Gleann Mor of St Kilda

It takes a lot of time and effort to visit the most remote and, to me, the most interesting, part of St Kilda: Gleann Mor.  A visit to the glen can take four to five hours, which allows for spending a couple of hours in the glen to visit all its amazing ruins and make the descent to Tunnel Cave. Day trips to Kilda just barely allow time to make this long trek, so the best way to see Gleann Mor without having to hurry is to visit the island on a cruise that allows at least a full day ashore.

The typical route to the glen first involves climbing 800 feet to the saddle below Mullach Sgar. From there you can descend directly into the glen. But since you've gone to the effort of climbing so high, before descending into Gleann Mor I'd suggest strolling to the northwest along the ridge to Mullach Bi and pay a visit to the Lover's Stone.

Gleann Mor seen from near Mullach Bi

Descending into Gleann Mor

Like many areas on Kilda, Gleann Mor is bonxie country. So as you walk down the glen be prepared for a surprise attack from behind.

Bonxie on the attack

Along the way down you will also come across pieces of the Sunderland flying-boat that crashed here the day after D-Day in 1944.

Flying-boat remains in Gleann Mor

The ancient ruins in Gleann Mor are astounding. Over a dozen sets of beehive cells, some linked together with odd, horn-shaped forecourts. No one knows for certain how old these things are, but some may date back as far as the 4th century. The most complex cluster is what's known as the Amazon's House (see this CANMORE page for more). 

Clusters of ruins in Gleann Mor

Horned structure

Soay sheep mowing the lawn of Glenn Mor

No visit to Gleann Mor is complete without making the descent to Tunnel Cave. At the tip of the cliff on the east shore of the bay you will find a natural ledge that leads down to the sea, and the entrance to the cave. (You can see the sloping ledge in the next photo.) The last bit of the descent can be slippy, so be careful. Once in the cave you can walk to its far end where there is a great view over to Boreray.

The sloping ledge down to Tunnel Cave

Boreray seen from the tunnel

From the tunnel you have your work cut out for you to return to Village Bay. The saddle below Mullach Sgar is a mile to the south (and 800 feet up). Alternately you can climb directly SE up the ridge to Mullach Mor, and then on to the top of Conachair. That route is only three-quarters of a mile as the gannet flies, but has 1234 feet of elevation gain. Either way can be tough going through thick grass and attacking bonxies. The climb up Conachair is one you'll remember for a long time; especially the view from the top down to Village Bay on one side, and Boreray on the other.

If you do make the effort to walk to Gleann Mor, chances are you'll have it mostly to yourself. My last visit there was in 2015. Five day-boats and three cruise ships were in village bay. A hundred visitors were ashore, but when I was in Gleann Mor I only saw one other person.

The Monach Islands

There are still a few spots available for the May 21 cruise. If the weather and sea cooperate, one of our stops will be the Monach Islands. They lie five miles off the coast of North Uist, which they were once linked to by a sandbar. The sandbar was destroyed by a tsunami in 1607, but the three main islands of Ceann Iar, Shivinish, and Ceann Ear are still linked together at low tide.

The Monachs (The Monk's Isles) are also known as Heiskeir, and were once called Heisgeir nan Cailleach (Nun's rock), as there was said to be a nunnery on the east island in the 13th or 14th century. Small Shillay, the westernmost island, was said to have had a monastery. But if there was one, it would have been small, for the island is tiny (200 metres across).

After Kilda was evacuated in the 30s, the Monachs were the most westerly occupied part of Scotland for a while. They had a population of over 100 at one point, but were abandoned in 1947. The usual anchorage here is Croic Harbour, between Shivinish and Ceann Iar. Croic, per Dwelly's Gaelic dictionary, can mean 'abounding in cast seaweed', which it certainly is. Another definition I came across says that Croic simply means 'harbour'. I remember my first time anchoring there, watching the seals surf the tide as it rolled over the sandbar between Shivinish and Ceann Iar.

Looking across the sandbar to Shivinish from Ceann Iar

I'd been to the Monachs several times before I managed to set foot on Shillay. The landing there is more difficult, as the old lighthouse jetty is very exposed to the swell. Shillay lighthouse, said to be built on the site of the monk's beacon, started operating in 1864. It was decommissioned in 1942, and re-commissioned in 2008.

Ceann Ear (East End) has a freshwater loch, Loch nam Buadh (loch of the virtues). Named, perhaps, in honor of the nuns who once lived here. Next to the loch is the site of the village, with some 30 buildings, including a school, post office and church. A kilometre to the NE is Cladh na Bleide, an old burial ground, and the possible site of the nunnery.

