main street of my local market town. I
tw o things - assist subscribers and
appeared to sum up many of the
enquired whether they were about to
boost our circulation.The next issue is
aspirations o f humans at this tim e of
play carols. When they indicated that
due to appear in mid-December and
year: 'Slimmer - Brighter - Faster -
this was their intention, I made my
the suggestion on the Vision 20/20
Smarter'. Dream on!
objections known. I hope I was civilised
page o f this issue would mean that
and courteous, but I was emphatic. "It's
your prospective g ift o f a year-long
still November," I pointed out, "and
subscription is dispatched in tim e for
John Humphries
Guest Columnist, Jonny Muir, yearns for the island tops from the London Tube.
I had a book published in
September. The UK’s
County Tops will, I hope,
guide walkers to the
summits of the UK’s 91
historic counties. Ronas
Hill, the millions-of-yearsold roof of Shetland, and
Ward Hill, from where all
but one of the Orkney
islands can be glimpsed,
along with well-tramped
Goatfell on Arran, are represented.
The Hebrides are unavoidably overlooked. As scattered
fragments of the traditional counties of Argyll, Inverness-shire and
Ross and Cromarty, the archipelagos highest mountains are
dwarfed by mainland rivals.
However, it got me thinking about Scottish island summits.
Could they all be climbed ? There are hundreds, many obscure and
remote; it would be no easy undertaking. I have done a few: Barra’s
heavenly Heaval, a marble statue of the Madonna holding aloft a
baby adorning a rampart; the upturned boat ofAn Sgurr on Eigg;
Rum’s Askival while plunged in clag; Beinn an Oir on Jura during
4
SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
a fell race over the Paps; the scintillating, cliff-rimmed Conachair
on Hirta; and, most recendy, the 38-metre summit of Easdale.
There are many more: Sgurr Alasdair, the zenith of the Skye
Cuillin; Raasay’s Dun Caan, where James Boswell ‘danced a reel’;
South Uist’s Beinn Mhor, a formidable presence greeting those
travelling west across The Minch. The list goes on: Clisham on
Harris; Ben Hogh on Coll; Bheinn Bheiger on Islay; Ben More on
Mull; CreagBhan on Gigha.
Some offer a greater challenge than others. The ascents of
Askival and Easdale are incomparable, for instance. But the sense
of satisfaction is similar. There is no higher place to go on this slab
ofEarth. A vista of sea-lapped shores appears. The island s place in
the world is revealed.
I am writing this on the London Underground. It is sweltering.
A woman to my left is proof-reading my words. Visions of these
places come to me like fleeting, untouchable dreams. The Hebrides
and London share a country - yet occupy different worlds. I long
for the hills. Give me the oppressive clag of Askival. Give me the
rolling screes of Sgurr Alasdair. Give me the airy freedom of
Clisham. I want to be there now.
Jonny Muir
Vision for 2020
This is the final issue of 2011 and marks the first complete calendar year of my editorship.
Some changes of style have occurred during that time, but the underlying ethos remains
the same - to offer a variety of information about the Scottish islands in a readable format.
This magazine strives to maintain high standards of presentation in order to fulfil the
pastimes and passions of its readers.
Gift Solutions
This
is
the
proposal
for
the Christmas 2011
one-year
subscription-gift offer to existing
subscribers wishing to purchase for
family or friends. One gift may be
bought for £20; two for £37.50; three
for £50; four for £60.
If you are sending a cheque - made
payable to Ravenspoint Press Ltd please address it to Scottish Islands
Explorer, Ravenspoint Press Ltd,
Kershader, Isle of Lewis HS2 9QA.
The words 'Christmas Offer' should
appear in the top left corner of the
envelope and the names and addresses
(including postal codes) of the
recipients should be clearly indicated on
a piece of paper accompanying the
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and, if applicable, the email address of
the giver should be included.
For
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card
payments,
please call either 01379 890270 or 0751
012 7014 and the details will be taken
down.
A Trek Through Time
Myra Walters reflects on a walk that the late Jeremy Smith
considered in 2009.
Steimreway has been deserted for some 70 years, yet it still
appeals to visitors intrigued by the prospect of a green oasis
and a blue lagoon on the north side of Loch Shell. It is best
approached from Orinsay at the end of the well-metalled road
through the South Lochs of the Isle of Lewis.
The footpath begins just below where a flight of steps is
evident. At the top of the steps turn right and there are
markers indicating a route across the moor, past the lochan to
the inlet beyond. This is the site of an extensive township that
was cleared in 1857 or 1858.
Shells and outlines of buildings are still evident, but these
are the ruins of houses built in the second phase of the
settlement's development - for the 20 years after 1922. The
stones used would have been taken from the remains of the 16
previous houses, homes to 81 people in 18 51.
Initially there were 12 families prepared to re-settle, but
Quiz
A w ay w ith th e ferries
Stepping ashore on an
island is always a special
m om ent. On which Scottish
js|anc|s are the follow ing
ferry landings?
oppostion from the landowners and the Scottish Office as
well as the tragic drowning of two young men when the first
attempts to move in were made, resulted in just five families
settling. By 1939 only the Carmichaels and Morrisons
remained.
As you re-trace your steps to Orinsay, reflect on how these
people were not officially recognised as crofters and so had no
facilities provided; how the children walked to Lemreway and
back to attend school; how basic life must have been, yet how
green is this valley and how it continues to attract.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lyness
Feolin
Rhubodach
Ulsta
Achnacroish
Kylerhea
7.
8.
9.
10.
Loth
Ham
Ardmhor
Galmisdale
Answers on page 50
5
mw.iv
Reading about and for the Outdoor Life
‘Wild camping is legal in Scotland, but largely forbidden in England.’ That’s a good
start. ‘Rain is apart of camping. Complaining about die rain when you are camping is like
complaining about traffic in central London: what else did you expect ?’ That’s sound
advice. It comes from Matthew de Abaitua, whose book The Art o f Camping has recendy
been published by Hamish Hamilton [978-0-241-14513-5] at£l4.99.
This book is a must for those who enjoy or enjoyed, endure or endured either being
under canvas or, at least, thinking of it while between the sheets, the bed-sheets. It
examines the history of the practice; investigates social, religious and political movements
that have stemmed from it; recounts anecdotes of family experiences; provides advice for
both the seasoned and the unsure. Above all, it is extremely readable and makes an impact.
The Glastonbury Festival organisers apparendy plead with their visitors to ‘Leave No
Trace’. What would happen if they didn’t, for this year some 5500 tents were abandoned
there by festival-goers ? Maybe it’s the place to go to begin acquiring kit cheaply for the
outdoor life. Incidentally, an inexpensive way to acquire knowledge of Mull is by
purchasing one of the Cicerone Guides, Walking on th e Isle o f M ull by Terry Marsh
[978-85284-595-7] at£12.95.
A flick through the pages of this fit-in-your-pocket guide shows you what to expect,
with stimulating photographs - how to approach your walk, with clearly defined sections
- where you are going, with Ordnance Survey close-ups that inspire confidence - what to
look for, from geological structures to tearoom locations. The tidal island of Erraid,
however, requires only a short sentence on getting around - ‘There are no paths to speak
of, save those made by sheep.’
A round Shetland is a picture guide produced by the Shedand Times and available at
£6.99 [978-1 -904746-63-8]. It provides a comprehensive array ofphotographs, many of
which reflect the multiplicity of light patterns on the various islands of the group. The
torchlights at the Up-Helly-A’ give way to the Aurora Borealis, while the hues offreezing
fog and stormy seas are juxtaposed with those of dusk and dawn which are, in June, just a
couple ofhours apart.
Some people like keeping them - for they are able to winter out at minus 20 degrees,
living on rough terrain. Some like eating them - for their beef is renowned. Some like
looking at them - and Heidi Sands hopes they will be stimulated, for her book, Spirit o f
H ighland Cattle, published by Pixz at £4.99 [978-0-85710-054-2] provides much
interest with around 60 images of these magnificent creatures on their own, in bovine
company and at human shows.
6
Something Old, Something New
Rockall is an old outcrop, 63’ high and some 227 miles
west of Benbecula. Wireless telegraphy, the old name for
radio communication, was first devised in 1897 and so is
comparatively young. The two - that most isolated speck of
rock and a team of IOTA (Islands on the Air) amateur radio
activators - may meet in May 2012.
Alas, the course fell into disrepair and in the 1930s part of
it became an air-strip. It has been an 18-, 12- and nine-hole
course during its existence, but restoration work in 2006
took it back close to the original routing of the fairways and
greens. There is something satisfying in the figure produced
for the income brought to South Uist by the event - £18000.
Par of a grand?
There was, in the 1830s, sufficient interest in churchgoing for the community at Sandwick, close to Skara Brae
on Orkney, to be involved with the construction of, and
then to attend, the fine St Peter’s Kirk. Apparently up to
500 would be present at services, although this high a figure
led to only 18” of pew space per person. Perhaps this
restriction turned off the next generation?
Even when attendances declined, the significance of the
architecture of the building remained. The Scottish
Redundant Churches Trust provided funds, Leslie Burgher,
a local architect, drew up plans and in 1998 restoration
began, to be finished five year later. This church continues
to command attention, as did the preachers in this pulpit
that reaches to the gallery.
The four radio operators, George Moreno, Christian
Cabre, Simon Gadelta and Col McGowan, are part of an
adventure group that achieved past transmitting success from
St Kilda, the Monach and the Flannan Islands. Completing
the team will be Nick Hancock, an experienced climber on
expeditions and a person with plans for the future.
He looks forward to surveying the rock for a subsequent
visit when he hopes to stay for 60 days, setting a new
occupancy record and raising money for charity. Survival is
possible on Hall’s Ledge, measuring 11 ’ x 4’ and some 13’
below the summit. However, much assistance will be needed
- for this is a place where the waves that really matter can be
terrifyingly high.
Gordon MacLean was brought up on Arran, although he
moved to Bower, in Caithness, some 16 years ago. His
second novel -7 6 - has recently appeared and is set, at first,
in his home area and then moves on to other parts of the
Highlands & Islands. The book is available through Kindle
and accessing it is a matter of keying in Arran’ and ‘76’ to
Amazon and then downloading.
The 2011 Askernish Open Weekend Festival on South Uist
attracted many golfers as well as spectators to the Old Tom
Morris Course. It’s 190 years since Tom Morris was born. He
became a professional and greenkeeper at St Andrew’s as well
as an acclaimed course-designer. His landscaping of the
machair at Askernish was completed in 1891.
7
In Search of Mesolithic Man
8 SCOTTISH ISLAND EXPLORER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
InSearch of Mesolithic Man
IN SEARCH
OF MESOLITHIC MAN
Roger Butler on an archaeologist's 20-year hunt for evidence of the first Hebrideans
10,000 years ago, as the glaciers started to retreat at the end of last Ice Age, early hunter-gatherers made
their way across the land bridge which once linked Britain with France. They travelled north - foraging,
fishing and hunting along the way - and the first parties to reach the west coast of Scotland
would no doubt have been curious to explore and colonise the maze of islands which seemed to
stretch right over the horizon.
It wasn't too long, geologically speaking, before the settlers became islanders, and in more
ways than one. Firstly, sea levels rose to cast Britain off from the continent, and, secondly, the
hunter-gatherers used their primitive canoes and skin-boats to visit and inhabit what we now
call the Hebrides. These Mesolithic people were our earliest ancestors and archaeologist,
Professor Steven Mithen, has spent a couple of decades trying to decipher a Hebridean way of
life which lasted for at least 4,000 years.
His pioneering excavations, usually accompanied by regular bands of keen students, have
spread through the islands in waves, not entirely dissimilar to the advance of those early people.
