The Adventures of Hjalmar Bjorge - Season 4, Episode 2

The Continuing Adventures of Hjalmar Bjorge
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Shiants to Butt of Lewis

Exploring the Isles of the West Cruise    July 10-19, 2019

At 7 am Saturday the ship's big alarm clock (AKA the generator) broke the morning silence. Well, what silence there was - the birds had been serenading us all night. Rona was 80 nautical miles to the north, and we could make it in 10 hours. But the forecast hinted we should wait a day, which would allow for the possibility of spending a night there. A good stopping point for the day would be Port of Ness, from where it would be only a four hour sail to Rona the next day.

Leaving the Shiants in our wake

The sea was calm as we motored north up the coast of Lewis. For a while a half dozen bonxies surfed our airstream, hoping for a handout.

The Bonxie Whisperer

Around noon Port of Ness came into view. Its protected harbour is too shallow for Hjalmar Bjorge, so we dropped the hook a hundred metres out from the harbour entrance. It took two quick trips in the inflatable to get us all ashore to make the four-kilometre walk to the lighthouse.

I had planned that we'd walk the road to the lighthouse. But Steve spotted a path-marker just above the pier that indicated a coastal route to the Butt of Lewis. It was a great discovery, and we were soon treading the clifftops. There was no chance of getting lost, for a giant waymarker post (the lighthouse) could be seen on the horizon. At the half-way point we made a slight detour to walk across a dramatic footbridge to set foot on the sea stack of Dun Eistean.

I first learned about Dun Eistean 20 years ago, when I read the chapter about the Morrisons in Sir Ian Moncreiffe's The Highland Clans. The fortified stack was a stronghold of the Morrisons, and on it are the ruins of several generations of fortifications. A sturdy steel footbridge, built in 2002, gives access to the stack and the broch ruin that crowns its summit (which is known as Tigh nan Airm, the house of weapons).

The track to the bridge - the site of the broch can be seen on the horizon

Looking to the Butt of Lewis from Dun Eistean

From Dun Eistean it was a 40 minute hike to the Butt of Lewis lighthouse. Although I'd been here numerous times over the last 30 years, thanks to John, our lighthouse expert, something new was discovered. High on the tower, just below the lantern-house, John pointed out two giant owls. They would make an interesting addition to the 'birds-spotted' list for the trip: Seen at Butt of Lewis-two giant plastic owls.

Left to right: Wolfgang, Doreen, Steve, Leif, Nigel, Jan, John: 
(Not pictured: Dave, Maggie, and Don)

The lighthouse marks Land's End of the Long Isle, and the beginning (or end, depending on your perspective) of the Hebridean Way, a 250 kilometre walk from Vatersay to the Butt. After savouring the view we started back along the single-track road to Ness. Along the way we paid a visit to Stoth Bay, where lighthouse supplies were landed long ago.

John at Stoth Landing

We also made a detour to Teampall Mholuidh, the church of St Moluag, parts of which date to the 12th century. The church has several links to Rona; nearby once stood Teampall Ronain, the chapel of St Ronan, and St Ronan's Well. For many years the church housed the Rona three-holed cross. In 1992 the cross was moved to the Ness Historical Society, and I had been hoping to take the guests to see it. Unfortunately the museum was closed for remodeling.

Teampall Mholuidh in 1992 (Rona cross left of centre)

It was a pleasant half-hour walk back to the harbour: Hjalmar Bjorge a welcome sight on its calm anchorage. The next day would be an adventure: we'd be heading off in the morning for Rona from the traditional launch point for the island, following in the wake of the "The Rona Annuals" as recounted by Robert Atkinson in his classic book Island Going. If the sea and wind behaved themselves we would soon be setting foot on Ronaigh an Taibh, Rona of the Sea.