The School

Mission Hall?

On my last visit to the  Monachs I managed to cross over to Shivinish from Ceann Iar just before the tide covered the sandbar. Someday, maybe this coming May if the tide is right, I hope to see if I can cross between all three islands. The Monachs are a special place, the abode of hundreds of seals and birds, only occasionally disrupted by the occasional boatload of appreciative island hoppers. There is not a lot of literature on the Monachs, but Alasdair Alpin Macgregor did dedicate a chapter to them in his book The Farthest Hebrides, which you can read here. If islands like these interest you, consider joining our cruise this May.

Looking to Shivinish from Ceann Iar as the tide rises

Annag

My first Hebridean cruise was on Annag, a 40-foot long Sun Fizz sailboat. Based in Berneray Harbour, she usually does six-day runs to St Kilda. As described in chapter 14 (book 2), my journey to Berneray to join Annag started with a 222-mile drive from Glasgow Airport to Uig (Skye). The next day I took the ferry to Lochmaddy, and then drove to Berneray. If I'd made the trip a year earlier I'd of had to take another ferry to reach Berneray. But in late 1998 the causeway was opened, and so when I was there in 1999 I could drive to the island. In the first photo you can see the old Berneray car ferry tied up behind Annag.

The Kilda trip on Annag was one of the best sea-travel experiences I've had. The skipper, Donald Wilke, knew his stuff, and could sail the boat single handed. In addition, the owner at the time, Iain Murray, also arranged for me to get a camping permit, and so I was able to spend a night ashore. It was a memorable evening. I had a few drams in the busy Puff-Inn, and then wandered in the dark through the village before crawling into my tiny tent.

Annag in Berneray Harbour - the old Berneray ferry behind it

Annag approaches Kilda

Heading to Boreray and the Stacks

Kilda Campsite
Anchored in the bay are (left to right): Hebridean Princess, Poplar Diver, Annag and Cuma

Aboard Annag

Aird a' Mhorain

The hike out to Aird a' Mhorain is a classic Hebridean walk, one I have done four times now. The round trip to its end and back is about seven miles, as the narrow peninsula extends some three miles out into the Sound of Harris. To get there drive to Grenitote, the northernmost point on the North Uist ring-road, find a place to leave the car, then set out to the north.

There are several aspects to the walk that make it a must-do. First off are the two amazing beaches that cover each side of the peninsula (first and second photo), and if the tide is out you can do much of the walk on the hard-pack sand. Along the way you will enjoy unobstructed views to the many nearby islands in the Sound. 

East Beach - Aird a' Mhorain

West Beach - Aird a' Mhorain

There are also historical aspects to the walk that make it worthwhile. Near the tip of the peninsula lies Caibeal Bhororaigh, the burial ground of Boreray, an island that lies just a half mile offshore (next photo). The burial ground has only a few readable tombstones, most notably to the Macleans of Boreray. But there are over a hundred simple tombstones with no names on them. As described in chapter 14 (book 2) you will also find the beautiful Well of the Cross on the beach west of the burial ground.

Caibeal Bhororaigh on the tip of Aird a' Mhorain

Another historical aspect to the walk is to pay a visit to Udal, a ruined village at the centre of the peninsula. Lying in the sand are over 20 ruined buildings, including four wheelhouses. Udal was a major settlement in the 13th and 14th centuries. 

Udal ruins - looking towards North Uist

Udal ruins - looking towards Harris

After exploring Udal you can return to Grenitote by either walking on across the machair, or by returning to the east beach. The entire walk covers fairly level terrain, so it can be enjoyed by anyone. I'm looking forward to doing it again someday.

Cave View - 9

This cave view is from Tunnel Cave on the northwest tip of Hirta (St Kilda). A natural ledge drops down the cliff face giving access to the cave. Except for the final 50 feet it is an easy decent. But the last bit is a steep, slimy slab of rock. When I first visited the cave in 1999 someone had strung a thick rope along the rocks to ease the way (see 3rd photo). On my second visit, in 2007, I was anxious to show the cave to a friend, and expected the rope to be there. It wasn't. But we still managed to creep safely down to sea level to get into the cave. 

Looking out the west end of the cave

Looking towards Glen Bay from the ledge down to the cave

The rope that was there in 1999

Looking towards Boreray from the east end of the cave