First Jura, then detailed work on Islay. Several digs on Colonsay and Oronsay were followed
by fieldwork on Mull, Coll and Tiree. Shorter, but tantalising, visits to Rum, Eigg, Muck and
Canna were taken. The whole story has recently been told in his remarkably-readable book To the Islands: An archaeologist's relen tless q uest to fin d, the p reh istoric h u n ter-ga th erers o f
the Hebrides.
Engagem ent w ith th e Environm ent
What attracts him to the islands? Steven explains: ‘Our ancestors might have been huntergatherers, but you needn't go all the way to the Peruvian rainforests to see evidence of how they
lived. Today's Hebridean landscape is home to much the same animal and plant life as our
forebears would have seen, and it's therefore possible to have the same engagement with the
environment, particularly as a source of food, as they would have done all those years ago.
It's such an inspirational landscape, and it's also possible to more or less follow and walk the
same routes as our Mesolithic ancestors would have done. Walking also helps with the
archaeology and allows you to engage with the rhythms of nature, just as the hunter-gatherers
would have needed to have done in the past.’
He tells his story chronologically, just the way it happened, interspersed with tales from his
island-hopping jaunts and important meetings back at Reading University. Alongside details of
tiny flint blades, mounds of discarded limpet shells and the remains of primitive ovens once used
for roasting hazelnuts, he describes evening sunsets spent sipping whisky, football games against
burly islanders, and the joys of half-marathons on Islay and Coll.
9
In Search o f Mesolithic Man
A M esolithic Nose
Steven clearly values his time on the islands
and whilst he aims to see them through
Mesolithic eyes, he sometimes tries
to use a Mesolithic nose as well.
On Colonsay he describes how
the whole island seemed to be
bursting with scent: minty
aromas, pungent
wild
77&. bracken,
I honeysuckle,
f meadowsweet and
camomile. He also
observes
the
wildlife, including
eagles, barn owls,
red deer, otters and
W
basking sharks, and
always finds time for a
quick dip in the cold Atlantic water.
There's a degree of obsession about his
work which can be traced back to an
American anthropologist who, in 1982,
declared that archaeologists should extend
‘their perspective of hunters and gatherers
from the 5’ excavation unit at a single site to
The images accompanying have been
supplied by Roger Butler, th e author of
this article, and appear in th e book by
Steven Mithen, whose photograph is on
page 11.
10
an area of more than 300,000 square
kilometres.’ This became a sort of rallying cry,
and since 1986 Steven has almost singlehandedly raised the necessary funds to test
this idea along Scotland's western seaboard.
It's an idea that says the discovery of a
Mesolithic midden of old shells or other
waste doesn't necessarily mean this was a
place where hunter-gatherers once set up
permanent settlement. Instead, such a site
was likely to be just one dot in a network of
specialised island locations, and his research
has sought to show how this could have
applied across the inner isles.
Endless Enthusiasm
He's given it his all: grant applications,
survey work, excavation, computermodelling, studies of sea-level change,
microscopic analysis and endless enthusiasm.
Whilst Steven admits he can't entirely prove
his theory, part of his conclusion is a
straightforward map which helps pull all the
research together and shows how the islands
could well have been exploited and worked
by Mesolithic man.
InSearch of Mesolithic Man
Further investigation could change his thinking, but a site
on the north shore of Rum's Loch Scresort - the oldest
known settlement in the Hebrides - is currently suggested as
the prime Mesolithic base camp. From here groups of
hunter-gatherers would have set out over the water, maybe
on a daily basis or for weeks at a time.
Rum has revealed a diverse range of prehistoric remains
including thousands of stone tools, traces of fire, discarded
hazelnut shells and primitive deer traps high on the slopes of
Orval. Later, 5,000 years ago, rudimentary farming
developed on Rum and a local brew made from oats and
barley was flavoured with honey and bog-myrtle. Maybe this
helped keep the midges at bay!
Evidence unearthed elsewhere shows Mesolthic man may
well have travelled from Rum to a carefully-constructed
fishing camp by the narrow entrance to Fiskary Bay on Coll,
to a shellfish site on the mainland opposite Raasay, and to a
number of foraging places around the coastlines of Mull and
Ulva. The research shows that deer-hunting camps were also
established on Jura, Islay and Mull. There were even places
where deer hides were cleaned using chipped stone artefacts,
and on the Rinns of Islay a specialised site developed to
manufacture and repair flint arrows and spears.
H ebridean Diet
From here, flints were taken across the water to Colonsay
where the hazel woodland was a rich source of food. It wasn't
just the nuts though: archaeological digs have revealed that
early man was making full use of plants such as celandine and
seaweed. Oronsay (linked to Colonsay at low tide) was
another favoured foraging spot, and though its early shell
middens would have been lost when sea levels rose 8,000
years ago, earlier investigations in the 1970s mapped large
mounds of animal and bird bones mixed with limpet and
winkle shells - all being evidence of the Mesolithic
Hebridean diet.
This scenario has been usefully informed by today's
islanders, who often find things quite by chance. A man on
Mull, for instance, collected two buckets of chipped stone
artefacts when planting and digging potatoes in his garden.
Steven could immediately envisage this rocky overgrown
plot as a secluded camp used by hunter-gatherers who had
crossed the 12 miles of sea from Coll. A ground-penetrating
radar appeared to show something more than two feet below
ground which turned out to be a Mesolithic fireplace.
Radiocarbon dating showed it to be more than 8,000 years
old. Not all allotment patches can boast such historic
interest.
There's plenty more work to be done, but Steven believes
the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers continue to shape the way
we behave today. His research had an engaging mixture of
archaeology, history, science and geography, plus a bit of
luck. His book is a hefty tome, illustrated with more than a
hundred colour photos, but it fluently reveals how and why
people were travelling between the islands long before the
first humans started to settle. Next time I'm on a CalMac
ferry, I'll certainly be looking at all those beaches, bays,
headlands and hills through a fresh set of eyes. ■
Further Inform ation
To the Islands: An archaeologist's relentless quest to find the
prehistoric hunter-gatherers o f the Hebrides by Steven Mithen is
published by Two Ravens Press (based in Uig on the Isle of
Lewis), price £15.99.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 1 1
Summer Isles
Summer Isles
It is autumn; Tanera is quieter. The families who cavorted in
kayaks and devoured mountains of chocolate brownies have
migrated south, back to the classroom and the office. Even
the noisy oyster catchers have left the bay, and the fulmars,
black guillemots and razorbills are off for a winter wandering
the open sea. A slight twinge of loneliness, and a sigh of
relief at surviving another summer season... then excitement
at all that the next stage of the year will bring.
We are galloping towards equinox: just two weeks ago
there was still light in the sky at ten in the evening, but in
fortnight it will be dark by supper time. The long light
evenings of summer are all very well, but the returning
darkness has its own pleasures. We are re-acquainting
ourselves with the stars (Jupiter is startling at the moment)
and last week we spotted a first smudge of Aurora Borealis.
A Perilous Business
Walking around at night on the soggy paths is a perilous
business involving stepping around the toads creaking
furtively on the cool damp ground. So it’s better to avoid
paths at dark times and go by boat instead: any excuse to
play with water on a dark night now that the
phosphorescence is blooming.
These tiny luminescent planktonic plants light up when
the water moves: a preposterously beautiful sight. A bow
wave is gilded, an oar through the water is a magic wand, a
propeller churns up a ghostly green growl. The wee things
even come home sparkling on wellies. Daylight brings a new
12
Lizzie Williams considers how
changes have to be addressed
spectrum. Most flowers are over, but the heather, having lain
brown for most of the year, is now in full-on purple bonanza.
Walking through the crowded clumps on a warm day, the
air smells spread thick with honey. Bees are delighted. Blue
heads of Devil’s-bit scabious - in Gaelic Bodach Gorm, ‘Blue
Old Man’ - nod sagely above the browning grasses. They are
much taller than their mainland brothers which are nibbled
short by sheep. Malachite ‘hawker’ dragonflies roar around
the lawn as if remote-controlled by a small boy.
A Chance to Reflect
After a busy summer the ground feels ready to enjoy a rest
from the footfall. And so are we. It’s good to shift gear: to set
our own timetable for a bit, rather than obeying the schedule
of tour boats and the needs of holiday makers. A chance to
reflect on the next priorities in this ever-on-going project of
keeping the island healthy and happy.
Inevitably there will be unglamorous tasks: replacing bits
of generators and repairing all sorts of broken, weathered,
rotten things. But we are, finally, reaching a conclusion on
the power-generation issue, and by next Spring we hope to
have a lovely array of photovoltaic cells powering the north
end of the island and a pair of small wind turbines creating
energy at the south end.
But like many Islands, we have a population issue: the
parents are moving off Tanera (only as far as Achiltibuie on
the mainland) and our single highland steer is still lonely. We
need to find some answers, for both man and beast.
Three Score and Ten Ports of Call
Three Score and
Ten Ports of Call
Jack Palfrey finds two ships that are appealing
W hite Funnel Fleet in 1969. Eleven
years later the company closed.
O lym pian Task
The British are drawn towards their coast
as well as to their islands. Seaside travel
came of age when the railways were
extended from the industrial cities to
the holiday resorts. There the sandy
beach and promenade were joined by
the amusement park and pier. Cruise
ships were there to extend the trip and
to provide that extra dimension, an
adventure to the horizon.
The Victorian and Edwardian eras
were, perhaps, the heyday of these
activities, but their revival after the
Second World War enabled people to
pick up the pieces of pre-war life
during the years of new-found peace.
The original W averley, an endearing
paddle-ship, was sunk off Dunkirk in
1940. Her replacement was built on
the Clyde in 1947.
The intention was for the ship to ply
between
Craigendoran,
near
Helensburgh, up Loch Long to
Arrochar. These ports of call have
multiplied, including ones on Arran,
Mull and Tiree. There are now 70
harbours and piers throughout the
British Isles, where the W averley is to
be found, welcomed and boarded. In
many ways it has become an
institution.
Sold for a Pound
The moment when the vessel’s
commercial role became a charitable
venture was in 1974 when the 693tonne ship was sold for £1 to the
Paddle Steamer Preservation Society
(PSPS). Now the 4000 members of the
society have an interest in the working
and whereabouts of the W averley and
are relieved that their efforts are
complemented by such as Heritage
Lottery Funding.
While the Waverley is the world’s last
seagoing paddle-steamer, the Balm oral
is a classic cruise ship from the same
era. It, too, has a Scottish name, but
was built in Southampton in 1949.
Initially it was in the service of the local
Red Funnel Fleet before switching
colours and joining P & A Campbell’s
The Balmoral found itself in Dundee,
as a floating restaurant. Disrepair
occurred and the PSPS intervened. By
1986 it was back in service, mainly in the
Bristol Channel. So there are two ships
that have a following, but which need
funds. These will be crucial for the 2011
season has just finished and the prospect
of 2012 provides an Olympian task.
The donations required for the
provision and preservation of the
services sustain something special. The
appeal for the ships (see overleaf) is
on-going; the appeal of the ships is
basic. Here are aspects of heritage,
nostalgia and sensory instincts. The
sight and sound of the vessels arouse
feelings, as does their touch and smell.
Above all they provide that taste of
travel from a bygone era.
13
Preserve a piece of
Britain's Maritime Heritage
Paddle S tea m e r W averley - a flagship for the Nation
O ne o f the to p -th re e n o s ta lg ic jo u rn e y s
in the w o r ld ... The Tim es, D e c e m b e r 2009
Small-group expeditions to Arctic Norway,
the Solovetski Islands of Arctic Russia,
Greenland and Kamchatka.
• Arctic and Antarctic voyages byjship.
• Dog sledding, cross country skiing,
boating, kayaking, hiking and wildlife trips.
• Tailor-made Iceland with flights from
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Circumnavigation of Ireland 4-14 May 2012
unforgettable Scottish Island voyage
Whale safari - Aberdeen, Fair I
Spitsbergen
Wild Scotland and the Faroe islands
Support the World’s last sea-going Paddle Steamer
and ensure that Waverley continues to sainor future generations to enjoy!
