Mingulay - Up Top

One of the great Hebridean walks is to climb up the central glen of Mingulay to the saddle between MacPhee's Hill and Carnan. Along the way you pass the ruins of a mill (first photo). From the saddle you climb the steep hillside above the cliff-edge of Biulacraig to the summit of Carnan, 900 feet above the sea. The following photos show some of the sights along the way.

Next time we'll make a 12-mile jump to Barra, where we'll visit a lady who also stands 900 feet above the sea, and has graced the slopes of Heabhal for 60 years. 

The Mill

Mingulay Bay seen from the central glen

The highlands of Mingulay - Barra in the distance

The stacks

Barra Head lighthouse seen from atop Mingulay

Trig pillar atop Carnan - looking north to Barra

Mingulay - The Cliffs

Here are some views of the Mingulay cliffs seen from the sea. Twice now I have had the privilege of being on a boat as it threaded its way between the stacks and through the caves. Both times were aboard the boat Boy James, operated by Donald Macleod. Watching Donald pilot the ship through the narrow channels and into the caves is something you will always remember. On my second trip I saw something unexpected: several dozen climbers descending the cliffs, which you can see in a few of the photos. The last photo shows the inner sanctum of the cliffs, the spot I believe inspired Neil Munro's 'Long Gallery', where the climax of his novel The Children of Tempest took place (see Book 2, chapter 9).

Note the climbers in red

I don't think she was expecting an audience

Climbers starting down the cliffs

Under the cliffs and into the caves

In the Long Gallery - Is this where Col of Corodale drowned?

Mingulay - The Village

After St Kilda, Mingulay is probably the most desired deserted island destination in Scotland. Although I prefer Mingulay, as it has been allowed to age gracefully. To me Kilda village looks like an old movie star who has had too much plastic surgery: the fixed-up houses and the blight of the military buildings giving it an artificial look. That said, the island is still an amazing place.

There are many reasons Mingulay attracts: The story of how the people lived here until the island was abandoned; the village ruins gradually being buried in drifting sand; the story of Big Kenneth MacPhee being stranded after finding all the people dead. And then there are the puffins and the cliffs. Seen from above, the cliffs are astounding, and even more so when seen from below on a boat threading its way through the stacks and sea caves. We will visit those cliffs and caves next time, below are some views of the sand-engulfed village.

Mingulay - The Priest's House

When I first visited Mingulay in 2003 I was surprised to see that the priest's house had lost its roof. The house, built in 1898, had living quarters on the ground floor with a chapel on the upper floor, and I was expecting it to look as it did in some old photos I'd seen. But I would learn that the roof was lifted off by storms in the winter of 1996-97, which started the inevitable total collapse of the building.

The first three photos show how the house looked in 2003. Both gables stood complete, but the roof had collapsed, as had the front wall (facing the bay). The third photo was taken from atop the outer stairs looking into the chapel. As you can see, it was a sad mess.

The fourth photo was taken 10 years later in the summer of 2013. You can see that the gable shown in the third photo has completely fallen. A few more winters and there will be nothing left.

Back of the Priest's House and Mingulay Bay (2003)

View showing the fallen front wall and the steps to the chapel (2003)

Looking into the upper floor chapel (2003)

The Priest's House as it is - 10 years later in 2013

Mingulay Bound

The image below is a stitched composite of two separate photos. It is of Mingulay, and was taken from the top of nearby Barra Head. Mingulay can be a challenge to get to, for even if you base yourself on Barra for a week, you may not get there. Not only does the weather need to cooperate, but there also has to be a boat trip on offer during the week. Another way to see it is to take one of the many cruises on offer that visit the area. That's how I first visited the island in 2003 on the ship Poplar Diver operated by Northern Light Charters. Over the next few posts we'll be visiting Mingulay.