Islands from the Air

During my last flight to the UK I had a window seat. As we approached the Western Isles there was not a cloud in the sky, and I had am amazing bird's-eye view of the islands; starting with Scarp, then the islands in the Sound of Harris, all the way over Skye, the Small Isles, and Mull. But, sadly, I did not have a camera with me.

And so on the flight home a few weeks later I made sure I had a camera. But, of course, the weather was bad. Even so, between the clouds the occasional island made a brief appearance. I was blessed with tantalizing views of Colonsay, Insh, Mull, Iona, Inchkenneth, Hyskier, Eriskay, and South Uist. Shortly after passing Eriskay the clouds decided I'd seen enough, and closed in completely. I pulled down the blind, and went to sleep with visions of islands dancing in my head.

Here are a few island views from 10,000 feet.

Colonsay and Oronsay

Insh - once home to a Brownie and a naked hermit

Loch Buie - Mull

The Ross of Mull - Iona at the far end

Inchkenneth and Little Colonsay

Hyskier

Last view of the isles - Eriskay and Rubha na h-Ordaig (South Uist)

Eriskay - Urisk Isle?

Island names are often intriguing; the name Eriskay in particular. Nearly all references I've come across over the years say it means 'Eric's Island'; named after some Norseman from long-ago. But there's another possibility.

View indicator atop Eriskay

In his book An Island Odyssey, Hamish Haswell-Smith, says it means 'Island of the Water-nymph', but he gives no explanation of where that derivation comes from. But in his The Scottish Islands he says the name means 'Urisk Island'; a combination of the Gaelic 'uruisg', and Norse 'oy'.

According to John Gregorson Campbell's Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands (1971), urisks are:

A large lubberly supernatural, of solitary habits and harmless character, that haunted lonely and mountainous places. Some identify him with Brownie, but he differs from the fraternity of tutelary beings in having his dwelling, not in the houses or haunts of men, but in solitudes and remote localities....the race was said to be the offspring of unions between mortals and fairies...the leannan sith.

Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands is a fascinating book, and you can find a PDF of it here.

There are several Urisk place names in Scotland. The only island one I've read of is Slochd an Aoirisg on Tiree. It's not marked on the map, but is said to be near Hynish. A mainland site that is marked on the map is Coire nan Uruisgean, which lies above the southeast shore of Loch Katrine. It was said to be the meeting place of the Urisks in Scotland, and walkers in the area encounter a sign warning that Urisks are around. You can see a photo of the sign, along with more about the Urisks of Loch Katrine here.

Patrick Graham writes about Coire nan Uruisgean in Sketches of Perthshire (1806): 

"Ben Venue is rendered venerable in the superstition of the natives, by the celebrated Coire nan Uriskin (the cove or recess of goblins) situated on the northern side of the mountain, and overhanging the lake in gloomy grandeur. The urisks were a sort of lubberly supernaturals, who, like the Brownies of England could be gained over by kind attentions, to perform the drudgery of the farm; and it was believed that many families in the Highlands had one of their order attached to it. They were supposed to be dispersed over the Highlands, each in his own wild recess; but the solemn stated meetings of the order were regularly held in this cave of Ben Venue."

Below are a few photos from my walks around Urisk Island. Over the years I've seen most of Eriskay but, unfortunately, I've yet to meet an Urisk. Neither have I come across any written legends of Eriskay urisks. If you know any I would love to hear from you.

Acairsaid Mor from the south

Acairsaid Mor from the north

Acairsaid Mor

Haun

The Prince's Cairn

Eriskay Causeway

Goodbye to Eriskay - 6

Before we say goodbye to Eriskay we'll pay a visit to the island's two cemeteries. This is a photo of the north cemetery. The building behind it (lower left) is the Am Politician bar, named after the ill-fated ship filled with whisky. At top centre is St Michael's Church.

Eriskay Cemetery

Below is Father Allan Macdonald's grave in the south cemetery. There is a good book about Fr Macdonald, Amy Murray’s Father Allan’s Island, written in 1920. The island referred to in the title is Eriskay. Fr Macdonald worked throughout all the Barra Isles until 1905, when he died from influenza at the age of forty-six.