Please call for a full colour brochure.
\
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\
ARCTURUS
The polar arm o f Far Frontiers Travel Ltd
Ninestone
South Zeal
Devon
EX20 2PZ
Tel/Fax: (44) 01837 840640
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For more information please contact Phil & Mandy Lloyd
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14
Islands Beyond
Islands
Beyond
Richard Clubley encounters Hebridean sheep
and the tale of the Lamb of God on Looe Island
Looe Island is a short but wet and dangerous walk from Looe on
about two days of the year, when spring tides allow it. The rest of
the time you must take the nature reserve’s boat, The Islander.
It is sometimes called St George’s Island, has a one mile
circumference, covers 22 acres, rises 150’ above sea level
and has a population of six. Daffodils bloom at Christmas,
a fact which previous owners took advantage of to make a
little money.
The human history of Looe Island can be traced to
Roman and even Iron Age remains, discovered by Channel
4’s Tim e Team in 2008. In 1139 a Benedictine chapel was
built and a few of its stones can still be seen.
Fulfil a Dream
The modern history begins in 1965 when sisters, Babs
and Evelyn Atkins, bought the island to fulfil a dream of
living in such a place. Babs taught in Looe where the
vagaries of wind and tide necessitated her boarding during
the week. Evelyn wrote two books about their life on the
island. Evelyn died in 1997 and Babs, fearful that the island
would fall ‘into the wrong hands’ and be developed,
bequeathed it, in a far-sighted move, to the Cornwall
Wildlife Trust to run as a nature reserve.
This tiny place has an amazing range of habitats:
woodland, maritime grassland, cliffs, rocky reef, sand and
shingle. W ild garlic, Spanish hyacinths and thrift give
colour whilst a significant colony of great black-backed gulls
add ... what they add. An imported flock of Hebridean
sheep helps control the scrub to encourage invertebrates,
flowers and provide conditions for breeding seabirds.
About 30 Atlantic grey seals bask on the rocks and
watch basking sharks and dolphins swim by. The seals
have all been issued photo IDs to aid monitoring. The
most famous local seal was Nelson - an old, scarred, oneeyed male that made Looe harbour his home until his
death in 2003. Nelson was a favourite with visitors and
even the fishermen.
A Splendid Am bassador
A fine bronze statue of him sits on harbour rocks, just
above high water. The plaque reads - A sp len d id
am bassador f o r his species, a p o te n t sym b ol o f th e rich
m a rin e e n v ir o n m e n t... a n d a p erm a n en t rem in d er o f the
n eed f o r it to b e ch erish ed . In 1995 a Voluntary Marine
Conservation Area was established, including the sea
around Looe and the island. People really care about this
corner of the world - for there is much to care about.
Legends of smugglers and wreckers abound on the
Cornish coast, but it has also been suggested the boy Jesus
played on Looe Island beach while his uncle, Joseph of
Arimathea, met Cornish tin merchants. Now that would
be a story.
Access: Cornwall Wildlife Trust: 01872 273939 and
www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org (You can also get married or
have a tipi holiday here.)
Reading: l/l/e Bought an Island (1976) and Tales from Our
Cornish Island (1986) by Evelyn Atkins are available through the
website or from island gift shop.
15
To have Kissed a St Kildan Lassie
To Have Kissed a
St K IL D A N
LA SSIE
Andrew Wiseman relates how Alexander Carmichael was delighted, while collecting
folklore material
One of the best known facts about St Kilda is that the whole
population left in 1930, but perhaps one of the lesser-known facts
about this island is that it was repopulated by other Hebrideans
(mainly from Skye but also from Harris) during the late 1720s.
Owing to an outbreak of smallpox, the indigenous
population was almost completely destroyed (only four
adults and two dozen children survived).
The decision was taken by the then owner, MacLeod of
Dunvegan, to have the island repopulated to become
economically viable by bringing in rents. MacDonalds,
Fergussons, MacKinnons, MacLeods, Gillieses and
Morrisons became familiar surnames among the islanders
and bear witness to these newcomers and their descendants.
Despite, or perhaps mainly, because of the islands
remoteness - lying some 40 miles to the west - St Kilda from
the mid-19th Century on became a popular tourist
attraction for its natural history in an exotic location. Some
visitors thought they were viewing a pristine arcadia
previously only known to a select few. Such a fancy was far
from the truth.
'To Propagate the Natural History'
Martin Martin (cl668 -1718), an indigenous Gael, is
remembered for his A D escription o f the Western Isles o f
Scotland (1703), which, it is said, partly inspired Boswell and
1 6 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
To Have Kissed a St Kildan Lassie
Johnson’s later tour. Martin, originally from
Skye, visited the island in 1697, and a year
later published his observations in A Late
Jou rn a l to St Kilda. His introduction relates
a great desire ‘to propagate the natural
history... without any disguise.’
A similar motivation influenced
Alexander Carmichael - another Gael, born
on Lismore in 1832 - who became an
exciseman on Uist and soon visited St
Kilda. In his spare time Carmichael amassed
much Gaelic lore, including charms, songs,
stories, hymns, proverbs and so on. A
fraction of these were later edited and
published to wide acclaim as C arm ina
Gadelica (1900).
Alexander Carmichael’s first of only two
trips to St Kilda took place on 22 May
1865. He left Lochmaddy, in North Uist, at
4.30 a.m. and the boat sailed through the
Sound of Harris, where Carmichael would
have caught sight of St Clement s church in
Rodel. A further six hours into the journey
and St Kilda appeared on the horizon.
He notes included:
Islands look m a gn ificen t risin g up o f the
w ater in the mist. Slight breeze on the
starboard side. A rrived at St K ilda about 12
noon. Fine open bay. B old rocks a n d
remarkably grand. L anded in fir s t boat. Was
a t m anse. P oorlyfu rn ish ed bu t g o o d house.
Cameron the missionary oldish a n d com m on
looking. St K ildans g o o d looking s[t]out
fello w s with p a le complexions. Woman g o o d
looking a n d ruddy complexions. Women high
shoulders a n d crou ch ed fig u r es a n d bad
ankles a n d feet. B eautifu l w h ite teeth.
P ronunciation p ecu lia r a n d lisping. P eople
seem to be spoiled not polite.
Idiosyncratic Impressions
After having jotted down his first and
rather idiosyncratic impressions of the St
Kildans and purchasing some 10? yards of
cloth for 14 shillings and a bottle of fulmar
oil for one shilling, Carmichael continues
his narrative:
Kissed a St Kilda lassie. A little beauty with
dark brown eyes an dfresh com plexion about
ten or eleven years. Kissed h er so as to have to
say that I kissed a St K ildan lassie. Saw m en
g o in g on rocks. Fearful sights. The deep blew
fathom less ocean roaring m any h u n dred feet
beneath them. Took out the fulm ars an d some
eggs. Birds vom itin g oil - pa in fu l sights.
Rather
surprisingly,
Carmichael’s
recollection of his journey stops there, but
it was the natives themselves rather than the
remote location of the island itself that left
more of a lasting impression on him.
Besides, it was with the express purpose of
garnering information from a traditionbearer called Effie MacCrimmon or
Oighrig NicCruimein that Carmichael had
travelled to St Kilda in the first place.
Som ething o f a D isappointm ent
As things turned out the journey was
something of a disappointment for
Carmichael. Although he managed to get
some material down, it was not without a
struggle:
... w hich th e w riter took dow n ... fr o m
E ibhrig N ic C ruim ein, Euphemia
M acCrimmon, cottar, a ged eighty-four years,
w ho h a d m any o ld songs, stories, an d
traditions o f th e island. I w ou ld h a ve g o t
m ore o f these ha d there been p ea ce a n d quiet
to take them down, but his was n ot to be had
am on g a crow d o f n a va l officers a n d seam en
a n d St K ilda m en, w om en a n d children,
and, even n osier than these, St K ilda dogs,
m ade w ith ex citem en t a n d a ll barking at
once. The a ged reciter was m uch censured fo r
h er recital o f these stories a n d poem s, a n d the
w riter f o r cau sin g the o ld w om an to stir the
recesses o f h er m em ory f o r this lore; f o r the
p eop le o f St K ilda h a ve n ot disca rd ed songs
an d music, dancing, folk lore, a n d the stories
o f thefoolish past.
As far as is known Alexander Carmichael
returned only once to St Kilda and he may
well have been dissuaded by the experience
of his initial trip to try and collect more
about St Kilda or from St Kildans.
Nonetheless three pieces were published as
Iorram H irteach (St Kilda Lilt), Cha B'e
Sgioba na Faiche (It was no Crew of
Landsmen) and Oran Luathaidh lortach (St
Kilda Waulking Song) - all of which had
been collected from Effie MacCrimmon.
17
To have Kissed a St Kildan Lassie
The Conversation
As well as these there is a wonderful
piece entitled An C om hradh (The
Conversation) which was composed by
her parents together during their
courtship days, a translated excerpt of
which gives a flavour of the whole:
Potrait of Alexander Carmichael c.1899
by W illiam Skeoch Cumming
He:
Thou a rt m y turtle-dove, thou a rt
m y mavis,
Thou a rt m y m elodiou s harp in the
sw eet m orning
She:
Thou a re m y treasure, m y lovely one,
m y huntsman,
Yesterday thou ga v est m e th e g a n n et
an d the auk.
1 8 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Introducing these various pieces,
Carmichael wrote: ‘Martin reports that
the men and women of St Kilda had a
genius for poetry, music, and dancing, to
all of which they were addicted. Dr
Johnson, on the other hand, declared that
no good poetry could come from St
Kilda.’ By Carmichael’s own admission
what he found in St Kilda would probably
not have satisfied Johnson, but
nevertheless reflects the tenacity of
tradition even in places where religious
intolerance against it was growing.
After whetting his appetite with Iorram
Suirghe, Effie begged Carmichael to
return the next day so that she could pass
on more songs to him. But the island’s
minister, the Revd John Mackay, warned
him not to ‘trouble’ the old lady again as
To Have Kissed a St Kildan Lassie
she was nearing the end of her life and should not be
concerning herself with such secular trivialities. So
Carmichael left the island sadly though not completely
empty-handed, although the rest of Effie’s songs went with
her to the grave.
To Ignore Their O w n Traditions
It may be something of coincidence that Carmichael’s first
visit was in the year in which Mackay was sent to the island. He
had immediately set about imposing a particularly strict
religious rule over the islanders. The St Kildans embraced his
teaching and began to ignore their own traditions. Though not
a personal rebuke to the resident minister, Carmichael was later
to express his considerations of narrow-minded clergymen:
Is th ere no m in ister o f religion courageous enough,
philan thropic enough, fa r-seein g enough to com e to the rescue
o f these interestingpeople a n d brin g them ou t o f their slough o f
despond, ou t o f th eir windless, waveless, tideless, m otionless
doldru m into w hich erroneou s seam anship led them a n d
w herein they exist, a n d back again to th eir m any sports,
w holesom efunctions andjoyous pastim es o f theirfather? I f not,
the tim e m ay com e w hen these high ly en d ow ed m en a n d
w om en shall discover fo r them selves that religious dogm as are
dry husks a n d that labour w ithout recreation is wearisome.
The Revd John Mackay. Uncomplimentary
caricature (above) by John Sands, Out o f the
World; or Life in St Kilda (Edinburgh, 1878),
Carmichael, like many others, had taken a great deal of
trouble to reach the remotest of the British isles, but did not
foresee what was in store for him. However, he did not go
home without some of the St Kildans leaving a discernible
and lasting impression upon him. ■
SCOTTISH
ISLANDS
Explorer
May/June 2011
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I Know Where I'm Going!
20
I KNOW WHERE
I’M GOING!
