2019 Uist on beingyonder

Wednesday 10th July: hen harriers

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 20:52:31 +0100

J went to Ceolas and learned more Cape Breton stepping, Gaelic language and Scottish fiddle. After the classes ended she went to look at the neolithic roundhouses at Daliburgh with Jethro. R headed back to North Uist to try to find the hen harrier nest spotted the day before yesterday. Stopped on the way to … Read more “Wednesday 10th July: hen harriers”

Tuesday 9th July: snorkelling 2

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 23:28:54 +0100

Rainy morning. J went to Ceolas to learn Cape Breton step dancing, Gaelic language and Scottish fiddle. R stayed in and did work emails until it stopped raining, about midday. Then went to Loch Eynart. Foggy all day. Drove round the north side, looking for snorkelling sites, didn’t find anything promising so went to the … Read more “Tuesday 9th July: snorkelling 2”

Monday 8th July: eagle

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 22:54:37 +0100

J went to Cape Breton step dancing class, then beginners’ Gaelic class then fiddle class at Ceolas, followed by more step dancing in the afternoon. R set off at 8:15 to explore. Drove to north side of Loch Sgioport and parked at the end of the road at Caolas Liubharsaigh. Walked along faint paths and … Read more “Monday 8th July: eagle”

Sunday 7th July: Eriskay

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 22:32:12 +0100

Went to Jethro’s cottage for coffee, then the three of us drove to Eriskay. Parked by the ferry terminal and walked along the beach and dunes to the Am Politician pub, where we had lunch. Glorious sunshine all day, white sandy beach and turquoise sea. Walked back along the road and moor. Stopped off at … Read more “Sunday 7th July: Eriskay”

Saturday 6th July: snorkelling

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 22:01:40 +0100

Checked out of Oransay and drove short distance through Loch Druidibeg RSPB reserve to Loch Sgioport with the aim of snorkelling and bothering the wildlife. Tarmac road ended and we drove the car down a steep bumpy track, parked, and walked down to the water’s edge. There were the remnant posts of a ruined pier … Read more “Saturday 6th July: snorkelling”

Friday 5th July: South Uist 1

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 22:36:39 +0100

Went to Bornais and walked out to the headland past Viking remains that were not evident and a Pictish broch which was. Saw a short-eared owl hunting over the machair. Lots of lapwings, including young. Saw seals hauled out. Got mobbed by terns. Saw the world’s longest earthworm. Drizzle, on and off throughout. Drove to … Read more “Friday 5th July: South Uist 1”

Thursday 4th July: rain

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 22:16:38 +0100

Rained all day. Lie in and late breakfast. Went to Lochmaddy museum. Very interesting exhibition on local geology – learnt about Gneiss pseudotachlyte: a rare igneous formation formed by intense metamorphic pressure. Found here along the Hebridean fault, and in meteor craters. Also a the museum was an exhibition of photos of the dull celtic … Read more “Thursday 4th July: rain”

Wednesday 3rd July: Berneray

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 21:43:07 +0100

Needed to swap rooms today because the lodge only had two nights available in the good room, so checked out after breakfast. Followed a path up the hill behind the lodge, to a stone circle, then climbed to the top and back round the other side to look at a 5000-year old chambered cairn, Barpa … Read more “Wednesday 3rd July: Berneray”

Tuesday 2nd July: guided tour with Steve

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 22:18:37 +0100

We met local wildlife guide Steve Duffield (http://www.western-isles-wildlife.com) in the Lodge car park at 9am. A few minutes after we set off, we had a good view of a short-eared owl flying about. Apparently they’re common here. We drove to an old pier near Lochmadday and spent an hour and a half watching a mother … Read more “Tuesday 2nd July: guided tour with Steve”

Monday 1st July: Balranald

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 22:12:07 +0100

Got the 9:30am ferry from Uig. Sunny crossing with views of gannets, arctic skua, puffins, guillemots. Porridge for breakfast on the boat. From Lochmaddy we drove around the northern edge of Uist. An uneven low-lying marshy landscape with lots of pools (lochans). At RSPB Balranald we had bread and cheese for lunch in the car. … Read more “Monday 1st July: Balranald”

Sunday 30th June: driving to Uig

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 21:56:04 +0100

Porridge for breakfast, then left hotel at 9am for drive north. Out of Glasgow we followed the edge of Loch Lomond. Sky and loch and road were uniform pewter-grey, everything else was verdant green with purple foxgloves all the way. Coffee stop at Tyndrum, then through low cloud and rain up over the great undulating … Read more “Sunday 30th June: driving to Uig”

Saturday 29th June: Glasgow

Sat, 29 Jun 2019 20:42:10 +0100

Looked in the one-room piping museum, attached to the hotel. Had a go on the bagpipes. Harder than it looks. A group of Japanese schoolchildren arrived, and they all had a go too. Lovely. Got the subway train to Hillhead, and walked in a pleasant neighbourhood past red sandstone university buildings to the Kelvingrove Art … Read more “Saturday 29th June: Glasgow”

Friday 28th June: drive to Glasgow

Sat, 29 Jun 2019 20:38:08 +0100

Google redirected us through rural Shropshire to avoid a motorway accident, so we drove for an hour through green lanes passing fields of crimson poppies iridescent in the morning sunlight. M6 was slow, as always. At Glasgow piping centre hotel we were met with a complementary glass of Glenfiddich, and have a poky room with … Read more “Friday 28th June: drive to Glasgow”

Thursday 27th June: Much Wenlock

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 22:03:15 +0100

Through sunshine to our usual Shropshire stop-over, The Raven hotel in Much Wenlock. Pint, meal, wander around the village.