Grave of Fr Allan Macdonald

St Michael's Church

It's time to leave Eriskay. On my last visit I left by walking across the causeway. This sign got my hopes up, but I didn't see any otters.

Here's a last look back to Eriskay from near where the causeway reaches North Uist. 

We will be back.

Down from the Top - Eriskay 5

From Beinn Stac we'll descend north to visit Coilleag a' Phrionnsa, the Prince's Strand. On the way down we pass above the terminal for the ferry that plies the waters between Eriskay and Barra.

Ferry Terminal - Eriskay

The Prince's Strand (next photo) lies north of the terminal. The cairn is a memorial to Prince Charlie's first Scottish landfall (islandfall?) on July 23,1745. As you may have noticed, the misty and grey weather in this photo is in stark contrast to the blue skies and sun of the previous ones. This photo is from 2005, the one above was from 2012, one of the driest island-summers in years. That made for easy hiking in places where I was expecting to face soggy bogs.

Coilleag a' Phrionnsa

Memorial to the Prince's landing

Atop Eriskay 4

After descending Beinn Sgiathan we have to walk around the head of the harbour Acairsaid Mhor before starting the climb to the top of Ben Stac, the highest terrain on the southern half of Eriskay.

Acairsaid Mhor

From the harbour it's a short climb to the top of Beinn Stac. The next photo shows the cairn at its summit. In the distance is Barra and its highest point Heabhal. 

Looking to Barra from Beinn Stac

To the south of Beinn Stac lie Na Stacan Dubha, the dark stacks, usually called The Stack Islands. In the next photo the small building you can see atop one of them is Caisteal an Reubadair. This is the Reiver's, or Pirate's Castle. I have also seen it translated as the Weaver's Castle, but that's a corruption of the Gaelic. What kind of weaver would have a castle? 

Otta Swire begins her book The Outer Hebrides and their Legends with the story of how the tower was once home to a nine-headed giant. I won't recount the whole story, so you will need to read it to find out how eight of his heads became the islands of Bernera, Eriskay, Mingulay, Vallay, Grimsay, Taransay, Pabbay and Killegray. Another part of his anatomy became the Butt of Lewis. And no, it's not what you think, it was his ninth head.

Stac Islands and Caisteal an Reubadair

Atop Eriskay 3

A great way to descend Beinn Sciathan is to head due east down to Loch Dubhat. Along the way you can get a closer look at Calbhaigh island. I wonder if there is any whisky left to be found in those sands.

As you approach Loch Dubhat with its two small islands, Canna and Rum can be seen on the horizon. The little islet in the sea to the left is Thairteamul. 

From the loch you can either turn north and head to the road at Bun a' Mhuillinn, or turn south to circle around the flank of Beinn Sciathan. Let's do the latter, and make our way down to the harbour of Acairsaid Mhor. When I walked this way I encountered Eriskay ponies grazing on the short grass.

Atop Eriskay 2

This view indicator is mounted on the trig-pillar atop Beinn Scriathan, the highest point of Eriskay. The islet in the distance connected to Eriskay by a sandbar is Calbhaigh, It was near there that the SS Politician ran aground in 1941 with a full load of whisky.

View indicator on Beinn Sgiathan - 2012

A few weeks before the above photo was taken another view indicator made the news when someone stole the one on Colonsay's Beinn a' Gudairean. The heavy bronze marker had been there since the 1930s. The photo below was taken in 1993, and I'm not sure who the young fellow is, but he's sitting on the now-missing indicator. (I think he feels bad about sitting on it now.)

View indicator on Colonsay's Beinn a' Gudairean - 1993

Atop Eriskay 1

In the next few posts I want to share some of the views that await all who wander the hills of Eriskay. These first two are looking north from the slopes of Beinn Scriathan  To the lower right is the small bay of Haunn where the ferry once landed; the Politician Bar stands near the shore to the left of the red-roofed shop; and St Michael's Church can be seen on its knoll above the near end of the causeway.