Kennedy Wilson traces a film journey to Mull
I Know Where I'm Going! was, perhaps, one
of the best films to be made in Britain in the
1940s. Part-romantic comedy, part-
mystery story, it's a tale that is
surprisingly relevant today. Filmed in
Mull and released in December 1945, /
K now Where I'm Going! was the product
of the visionary partnership of Michael
Powell and Emeric Pressburger, who co
directed a number of classic British films
- One o f Our Aircraft is M issing (1942),
The Life a n d D eath o f Colonel Blimp
(1944) and The R ed Shoes (1948).
Powell had made two previous films,
Edge o f the World (1937) and The Spy in
Black (1939), both ofwhich had settings
on Scottish islands: Foula on Shetland
(standing in for St Kilda) and Orkney,
respectively. But it was I K now W here
I'm G oing1, (or IKWIG as it’s known to
fans) that is best remembered. The film
has long been admired by the likes of
Hollywood directors Martin Scorsese
and Francis Ford Coppola.
girl who takes ‘The Scotch Express’
sleeper train from Manchester to
Glasgow, then on to Oban and the Isle
of Mull to get the ferry to the Western
Isles. Here she is due to marry Sir
Robert Bellinger, one of the wealthiest
men in England, who owns the island
of Kiloran (a fictitious name) where the
couple plan to marry and settle down.
As the traditional folk song has it:
‘I know where I'm going and I'll know
who I'll marry.’ There's a definite
suggestion that Joan is marrying for
money rather than love. She certainly
says that she wants to get married
“away from people” where the war “is a
million miles away”. And in her
luggage she carries her wedding dress
in a cellophane protector. As she bids
her father farewell on the station
platform in Manchester she says
boldly: “Don't worry about me!
I know where I'm going!” This uppity
young miss (Joan is meant to be 25) is
obviously riding for a fall.
Cam eo Perform ance
The photograph of the Corryvreckan
Whirlpool was taken by lain Thom ber; th at
o f Duart Castle on M ull by Roger Butler.
IKWIG starred Wendy Hiller and
Roger Livesey and such Scottish
stalwarts as Finlay Currie and John
Lawrie, who later played Private Fraser
in TV's Dad's Army. Both actors also
featured in E dge o f the World. There's
also a cameo performance by the child
actress, and later pop singer, Petula
Clark. Wendy Hiller (the role was
originally intended for Scottish actress
Deborah Kerr, who starred in the
Powell and Pressburger hit Black
Narcissus) plays a strong-willed young
woman who knows exactly what she
wants from life and is determined to go
out and get it.
Hiller plays Joan Webster, a rich city
A Classic of its Kind
The film has a fairytale or magicrealist quality - a hallmark of Powell
and Pressburger and something that
made their output quite different from
other British films of the era. The
soundtrack, which featured the
ethereal singers of the Glasgow
Orpheus
Choir,
and superb
cinematography made the film a classic
of its kind.
By the time young Joan reaches Mull, a
fog has descended disrupting her careful
travel plans. And standing on the harbour
looking out to Kiloran at Port Erreigshe
meets a young naval officer, Torquil
Macneil. He is on an eight-day s h o r e s
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 2 1
castle, but Torquil, admitting that he is the hereditary laird of
Kiloran, cannot enter the castle because of a local curse on his
family name. On the bus trip to Tobermory, Joan hears the
locals disparage her intended husband. According to them
Bellinger has only ‘rented’ the title of laird and the locals
think him foolish and spoiled - modern parallels to Donald
Trump's development travails in Aberdeen are obvious.
The Corryvreckan W hirlpool
leave and also bound for the misty isle. It turns out that they
are fellow-travellers in more ways than one. There's much
Scotch mist and Celtic twilight in these early scenes, but such
is the skill of the filmmakers that this sequence has a magical
power that never descends to the merely sentimental.
The film was released some six months after the end of the
Second World War and its tentative optimism must have been
just the thing escapist-hungry audiences warmed to. As one
critic has observed, ‘It's a film viewers simply fall in love with.’
W ished Too Hard
Miss Webster spends the first night in the home of
Catriona Potts, a local eccentric with a herd of huge dogs. As
Joan settles down in bed she makes a wish for the winds to
blow the fog away. By morning it seems she has wished too
hard - the fog has been replaced by a ferocious gale, making
the crossing as impossible as before.
There's a running motif in the film of miscommunication
thwarting true love and modern technology being no match
for the mysteries of folklore. A roadside telephone box made
nearly useless because of the roar of a waterfall right behind it
[is] a neat symbolic image for the film's theme of modernity
overwhelmed by nature,’ writes Andrew Moor in his book,
Powell an d Pressburger: a Cinema o f M agic Spaces.
With another stranded night in prospect Joan and Torquil
travel to the Tobermory Hotel and on the way stop at Moy
Castle, home of the Macleans. Joan is keen to explore the
22
At a ceilidh the following evening - where music is supplied by
pipers hired for the wedding - it becomes clear that Joan and
Torquil are falling in love with each other. Desperate to avoid
scuppering her wedding plans, Joan attempts to bribe a local
fisherman to take her across the channel despite the dangers of the
bad weather. When Torquil reluctandy agrees to steer the boat to
Kiloran they narrowly avoid disaster when they encounter the
Corryvreckan whirlpool and abandon the crossing.
In the maelstromJoan's precious wedding dress is swept away,
a clear metaphor for her change of heart. It seems that Joan,
bewitched by the romance of the islands and by the dashing
naval officer does not know where she is going after all!
Celtic mysticism has a large part to play in the film. The
legend of the Corryvreckan whirlpool states that a
Norwegian prince fell in love with the daughter of the Lord
of the Isles, who granted her hand in marriage provided the
prince could prove his worth by anchoring his boat in the
whirlpool. The prince agreed, and produced three ropes: one
made of twine, one of hemp, and one made from the hair of
Norwegian maidens which was sure to keep him safe. Each
rope breaks and the prince is drowned. When news of the
death of the prince reaches Norway, a maiden whose hair had
been used in the rope was struck with guilt - she was not as
pure as she first claimed.
C om m unity and True Love
A new dawn and the storm clouds subside. Torquil
accompanies Joan down to the harbour, they kiss and bid
farewell. Saddened, Torquil finds himself at Moy Castle and
decides to go inside despite the curse. Perhaps from the
ramparts he can see the boat that will take her away from him
forever. What he does witness is Joan striding purposefully
back behind three pipers to claim Torquil as her own. Very
much in the spirit of austere post-war times, Joan has ditched
materialism in favour of community and true love.
As for the castle's curse - all can be revealed. The words are
carved on a slate panel: Any Macneil of Kiloran who shall
ever cross the threshold of Moy shall never leave it a free man.
He shall be chained to a woman to the end of his days and
shall die in his chains.’ Indeed, Joan and Torquil will be
chained together in matrimony.
A tribute at the end of the film reads: ‘We gratefully
acknowledge our debt to Ian McKenzie ot Iona ... many
friends of Colonsay and on the Island of Mull, and to true
Scotsmen everywhere.’ ■
A Governor General Comes Home
A Governor General
Comes Home
John Abbott considers the significance of a 'speck of land'
Islands have always fascinated me. Even
as a very small child living in Southsea
I was mesmerised as to what it would be
like on the Isle of Wight, four short
miles across The Solent. Then, as a
rising 16-year-old, rucksack on my back
and only a couple of pounds in my
pocket, I hitch-hiked up to Oban. With
insufficient money left to board the
MacBraynes ferry, all I could do was to
stare across at the mountains of Mull
and resolve to return with more money
in my pocket.
Islands represent enticing, alternative
possibilities. In 1962, supported by the
parents of boys I had taught the previous
year in a prep school, I arranged to take
some 30 14-year-olds to the intriguing
small islands of Ulva and Gometra.
There, I thought, they could learn a litde
of biology, map-making and some
ornithology. Looking back I’m not sure
how much of our stated aims we actually
achieved ... but I do know they
thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and
learnt much.
youngest son of the clan chief, had to
fend for himself. First he walked to
Edinburgh, months later enlisted in the
84th Regiment of Foot and then went
off to fight in the American War of
Independence. Subsequently, having
lost the American Colonies, Britain had
to find alternative places for convicts.
In 1784 the ‘First Fleet’ sailed for
Australia to establish the colony of New
South Wales.
History o f the Islands
Extraordinary M ixture
Researching something of the history
of these islands as a university
dissertation the following year, I started
to give flesh to the saga that had been
played out on those hills and beaches a
couple of hundred years ago. The lands
had been inhabited for centuries by the
Macquaries - inhabited that was, but
apparently not owned - so that when
avaricious sheep farmers came along in
the 1760s, the entire clan was evicted.
Fiercely independent, tough and
resilient as befitted a 13-year-old
brought up in such a place, Lachlan, the
The early years of the colony were
barbaric and chaotic; the fifth Governor,
William Bligh (of the ill-famed HMS
Bounty) was particularly cruel and
ineffective. Even 30 years after its
establishment a state of anarchy
prevailed. Then in June 1814, Lachlan
Macquarie sailed into Sydney Harbour
as the new Governor. His army
Old Gruline House, on M ull, was occupied by Lachlan Macquarie
from 1824 and is to the right of the new house built in 1861.
Aerial photograph by lain Thornber.
promotions had been swift, pardy owing
to his extraordinary mixture of firmness
and fine appreciation of human nature,
linking good order and discipline.
Before retirement in 1821 he had
turned the chaotic colony into the
beginning of a self-respecting setdement.
Years later he was asked how he had
done this. According to a letter I was
shown in Duart Castle some 50 years
ago, he wrote ‘If you are born on a mere
speck of land in the middle of the ocean
you quickly discover how things work,
and why people do as they do. Learn
that lesson well, and you are equipped to
become a citizen of the world.’
W hat a magnificent expectation - to
become ‘a citizen of the world.’ Surely
such words should hang on the walls
of every British primary school, for
isn’t that surely what education has to
be about ?
John Abbott, a leading educationalist, founded the Schools Hebridean Society recently
featured in this magazine. His latest book, written with Heather MacTaggart, is
Overschooled but Undereducated- published by Continuum Books (9781855396234)
and available through Amazon and on Amazon Kindle.
23
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Scotlands Island Country
SCOTLANDS
ISLAND COUNTRY
Richard Clubley relates another island experience for his prospective book
"No risks,"she said, "If the dog falls over a cliff into a whirlpool,
then don't bother coming home." This was my bon voyage as
I left for island-hopping with Col, our young border-collie.
We landed on Ailsa Craig, 99 hectares of uninhabited
rock, nine miles out from Turnberry in Ayrshire. It rises
almost sheer from the beach to 1110’, with a circumference
of two miles and the only flat ground being at the lighthouse
in the east.
Ailsa is an industrial wasteland. The keepers’
accommodation for the automated light is semi-derelict.
The granite workings are abandoned and the tin roofs on the
sheds flap in the wind. Railway tracks lead nowhere, their
points rusted beyond repair. The last truck load of curling
stones left long ago. The island is for sale at £2.5 million.
Dire W arnings
The welcome sign on the pier proclaims - ‘Unsafe - Land
At Your Own Risk’ - and the constructed walkways, their
railings storm-twisted beyond usefulness, carry more dire
warnings. I camped well away from the sheds lest something
should fall in the night.
I should really have checked the tides before setting off to
walk around the beach. I should also have looked at a map
and carried plenty of water. Someone told me low water
would be at about 10.00. As to whether it was a spring or
neap tide, I was ignorant. I put all this down to holiday
excitement, though stupidity might be a better term.
Having passed the sign - ‘Do Not Pass This Notice’ - Col
and I traversed crumbling walkways and gained the ‘beach’.
We commenced a tough scramble over car-sized boulders.
After some distance, we walked on a grassy slope for a while
before encountering more boulders.
Reptilian shags honked in crevices, the ground littered
with the unburied dead of the ‘Gannet City’ (pop. 36,000)
on the cliffs above. From the sea, Ailsa is a remarkable sight thousands of birds on the impossible slopes and in the air translucent wings against the bright sky. On the beach it
seems to be all death.
The sun bore down and we became very thirsty. Col drank
from a pool which I thought must be rainwater. It wasn’t, so
he had to be restrained. A half-full Evian bottle turned out
to be contaminated too. Desperation has an alarming effect.
Better th e Devil
A headland blocked our path. I thought the tide would fall
further, but didn’t know what was around the comer anyway.
We turned back, dreading the boulders, and trying not to
dwell on the thirst. Better the devil you know, I thought.
Passing a small cave I noticed green, wet moss in the
entrance, and heard the trickling of water. Fine rain was
falling from the roof. Still I was unable to get a good drink.
Earlier I had forgotten to pack a whisky tumbler so had
bought a plastic one in Girvan.
Then I remembered the tumbler was still in my rucksack,
although the single malt had not been brought. It took five
minutes to fill in the rain, but it gave the sweetest drink. I
had 20 minutes of pleasure and Col licked the moss. Balance
and harmony were restored; the walk seemed much easier.
The tide had dropped and we missed the big boulders. The
walkways now seemed benign by comparison. Back in camp,
I pledged never to be stupid again and always to be prepared.
If only!
25
Dramatic Skye
D R A M A T IC SJ
Andrew and Rosie Woodhouse, Skye-based photographers, enjoy sharing their work
Three years ago husband-and-wife
team, Andrew and Rosie Woodhouse felt
inspired to turn their passion for
photography into full-time careers.
Establishing themselves on Rosie's
native Isle of Skye, they have spent
their time capturing the dramatic
landscapes and scenes that unfold.
Together with parenting, dogwalking and a little light-blogging
they have made it their mission,
undeterred by the weather, to take
daily photographs of their sometimes
dramatic surroundings, sharing them
with others through their website
www.landscapes365.com
Im age 1 - Elgol
If you venture down the
challenging and dramatic single track
B8083 from Broadford, you will
reach Elgol, the small and haphazard
crofting and fishing village located in
the parish of Strath, in the South of
the Isle of Skye. In this shot, a vibrant
sundown plays backdrop to the
Cuillin Mountains. This image
26
encapsulates all that we love about
Elgol, the drama and colour of the sea
and sky complementing the majesty
of the mountains.
Im age 2 -G len Brittle
This is a shot of the striking Glen
Brittle beach, the sands are volcanic
but the small traces of golden sand
adds a little contrast and catches the
light. These slight variations add to
an already dramatic image which
mirrors not only the mood of
the sky, but the tones of the
mountains behind. This image was
commissioned to celebrate a couple’s
engagement on the beach. It now
hangs in the hall of their new family
home. We love a happy ending.
description, for it was almost
20 degrees below freezing and
breathing was a little painful.
It is also interesting to note
how low the sun is,
considering this shot was
taken at 1.00 pm.
Im a g e 3 -S lig a c h a n
During the incredibly cold
December of 2010, we managed to
capture this stunning image of the
River Sligachan and the Cuillin
behind. This is an occasion when
breath-taking really is the right
Visit www.landscapes365.com to see more of Andr
Dramatic Skye
Im age 4 - Love Letter.
The couple have recently introduced their own take on the best
way to tell loved ones just how much you care, with a collection
entitled ‘Love Letters’. The prints combine Andrew and Rosies
trademark landscapes with hand-painted letters simply spelling
out the word ‘love’. Bespoke images can also be created for that
more personal touch. This shot was taken as the sun set over
Ashaig beach, near Broadford in South Skye. It is the largest and
sandiest beach at that end of the island and a particular favourite
of landscapes365. Indeed, it is where Rosie grew up and its wide
golden sands and beautiful views never fail to inspire.
In the words of Andrew and Rosie, ‘We have always been in awe
of the scenery that we’re fortunate enough to photograph every
day. It means different things to different people. We’ve met
people who have fallen in love with the west coast of Scotland,
visiting time and time again. We know people who have got
engaged on local beaches and we know that some just dream about
coming here. The new collection not only brings together our love
of the Isle of Skye, but it hopefully goes some way to expressing
how inspiring and rousing the landscape can be and how much it
means to people who see it.’
ew and Rosie's work and their life on the Isle of Skye
27
Flashes from the Butt
28
The Butt of Lewis has been recognised by the
Guinness Book o f Records as the windiest spot in
the UK. Few who have visited the site on a
stormy winter’s day would challenge the
validity of that claim. It is from this awe
inspiring location that the lighthouse has
dominated the north Lewis skyline for a
century and a half.
Built on the north tip of the island, there
is open ocean stretching as far as North
America to the west and the Arctic to the
north. Ideally situated to probe the Atlantic
darkness, the tower is 37 metres high but,
with its cliff top position, the total elevation
of the light is 52 metres.
The lighthouse was built between 1859
and 1862 by the brothers David and Thomas
Stevenson. They were members of the
renowned family of engineers, who designed
most of Scotland’s lighthouses over a period
exceeding 150 years, up to the late 1930s.
E xceptionally-talented Fam ily
Their accomplishments in various fields of
engineering marked out the Stevensons as an
exceptionally-talented family. It was,
therefore, a source of great disappointment to
Thomas when his only son showed little
interest in continuing the dynasty. Yet Robert
Louis Stevenson was destined to achieve
immortality in his chosen profession, as
author of Treasure Island, K idnapped and The
Strange Case o f D rJekyll a n d M r Hyde.
Interestingly, the specification for the
bricks to be used in the construction of the
lighthouse stipulated that they be ‘similar to
those used in the Edinburgh Gas Works
chimney’. When the Board of Trade sought
clarification, they were told that common
brick would not withstand the exposure to
the sea, in such a situation as the Butt of
Lewis. Obviously they chose right, as the red
brick is still in excellent condition today.
The contractors employed for the building
work were John Barr & Co of Ardrossan and
at a cost of about £4,900. Although the actual
site was less forbidding than those of many
Scottish lighthouses, this benefit was offset
by other significant challenges, particularly
transport. Roads in Lewis were virtually non
existent. Goods were conveyed by horse and
cart, along a network of rough tracks
between Stornoway and its outlying areas.
A Docking Area
After considering the options, it was
decided to dispatch the required plant and
building materials by sea. To this end, a
docking area was constructed at Stoth, a
small sandy bay about 500 metres from the
lighthouse site. This brought its own
problems when a ship, laden with supplies,
foundered in the treacherous entrance to the
bay. Consequently, it was late in 1859 before
Barr & Co had safely landed all the
necessary supplies on site. This resulted in
the building work being postponed until the
spring of 1860.
To add to their woes, the contractors
experienced a further delay, owing to an
opportunistic piece of 19th Century
industrial action. The man engaged to
construct the 168-step spiral staircase
withdrew his labour, demanding an increase
of one penny per day in his wages. The
difficulty of finding a replacement with the
necessary skills, at short notice, left the
employers with little choice but to accede to
his demands.
Following a site visit on 23 July 1860, the
Commissioners of Northern Lighthouse
Board (NLB) were disappointed the work
was not as advanced as they had anticipated.
However, after overcoming the early
problems, the contractors made excellent
progress. As a result, on 24 March 1862, the
Commissioners notified the Board of Trade
they expected the lighthouse to be
operational by the autumn of that year.
Fuelled by Fish Oil
This indeed proved to be the case, the light
appeared and for the first few years was
fuelled by fish oil. This was replaced in 1869
by paraffin, which continued as the source of
illumination until 1976, when electricity was
installed.
Fuel and all other essential supplies for the
lighthouse continued to be transported by sea
until the early 1960s. The docking area at
Stoth provided sterling service for an entire
century. Today, all that remains of it is the
empty shell of the red brick store, which'
provides welcome shelter for local sheep, the
concrete base, where the crane once stood,
and some decaying timber and metal steps.
For most of its existence, the Butt of»>NOVEM BER/DECEM BER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER
29
Lewis Lighthouse shared its remote
location with a smaller neighbour. The
foghorn tower which stood alongside it was
operated by compressed air, booming out its
reassuring warning to generations of
mariners, whenever the Atlantic fog
descended.
This
tower
was
decommissioned and demolished in the
early 1980s and was replaced by an
electrically-powered signal. This continued
until 31 March 1995, when the fog signal at
the Butt fell silent forever.
Perm anently M anned
The photographs o f th e B utt o f Lewis
lighthouse, its docking area and noticeboard are supplied by the author,
Donald MacKenzie.
30
During the next 136 years when the
station was permanently manned,
generations of keepers’ children spent part
of their childhood at the Butt, receiving
their education at the local school in Lionel.
Family housing for the Principal Keeper
and the two Assistant Keepers was provided
on-site.
Over the years, the Butt of Lewis has been
a popular tourist attraction. Many visitors
to the lighthouse are captivated by the
impressive rock formations of the area.
There is also much to appeal to wildlife
enthusiasts. Colonies of seabirds nesting in
the rocks and cliffs provide a continual
source of entertainment, with their
constant bickering and their spectacular
diving displays, when they indulge in a spot
of fishing.
The resident seals also get in on the act,
playing hide-and-seek in the swell below
the cliffs. Occasionally, a fortunate
observer might even spot a passing whale,
basking shark or dolphin. During the
Second World War there was one less
welcome visitor to the Butt, when the
lighthouse attracted the attention of the
German Air Force. Terrified locals looked
on as a solitary raider strafed the tower. It
flew at great speed and, at times, dived so
low that its markings were clearly visible.
Fortunately nobody was hurt and the
damage only amounted to some broken
glass and a few bullet marks.
Cerem onial Switchover
M idnight on Monday, 30 March 1998 marked the
end of an era for the NLB, when their three remaining
manned stations switched over to remote m onitoring
from Edinburgh. The ceremonial switchover was
carried out by HRH Princess Anne at the Fair Isle
South (Shetland) light. At that precise moment the
lights at Butt of Lewis and North Ronaldsay (Orkney)
were also automated.
Since automation, Butt of Lewis lighthouse has
continued to play a very important navigational role. In
addition to its primary lighting function, some modern,
technologies have been introduced. W ith the increased
popularity of satellite navigation systems, it has become
one of the General Lighthouse A uthorities’
transm itting stations for D ifferential Global
Positioning System (GPS).
It also serves as an Automatic Identification System
(AIS) base station. AIS is a short range coastal tracking
method used to iden tify and locate ships and supply
relevant information such as position, cargo, destination
and speed.
W ith stan d All C h allen g es
Throughout its existence, the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse has
demonstrated its ability to withstand all challenges - from
fearsome Atlantic storms to attack by Hitler’s Luftwaffe while continuing to adapt to changing demands. In the fastchanging world of technology, the next century and a half is
likely to see communication and navigation systems develop
beyond our current levels of comprehension.
Who would bet against the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
still being on the coastal edge as well as at the cutting edge
in another 150 years - perhaps as a tracking station for
space travel? It certainly has a distinguished past and,
perhaps, a distinctive future. ■
NOVEM BER/DECEM BER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 3 1
The Wonders of Wee Cumbrae
The Wonders of
W EE CUM BRAE
John Steele enjoys a small island
M illport on the island of Great Cumbrae,
situated in the Firth of Clyde, is a popular holiday
destination. The CalM ac ferry plies back
and forth, from Largs, carrying thousands
of day-trippers through the summer.
Although the island of Lesser Cumbrae is
very close to M illport, separated only by
the narrow stretch of water known as the
Tan, it is seldom visited. Previous owners
cherished their privacy and landing on the
island was prohibited.
This small island, with a distinctive history,
was first known as K um bra B eg, becoming
Little Cumbrae. Today its proper title is
Lesser Cumbrae, but it is commonly known
as Wee Cumbrae. Remains have been
unearthed there confirming indications of
human habitation from the Prehistoric,
Bronze and Iron Ages.
The word Cumbrae is derived from the
Gaelic meaning ‘refuge’ or ‘safety’. It is
reputed that in the 7th Century the female
missionary, Saint Beya, landed on the island
and had built a small chapel measuring 42’
32
12.3 m) in length and 20’ (5.8 m) wide.
The front part of the building was used as a
chapel and the other part was used as her
living quarters.
Her Beloved Chapel
This young missionary was a follower of St
Columba of Iona. Saint Beya’s preaching was
so powerful it is recorded - 'The same amount
of pilgrims that heard St Columba preach on
Iona also visited Kumbrae Beg to hear the
preaching of Saint Beya.' When she died, in
accordance with her wishes, she was buried
near her beloved chapel. Such was the respect
for her, a poem containing numerous verses
was written. One read:
‘In p erfect calm a n d m editative m ood
She daily sought by prayer a n d fastings oft
The venerable Beya, whose rem ains
In that sam e island w ere decently in terred
Forthwith a chapel in h er honour rose
And pious pilgrim s cam e in troops’
During the 12th Century a castle was
built on an islet, cut off at high tide. The
castle comprised a basement and three
floors. The outer walls which were 6.5’
(1.9 m) thick had narrow openings for the
firing of arrows.
ATranquil Season
King Robert II resided in Cumbrae
Castle during the summer months of 1375.
During his stay he very much enjoyed a
tranquil season of fishing and hunting. Such
was his pleasure, that he returned in 1384 to
enjoy, once more, a season of fishing and
hunting. During his residence, involving
numerous relaxing visits, the King signed
and sealed many Royal Charters, stamped
Cumbrae Castle.
In the 1450’s Robert Hunter of Hunterston,
a wealthy land owner who resided on the
adjacent mainland became custodian of
Cumbrae Castle as well as of the island. In
1515, the 1st Earl of Eglinton succeeded him
and purchased both from the Crown.
Cumbrae became his third castle after
Eglinton and Ardrossan.
Alexander Montgomerie, the 6th Earl of
Eglinton was resident in Ardrossan Castle In
the early 1650s. When he was alerted that
Cromwell’s army was heading to Ardrossan to
pillage the castle, the earl swiftly made his way
to Little Cumbrae to seek refuge.
33
The Wonders of Wee Cumbrae
W hen Crom well’s army reached
Ardrossan Castle, they found that the
earl had made good his escape. Three
years later this army returned north and
made their way to Cumbrae in a second
attem pt to track down the earl. On
arrival at Wee Cumbrae they found that
once more the earl had outw itted them.
In fury C rom w ell’s men set fire to the
roof of the castle.
During the 1850s George Montgomery,
15th Earl of Eglinton ordered his
gamekeeper to introduce rabbits to the
island. In less than four years the island was
over-run by the creatures. This was part of
the earl’s plan as he then augmented his
income by renting the island out to
shooting parties. W ith over 5,000 rabbits a
year being bred on the island, shooting
became a popular sport with the gentry.
During this period the population of the
island was 25.
Wee Cumbrae became a dangerous hazard,
situated as it was in the middle of the
34
shipping channel at the entrance to the River
Clyde. The Cumry Lighthouse Act was
passed in Parliament on the 15th April 1756.
This allowed a coal-fired tower to be built on
the island, at the highest point, 409’ (120m)
above sea level.
On completion it was not the traditional
lighthouse, it was a 30’(8.8m) round
tower. A metal basket was fixed to the top
of the tower and coal was carried up the
internal staircase and dumped into the
basket. During the hours of darkness the
coal was set alight and the glow became
the warning light.
This basic coal-fired lighthouse proved to
be beneficial to the safety of shipping,
except when it was raining and the fire
would be extinguished, causing more ships
to be wrecked. 42 years after the flame was
first lit at the top of the beacon, a
lighthouse complex, which was constructed
on the cliff top on the west coast, was
brought into use. Included in the complex
were three houses, one for each of the
The Wonders o f Wee Cumbrae
keepers and their families.
Even with a powerful light beaming out
to a distance of eight miles, sailing ships
were still running aground on the island. A
typical example was the Clyde-built sailing
ship L ady Isabella. On the final leg of her
three-month journey from the South
Pacific, the 2000-tonne iron-barque
encountered a worsening storm in the Firth
of Clyde. Ferocious winds ripped through
her sails rendering them useless. As Captain
McKinley and his crew made a vain attempt
to bring their vessel under control the ship
crashed onto the island.
The lighthouse keepers and their families,
however, normally enjoyed a peaceful life
on the island. Off-duty keepers cultivated
vegetable and fruit gardens. The produce
stocked their larders. Their pastime of
fishing helped to feed the families and their
children’s play-time was idyllic.
In 1957 an electric supply cable from
Millport was connected to the lighthouse
complex and mansion house. Forty years
later the trawling gear of a small fishing
boat snagged onto the seabed cable,
severing it. To this day there is no mains
electricity supply available on the island.
The lighthouse was supplied with an
automatic solar-powered light; the mansion
house with an out-house generator.
In July 2009 Wee Cumbrae was reputedly
sold for £2 million. The new owner
encourages visitors to enjoy the island’s
tranquillity, to walk on the hill-tracks and
view the abundant wild life. The coal-fired
beacon tower and castle still stand. The
views from the cliff walk are astounding.
This island’s fascinating history is w aiting
to be discovered. Visits to Wee Cumbrae
are proving popular with those who want to
explore one of Scotland’s hidden secrets. ■
The photographs accompanying this
a rtid e w e re taken by th e author,
Trips departing from Millport:
Ross 00767370797
Trips departing from Largs:
Derek 07931 275571
Ross 00767370797
Cumbrae Voyages 0845 257 0404
NOVEM BER/DEC EM BER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER
35
Tidal Islands
T I D A L
Peter Caton looks off-shore and steps out
fs m m i
When is an island not an island? To find out, I travelled to all four corners of
England, Scotland and Wales. Overcoming challenges of precipitous
cliffs, fast tides, quicksand and mud, I can claim to be the first person
to visit all 43 tidal islands which can be walked to from the UK
mainland. This article gives just a flavour of the 17 Scottish islands
which met my definition.
36
Tidal Islands
IS L A N D S
My first four Scottish islands were in the Solway Firth, on the often
ignored but beautiful coast of Dumfries & Galloway. Rough Island, a
short walk along a shingle causeway from the picturesque village of
Kippford, was donated to the National Trust for Scotland in 1937, on
the condition that no disturbance of nesting birds would be allowed.
Sadly, although once an important breeding site, in recent years
numbers have declined sharply.
Hestan Island, off Almorness Point, proved to be the most difficult
of all 17 to reach. It’s one of the longest walks from a road and as I was
to find on my first attempted visit, only dry on larger tides. The island
was once a temporary home to the former King of Scotland, Edward
Balliol, who built a fortified manor house as a safe retreat after his
victory at the Battle of Dupplin Moor. It is probably best known as
Rathan Isle in Samuel Rutherford Crockett’s 1894 novel, The Raiders.
W in tery Setting
It was a sunny January day, minus ten degrees with snow on the
ground, when I visited two of the Islands of Fleet - Ardwall and
Barlocco Isle. Coming from the milder climate of Essex, I had never
seen ice on the beach, but this wintery setting made Ardwall one of the
most beautiful of all 43. It was once known as Larry’s Isle, after a former
inhabitant who lived in poverty until coming into money by dubious
means concerned with a wrecked ship. He drowned one night crossing
the sands.
Next on my clockwise tour of the coast was Davaar Island, off
Campbeltown and almost at the foot of the Kintyre Peninsula. It is
reached by The Doirlinn, a mile long natural shingle causeway. On the
north of the island is a Stevenson lighthouse and several cottages which
are let for holidays. Under the high cliffs to the south is Davaar’s
greatest claim to fame.
Here in a cave is a painting of Christ’s crucifixion. It was discovered
by fishermen in 1887, who thought it must be the work of a miracle. In
fact, it had been painted in secret by a local art teacher, Archibald
MacKinnon. Once the townsfolk discovered that it was not a sign from
God, but the work of MacKinnon, he was exiled from Campbeltown.
En route there I had stopped at Eilean Mhic Chrion, a mile-long,
narrow tidal-island in Loch Craignish opposite the village of Ardfern.
My next trip was on the overnight sleeper to Fort William and to six
more West Highland islands.
37
Tidal Islands
The Kennedy Croft
Eilean a Bhealaidh, one of several islands at the mouth of
the River Lochy, may be a man-made crannog, an artificial
island constructed by early Celts who lived in the middle of
lakes or bogs. Close by is An Caol, a small island on the bend
where Loch Linnhe becomes Loch Eil. The island was part
of the Kennedy croft (Charles Kennedy MP and his father
still live just across the loch) and the young Charles used to
be taken out to the island on horseback.
Three tidal islands are to be found on the isolated
Ardnamurchan peninsula, accessed by the Corran ferry. The
rough walk to the end of Eilean Mor on Loch Sunart may
bring the reward of sighting golden eagles or dolphins.
Late on an early summer’s evening, as I stood by Eileanan
nan Gad, the largest island in Kentra Bay, a lone deer
appeared. It walked over the marsh, stood for a while at the
water's edge, then waded through, the water coming almost
to her flank. Once on the island she bounded off, then
moments later appeared on top of the rocks, silhouetted
against the evening sky. Such magical moments are
experienced only when you get out of the car.
W ith its medieval castle, Eilean Tioram, spectacularly set
38
in Loch Moidart, is one of Scotland’s better known tidal
islands. The principal seat of the Chief of Clan Clanranald,
the castle has a turbulent history, but sadly is now in an
unsafe condition. There has been much dispute between the
owner and Historic Scotland regarding plans to turn the
castle into a 15th Century style home and clan museum.
Peter Pan
Also in Loch Moidart are Eilean Shona and Shona Beag,
two joined islands. Shona Beag can be accessed across a short
causeway. However, it is a very rough walk from here to
Eilean Shona, which can only be reached easily by boat. For
my purpose I counted them as one, hence visited only Shona
Beag, an attractive island with a population of four. On the
larger island, Eilean Shona House, which is let out as luxury
accommodation, was rented by J.M. Barrie as a summer
home and was where he wrote the screen play for the 1924
film adaptation of P eter Pan.
A spectacular train ride to Arisaig, took me to Eilean Ighe.
W ith white sands and views to the Small Isles, this was
another stimulating spot. Moving northwards to the Kyle of
Lochalsh, I drove onto Skye and crossed back to Glenelg on
Tidal Islands
its unique ferry, the last manually-operated
turntable-ferry in the world. From here it’s a
short drive, then a walk through woods to
Sandaig. On the Sound of Sleet, this was
home to Gavin Maxwell, who describes his
life with the otters in R ing o f B right Water.
Isle Ristol, part of the wonderful Summer
Isles, and my final west coast island, was the
only one I had to paddle to. The 400-acre
island, which is owned by the Scottish
Wildlife Trust, can however be walked to on
some tides. Although there was once a curing
station and small inn on the island, it is now
uninhabited and rarely visited.
Bom bing Range
Innis Mhor, beyond the expanse of
Morrich More, is a huge area of sand dunes,
salt marsh and heathland that protrudes into
Dornoch Firth. It is one of the more difficult
to visit for, although an easy walk, permission
was required to cross the bombing range of
RAF Tain. It is a long and shifting sand dune,
reinforced by marram grass. Perched on the
dune were two army vehicles, used as targets
for jets. From the summit a spectacular vista
opened up, with golden sands, blue sea and
the distant peaks of the Sutherland Hills.
This was a view seen by few and a beach
which rarely encounters human feet.
I left my final Scottish tidal island with a
sense of disappointment. Cramond Island in
the Firth of Forth has an interesting military
history, with many buildings remaining in
various states of disrepair. Sadly most were
covered with graffiti and all over the island
were piles of rubbish. W ith superb views
across the Forth, Cramond Island is well
worth a visit. It is a shame that some of the
more anti-social members of our society seem
to have claimed it for all night raves.
Finally a warning. Many people have
drowned attempting to walk to tidal
islands. It is essential that information on
tide times and safe routes be obtained and
heeded. However, 17 places, which revert
to full island status at least twice a day, are
ready for exploration when both time and
tide are right. ■
The photographs of Rough Island on
page 36, o f Shona Beag (le ft) and of
Eilean Tioram (above) w ere taken by
th e author, Peter Caton.
No Boat Required - Exploring Tidal Islands was
published in September 2011 by Matador,
priced £12.99 (978 1848 767010)
It is available post-free from:
www.swanbooks.co.uk and
www.toubador.co.uk/shops
Essex Coast Walk by Peter Caton is available
on-line at £9.99 from the above sources or by
accessing www.petercatonbooks.co.uk
39
Remembered on Vatersay
Remembered on
V A T E R SA Y
James Hendrie recalls an air crash of 1944
40
Remembered on Vatersay
There is a solitary memorial pillar just to the side of the road which
stands at the foot of Heilshavel Beag on Vatersay which contains a
plaque, on which is written the names of the Catalina seaplane crew
who died or were injured when the aircraft crashed into the hillside
in 1944. Three members of the nine-man crew were killed and
the others, who were badly injured, had to be rescued after
that fateful event.
Amazingly there are still many parts of the plane’s wreckage
lying close to the memorial pillar and right down to the
shoreline, even after the wreck was recovered by the RAF. It
is both strange and surreal to be able to walk among the
remains of this Second World War aircraft.
Parts of the fuselage and its wing may still be identified by
their size and design as well as by the structure and shapes of
the silver grey metalwork. Despite weathering, it is easy to
read on the metal wreckage writing which indicates where the
bomb loading should be carried out.
Disaster Struck
The plaque shows that Flight Sergeant David Clyne, the
pilot, perished in the crash, despite valiantly attempting to
avoid it. Others, who are mentioned on the memorial,
include Sergeant Fred Bassett, the wireless operator, and
Sergeant Patrick Hine, the mechanic. Disaster struck on this
training flight which took off on 12 May.
The Catalina, identified by the serial number JX 273, was
a Mark 1VB, built by Boeing Aircraft of Canada at its Sea
Island factory in Vancouver, British Columbia. This was a
flying boat, first used by the RAF’s Coastal Command in
194lfor anti-submarine, reconnaissance and convoy
protection duties. Throughout the war the RAF employed
over 600 Catalinas on such duties.
As the RAF introduced the Consolidated PBY, as it was
known in America, into service they renamed them Catalina
and designated the different types of that aircraft as ‘Marks’
rather than PBYs. The ‘PBY’ initials in the USA simply
stood for ‘Patrol Bomber’ and the ‘Y’ for the aircraft’s
manufacturer, Consolidated Aircraft. In 1941 it was a
Catalina that located the German battleship, Bismark, as it
tried to escape destruction.
■w i
A Form idable Aircraft
The Catalina was a formidable aircraft and no other flying
boat in the history of aviation was produced in such numbers.
It was only in the 1980s that the last of this type of aircraft
was retired from world-wide military service. They were
powered by twin Pratt Whitney Wasp radial engines, had a
wing span of over 100ft, were over 60ft long and had a
maximum speed of just under 200mph with a range of over
2500 miles.
JX273 was ‘F’ of 302 Flying Training Unit at RAF Oban
and was used for training aircrew and this was a night-flying
training exercise, fully laden with fuel and crew. It even*>NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER
41
Remembered onVatersay
had live depth charges under each wing,
its machine-guns were also armed, as
there was a real desire to recreate
operational conditions. This flight
should have been routine in nature.
The plan was to fly over the sea west
from Oban towards Barra Head, using the
lighthouse as an navigational aid to
identify the turning point of the return
leg. They ended up way off-course and
when the crew thought they were over the
sea, they were heading for the higher
ground ofVatersay and for certain disaster.
Som ething was Amiss
The navigator, also fearing that
something was amiss, rechecked his
own compass and made the horrifying
discovery that, indeed, the Catalina was
well off-course. He cross-checked his
compass with the pilot’s and discovered
that his was faulty. Given this
information, the pilot and co-pilot
desperately wrestled with the controls
and flung the aircraft into a rapid climb.
The Catalina climbed steeply with its
engines screaming on full throttle
towards the safety of being marginally
over the hill’s peak. The aircraft struck
the hill less than 70ft from the summit,
so close to avoiding disaster. The three
fatalities were, it is believed, instant,
while a further three of the remaining
crew were seriously injured.
It is reported that on impact the
Catalina created a massive crater on
Heilshavel Beag. Such was the force
that all members of the crew, bar one,
were rendered unconscious. Flight
Engineer Roy Beavis was the only one
who managed to stay conscious and
had the presence of mind to put out an
engine fire using clods of earth. He also
managed to get to a nearby croft the
following day.
Barra Lifeboat
The Barra lifeboat was launched to
take the island doctor to the crash site
to help administer first aid while local
people on Vatersay helped in the
recovery of the bodies and the
transportation of the injured down the
hillside. The lifeboat which stayed on
42 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
The photographs accompanying this article were supplied by the author, James Hendrie, and the
black and w h ite photograph o f th e aircraft above is by courtesy o f th e Catalina Society.
station off Vatersay was later used to
take the injured and walking-wounded
out to a larger rescue boat that had
been dispatched from Tobermory.
The survivors after immediate
hospitalisation at Oban, later spent
time there receiving convalescent care.
The names of the three deceased are
recorded in the Barra death register.
The time of death is stated as 3.30 am
as a result o f‘Accidental death due to
war operations due to injuries received
in an air crash.’
Shortly after the rescue effort an
RAF recovery crew was sent to Vatersay
from the Scottish mainland. They were
charged with the responsibility for
removing the Catalina’s engines,
electronic equipment, weapons and
ammunition presumably for recycling
use for similar aircraft back at Oban.
This team also dragged many other
larger parts of the wreckage down the
hill for prospective recovery purposes.
An Im m ediate Rem inder
For whatever reason, these larger
pieces of the aircraft were not taken off
the island and are very much where
they were left some 67 years ago. They
offer an immediate reminder to both
islanders and visitors of the events
surrounding the loss of JX273. They
are well-preserved and there seems to
have been little or no attempt to
remove pieces of the wreck as
souvenirs.
The wreck of the Catalina has
become both a sort of impromptu
shrine in memory of those who lost
their lives as well as a modern-day
tourist attraction. It is featured in many
tourist pamphlets, magazines and
books on Vatersay. The addition of the
Memorial has brought a more formal
tribute to these brave men who died
fighting for Britain in the dark days of
the Second World War. B
Na Hearadh... glaodhaich
Photography on Harris
Professional landscape photographers,
Ruth Fairbrother and Peter Leeming, are irresistibly drawn by a calling to Harris.
A snipe flew out from the bell heather at our feet, its erratic flight
and alarm call instantly recognisable. It was late September, on
the Bealach Eorabhat, at an altitude of400m, high above the
village of Seilebost and the vast sands of Losgaintir to the
North West. The inlet of Loch Stocinis and the Golden
Road to Liceasto and Geocrab lay to the South East. We had
departed from Seilebost a couple of hours earlier, walking up
the old Coffin Road in steady rain, passing the lochans and
boulder fields of the Allt Loch a’ Bealaich.
Arriving on Harris a few days earlier for our second visit of
the year, we had experienced those intense and affirming
feelings of arrival in a place whose matchless charms we were
falling in love with. The bend in the road on the way to Uig,
the familiar view of the port, driving onto the ferry, crossing
the Minch with sightings of harbour porpoise, approaching
Tarbert, Scalpay to starboard, grey seals on the reefs and
rocks off Plocrapol to port, the drive south to Scarasta,
pausing above Horgabost, an evening hurry (a commotion
or feeding frenzy) of fish and gulls in the Sound oi Taransay.
To Explore and Photograph
The warm sunshine had given us a few glorious days to
explore and photograph the beaches and coastline of Harris,
but landscape photography is very much a journey ... an
inner journey... and in our search for depth and an intimate
understanding of this landscape, we both knew that we
would need to venture into the interior of the island on foot.
At the Bealach, the top of the narrow pass between East
and West Harris, we picked our way along the vague path
across the blanket bog, the rocky bluffs of Stocleit an Iar and
Maoladh Mhicearraig rising above us. The rain had eased to
a chill drizzle, and the clouds that had previously skirted the
summits were slowly lifting. Distant views were opening up:
Taransay and Beinn Losgaintir, and out beyond Eilean
Stocanais to Skye and the blue rampart of the Cuillin.
Even so, this would not be a day for grand vistas, but the
soft, flat light was ideal for photographing intimate details in
the landscape. The moist air helped by imparting a density
which enhanced nature’s colours.
43
In this ice-scoured landscape I knelt at the side of a sedgefringed pool nestling amongst bedrock of Lewisian gneiss laid
down 3000 million years ago. A meadow pipit called a few
metres away. Purple moor grass and bog cotton moved in the
breeze, and at the edge of my senses, I noticed the smell of peat
in the air. Cold water seeped out of the sphagnum moss as I set
up the heavy panoramic camera on its tripod. Working slowly,
observing minute details of colour and texture, enabled me to
become more receptive to the land, allowed the land to open
to me. Searching internally for this sense of place is central to
my photography, and the search helps me to make more
authentic images, images that convey the emotional and
spiritual effects the land has on me.
O ur Hearts W ere Drawn
Ceapabhal and Toe Head had always been a brooding
presence on the horizon during previous trips to Harris, and
in many of our images Toe Head was an ever present anchor in
44
the background. Our eyes and our hearts were drawn there
and it was only natural that we would explore them at close
quarters one day. In keeping with many things on Harris, a
visit to Toe Head was something to anticipate, and then to
unwrap slowly.
We left Northton on a fine autumn morning. The sun was
already high in a rare blue sky as we crossed the wet sands of
Traigh na h-Uidhe and Traigh na Cleabhaig. Beyond the
remains of Rubha an Teampaill, the faint track skirted the
coast below the vast slopes of Ceapabhal as we headed north
west, passing a series of enchanting caves and waterfalls. I am
always filled with a strong sense of anticipation as I journey to
the end of rocky headlands, and today that sense was
heightened.
Up ahead, Ruth paused to watch a pair of ravens soar the
slopes of Ceapabhal. We were content to walk a distance apart:
reluctant to let conversation interrupt the flow of our thoughts
and our sense of wonder. On the rocks below us, cormorants
were drying their wings as gannets fished close
to shore. Far out in the Atlantic we could make
out the faint shapes of the Flannan Islands.
M aze o f Natural Arches
About two kilometres before Toe Head
itself, the north west shoulder of Ceapabhal
merges with the sea cliffs forcing the path over
the impressive feature marked as Camas an
Liuthaire. From this high point we descended
to the point of Gob an Tobha (Toe Head)
with its maze of natural arches, caves and
crashing waves. The weather and sea was
benign today, but what a place this would be in
a winter storm.
To the north the Sound of Taransay led our
eyes to the mountains of north Harris. On the
north east side of Ceapabhal, there was clear
evidence of lazy beds (feannagan), long strips of
cultivation made around 3500 years ago by the
first setders who lived offthe sea and small scale
cultivation of root vegetables and grain crops.
As photographers we sometimes find
ourselves in places where there is simply too
much to photograph, places where our senses
are overloaded. Gob an Tobha was one such
place. In a prolonged moment, I picked up a
stone containing anorthosite and turned it
over. Humbled by space and the span of time,
I gazed out over the Atlantic. ■
Page 43: The sea cliffs o f Camas an
Liuthaire w ith th e Sound o f Harris in
the distance, from Toe Head, Isle of
Harris (Ruth Fairbrother Photography).
Page 44 Top: Autum n breeze, Bealach
Erabhat, S to d e it, Isle o f Harris (Peter
Leeming Photography).
Page 4 4 Below: Lazy beds, Toe Head,
Isle o f Harris (Ruth Fairbrother
Photography).
Above: Ceapabhal and Toe Head from
Traigh Mhor, Scarasta, Isle o f Harris
(Ruth Fairbrother Photography).
Below: W et sands o f Traigh na h-Uidhe,
near N orthton, Isle o f Harris (Peter
Leeming Photography).
Na Hearadh . . . glaodhaich - The Isle of Harris. . . a calling
The coll is unspoken, never unheard - from Heart o f the Highland by Capercaillie
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER
45
The Time of My Life
The Time of My Life ^ t
a
—
John Randall introduces a new book on Foula by Chris Mylne
“
................ U R R A S L E A B H R A I C H E A N N A N E I L E A N
6
®
o
-
™Eislands booktrust
1 —
Bobby and Aggie Isbister, w ith their
son Eric, collecting the peats.
Photo by Chris Mylne.
I recently had the privilege of re-visiting Foula in the company of
Chris Mylne (now aged 84) and other members of his family to
launch his wonderful new book, Foula - The Time of My Life, a unique
account of island life as it was when Chris was teacher and lay
missionary there for 18-months in the 1950s.
It was a remarkable and moving experience to see Chris
meet up again with people like Eric Isbister and Jim Gear,
whom he taught all those years ago and who still live on
the island.
Outsiders often think that island life is idyllic and relaxing.
It can be the opposite. Time is precious and there are so
many different things to be fitted in, even during the long
summer days when it seems never to get dark.
These thoughts occurred when reading the following
passage from a letter, reproduced in the book, which Chris
wrote just before Christmas 1954. It sums up the complexity
and intensity of island life - and in some respects it is the
same today!
46
Tim e and Labour
‘You see it is all a matter of time and labour. Both cost
money and are commodities which can normally be
bought. And most school-teachers and those working for
the church reckon to be provided with enough salary, as
indeed I am, to be able to buy a plumber’s time, for
instance, or the results of the coalminer’s labour, or the
baker’s or greengrocer’s or bus-driver’s time and perhaps
even a gardener’s skills and labour.
Of course if you have a wife’s time and labour to call on as
well, then everything in the garden is probably lovely
enough to do without the gardener. But when one lives
alone in a six-roomed house in a community with neither
tradesmen, nor coalman, nor shops, nor pub, nor transport
of any kind, a community of crofters whose time is already
all taken up with animals and crops, and peat and fishing,
and running their mail-boat, who are mostly ageing and
some disabled, who are usually busy and often overworked,
The Time o f My Life
The five school-pupils - Jim Gear is
first on th e le ft and Eric Isbister is
fourth fro m th e le ft.
Photo by Chris M ylne
who are always willing but seldom free, then it becomes a
full-time job to run one’s own house and garden, fuel and
food, hens and dog, the island’s school with its five pupils,
with the church work in addition and the attempt to
establish an ornithological observation station as a mere
afterthought - then full time becomes overtime.
R efresh in g ... Exhausting
But this is not written in any spirit of complaint. I chose
life on Foula and I do not regret it. It is as refreshing as it is
exhausting, as full of interest as it is lacking in variety except the endless variety of sea and sky.
In these days when ‘normal’ life is a complex round of
engagements and social activity, when the necessities of life
are technical and superficial, a place like Foula is news. Here
‘normal’ is natural and life is free and untroubled in a way
that is rare today. Here the clock is the servant not the
master and British Summer Time is an irrelevance. Here
cows and sheep, the wind and the rain, the fishing and the
harvest are the daily round.
The necessities are really necessary for survival, the
luxuries remain beyond our grasp, except perhaps white
flour to replace the traditional oat and barley meal; the
paraffin which burns in our Tilley lamps rather than fish-oil
or candle-wax; the tinned food which brings variety to our
diet; and the tobacco which gives contentment to the
young and old. Here on ‘the edge of the world’ it is easier to
see life as it really is - real.
Teacher-M issionary-Bird-w atcher
‘Teacher-Missionary-Bird-watcher’ was what one
newspaper called me when I left John Watson’s School in
Edinburgh to come here last April. I am responsible for the
education of the youth of the island up to the age of 12, and
for the moral and spiritual welfare of the community of 65
souls up to the age of 90.
NOVEM BER/DECEM BER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER
47
The Time of My Life
View o f th e Foula cliffs (w ith a snow topping)
from the sea in April at th e Kame and
N ebbifield. Photo by Chris M ylne
My job with the bairns is easily assessed and a pleasure to
perform. Running what is probably the smallest Primary
School in Scotland can hardly be described as arduous. It is
in fact often a tonic, when the weather is depressing, to
enter the school in the morning with its cheerful and
boisterous atmosphere.
My job as Lay Missionary might be described as that of
keeping a declining population cheerful by visiting their
homes and conducting their public worship - a worthwhile
task but not always easy in face of dwindling numbers and
crofts going to ruins on all sides.
My attempt to record the avifauna of the island, breeding
birds and migrants alike, has been squeezed in somehow.
The results are a list of 119 species so far in seven months, a
total of 546 birds ringed and a small Heligoland Trap built,
ready for the spring migration of 1955.
48
The Daily Round
But these three aspects are not all that make up the daily
round. It is rather an assortment of jobs to be done which
can only be categorised under the heading o f‘life’. All the
shopping has to be done by post, all the transport by wheel
barrow, especially peat; all the work by Joe Soap. There are
boots to be oiled - a sermon prepared - a dog to be fed - a
lavatory cistern to be cleaned this weekend - a brood of
young wheatears to be ringed - “Peter, will you play the organ
at tonight’s service, please ?” - must mend that window before
the next gale - “W hat’s that bird on the peatstack, please
teacher ?” - five eggs a day from five hens (and six one day last
week! How’s that for productivity?) - those arithmetic books
to be corrected - must visit old Betty this evening - 24 birds
in one drive of the trap, mostly starlings - “Another two
dozen 2'/id. stamps, please Harry” - a row of carrots to be dug
The Time o f My Life
FOULA
T H E T IM E O F MY LIFE
Further R eading
Chris M ylne at the book launch on Shetland.
Photo by Ken Mylne.
- “The Women’s Guild will meet at the Manse 8 p.m.
Tuesday” - will it be a mail day tomorrow ? - “There are gale
warnings for sea areas Faroes, Fair Isle ...” - must mend these
socks before Sunday - now who might help me sweep my
kitchen chimney? -a dead merlin to be skinned - the bread
should be about ready by now - “Dear Sir, With reference to
your letter about the new Croftmaster tractor for the Isle of
Foula ...” - just enough apples for the children’s Hallowe’en
Party - a neighbour’s wireless to be repaired - note: paraffin
and meths from the shop before the weekend - better get
down to the pier with my box for Walls - definitely too big
for a Garden Warbler; has to be a Barred - “Coming out
fishing tonight? Could try for some mackerel” - a leg of
mutton to be cooked ; should make good broth too - Time
to order a new batch of library books - the wrens of Foula
appear to belong to the Shetland subspecies Zetlandicus what on earth can I give the children for handwork
tomorrow ? - “The funeral will be at 12 noon on Tuesday, Mr
Mylne” - several Blackcaps in with that S.E. wind - must get
the school record of work up to date this week - this east
wind always floods the kitchen floor - you must see my new
batch of colour slides; some good ones of the young Bonxie
chicks - a lovely display of the ‘Pretty Dancers’ tonight hymn number 165 in the Sankey Hymn Book : ‘Let us with
a gladsome mind Praise the Lord for he is kind.’
Yes, not a bad idea; it’s a good life after all and Christmas
comes but once a year.
Happy Christmas! Christopher Mylne, The Manse, Foula,
by LERWICK, Shetland.’
Foula - The Time o f M y Life by Christopher Mylne is
available, priced £20 plus £5 p&p from
www.theislandsbooktrust.com or by phoning Margaret
Macdonald on 01851 880737.
Based in the Hebridean island of Lewis, the
Islands Book Trust aims to further understanding
of the history of Scottish islands in their wider
Celtic and Nordic contexts through;
EVENTS • TALKS • VISITS • CONFERENCES •
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NOVEM BER/DEC EM BER 2011 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 4 9
Island Incidents
Island
Incidents
Sam Berry's researches involved moths,
ferries and buses on Shetland
James Cadbury (who went on to be a senior scientist with
RSPB) and I were fairly new graduates carrying out research
on melanic moths in Shetland under the direction of Dr
Bernard Kettlewell of Oxford University. This was an
extension of research as to why around 100 species of moth
species in England had acquired a black (or melanic) form
since the mid-19th century.
Kettlewell had proved that this spread was linked to
industrial pollution, killing off lichens and making tree trunk
sitting moths visible to insect-eating birds. The effect was
that black forms were better camouflaged on their resting
place than the traditional forms, resulting in the latter’s
spread throughout smoke affected areas. These were broadly
speaking, the central and eastern parts of England (the
advantage of the black forms has diminished significantly
following smoke control legislation).
The A utum nal Rustic
This was all very well in industrial Britain, but melanism is
common in the Northern and Western Isles. Why is this ? It
must have a different cause to that in the south for there has
never been heavy industry in the islands. This was the
problem we set out to investigate, choosing to study the
Autumnal Rustic moth which has distinct light and melanic
forms in Shetland. James was based at Baltasound on Unst
and I stayed in Spiggie in the south Mainland.
Each day, James put a parcel of Unst moths (which were
mainly the dark form) onto the overland bus, while I did the
same with south Mainland moths (mainly light moths). Our
task was to receive each others parcel after its journey
involving two ferries and three different buses, release the
insects it contained, and then compare the subsequent
survival of the lights and darks at the two ends of Shetland.
Far from Clear-cut
Our findings were published in the scientific literature
(they are also summarised in the New Naturalist volume
N atural H istory o f S h etla n d which I wrote with Laughton
Johnston). They were far from clear-cut. In Unst, 97% of the
population is the dark form; in Spiggie, only 3% of the
50
population is dark. It is not clear why there should be so
great a change over 60 or 70 miles.
The probable reason for so many dark moths in Shetland
is that there is so little darkness in the northern summer that
birds can see to predate almost throughout the night. The
moths have had to reconcile the need to be cryptic when
they are resting (which usually means being a lighter form)
and reducing their visibility when they are flying (which
means being dark).
They have had to evolve a mixed strategy for survival. We
don’t know for certain this is why melanics are common in
Shetland, but it is the most likely reason. And we don’t
know why the Autumnal Rustics are so genetically
complicated. But trying to find the reason meant some
memorable stays in Shetland.
In the Next Issue
Skerryvore Lighthouse
High in the Sky
South Lochs P o ten tial
Development
possibilities
lnchcailloch
An island for ladies
Canna
Island G o lf ... o f
Course
A variety o f greens
An O rk n ey Venus
The Westray Wifie
H ighland s on th e
Islands
Hardy, hairy cattle
An island given away
Issue on sale - 1 8 D e c e m b e r 2011
Away with the ferries: 1. Hoy 2. Jura 3. Rothesay 4. Yell 5. Lismore 6. Skye 7. Sanday 8. Foula 9. Barra 10. Eigg
Madeleine Ferrar's Island Incidents about her'Day Trip to Lerwick'
(May/June 2011) took me back more than 50 years to a time well
before the ro-ro ferries became an everyday convenience linking the
main Shetland islands.
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