The Harris Eagle Observatory & the Sron Smearasmal Beehive

During my visit to Lewis and Harris in May I set out one Sunday to revisit the stellar beehive cell of Sron Smearasmal. Eleven years had passed since I was last there, and I was curious to see if it was still intact. Another site I wanted to visit was the North Harris Eagle Observatory.

The walk started by following the track to Loch Bhoisimid. After passing through the kissing gate - unfortunately, there was no one to kiss - I headed north along the track.

A kilometre into the walk I came to the bridge over Abhainn Mhiabhaig, which marks the halfway point to the observatory.  

The observatory was soon spotted in the distance, below the looming prow of Sron Scourst. 

After 30 minutes of walking, I reached the observatory. Timber-built, with a turf roof, it has large picture windows that allow for expansive views to the north and west.

Being a weekend, the observatory was full of people. The only place to sit was on a bench at the back, which still provided a good view.

After spending some time in the observatory - without spotting any birds - I returned south along the track to the bridge over Abhainn Mhiabhaig. The bridge is a good place to start the climb to the Sron Smearasmal beehive. The cell lies a kilometre west of the track and involves an elevation gain of 170 metres. It was hot and humid, but a steady breeze kept the midges at bay

There are two cells here (NB 0900 0749). One is completely intact but only the foundation remains of the second. The intact cell is four metres in diameter at its base, two metres high to the top of the dome, and has four cupboards built into its lower walls. 

Although it has collapsed, the second cell has a unique feature, a two-metre-deep rectangular compartment that may have been a sleeping place. You can see its entrance in the previous photo. 

Although over a decade had passed since my last visit, the cell looked the same, unlike the cell at Clar Beag, that I returned to a few years ago only to discover that it had collapsed. I crawled into the cell, cracked open a can of Export, and listened as the wind blew through gaps in the cell wall.

From the cell, a gentle descent to the south across the heather-covered hillside led to the highway and the waiting car. As related in Beehive Dwellings of the Hebrides, the last time I was here was also a Sunday. I had been unable to find a meal and had to settle for a banana sandwich and tea from my B&B hostess. I was better prepared this time. I had booked a table, and an hour later dined at the Harris Hotel. The steak pie and a pint were much better than that banana sandwich and tea,

Lewis/Harris Border

I have walked the Lewis/Harris border. Well, at least I think I've walked the Lewis/Harris border.

The border is artificial, to say the least. It's hard to see on the ground, and even harder to see on the Landranger OS map - because it's not shown there at all. But if you're keen on seeing it on a map, take a look at an 19th century OS map of the area (here is an example). These maps are not at all vague on where the border is; in fact they shout out exactly where it is. This is because the old maps are divided up into shires, and since Lewis is Ross, and Harris is Inverness, the maps that cover the border have vast white spaces for the territory in the opposing shire.

Most tourist only know the border by the signs on the A859 highway - the only road that crosses the border - as it passes through Bogha Glas on the shore of Loch Seaforth. From there the intrepid hiker can climb a foot-path that pretty much follows the border west into the hills. (A description of that walk is described in chapter 17 of book 2.)

Start of the path at Bogha Glas

Going from east to west, the border, starting from Loch Seaforth, follows the stream Amhuinn a Mhuil to the NW for a half-mile to a stone called Clach an Tarpan. From there it follows several straight-line series of highpoints to the west and south until it reaches the stream at the bottom of Glen Lamadale. It then follows a stream called Uillt na Airigh Mhoire two miles west to where it intersects with Loch Chleister. There it makes a dizzying 120 degree right turn to follow the stream Allt a Chlair Bhig. A mile down the stream it passes the amazing intact beehive cells of Allt a Chlair Bhig.

Clair Bhig Beehives - they are in Lewis - photo taken from Harris

From the beehive cells the border continues north along the Clair Bhig stream until it reaches Tota Choinnich (Kenneth's Hut). See book 2 (pages 171-173) for the story of an amazing incident that occurred here

Tota Choinnich

From Kenneth's Hut the border follows the Kinlochresort River for a mile to the sea at Kinlochresort.

Kinlochresort (the hill Beinisbal at upper right)

For that intrepid hiker who has followed the border all the way from Loch Seaforth, reaching Kinlochresort marks the end of ten hard miles of walking. Of course that hiker is now in the middle of the back of beyond - an amazing place to be!  If you make it this far be sure to carry on for another mile to climb Beinisbhal. From its summit you will have a stunning view over the west end of the Lewis/Harris border (highlighted in white in the next photo).

In addition to the view that you'll find atop the hill, 600 feet above the sea, you will also find a cairn relating to the Lewis/Harris border. The cairn is mentioned in the following excerpt from DDC Pochin-Mould's book West Over Sea. To put this excerpt in context, she is describing how the border was determined in the 1850s while she is making a long walk to Kinlochresort in the 1940s.

  Near the sheep fank on the flank of Benisval there is, so they tell me, a stone commemorating the visit of Lord Campbell, Lord Chief Justice in the 1850s. When I splashed through the Kinloch Resort river, I crossed from Harris into Lewis, and it was Lord Campbell's boundary that I went over.
  There was a long dispute concerning the boundary line between Harris and Lewis in this part of the country. Along Loch Seaforth there was no dispute, but here, in the featureless moors, the problem was more difficult. It all began long ago, when a Macleod of Lewis married Kintail's daughter. After a year, he grew tired of her and sent her away, and took a Macleod of Harris' daughter to wife. For her dowry she brought a strip of land upon the borders of Harris in the Kinloch Resort district.  
  As time went by, this piece of land became a subject for dispute. People from Valtos in Lewis would go to make ready their shielings for the summer season and come back to find the Harris people had destroyed all their work. If the Harris men worked on what they claimed as theirs, the Valtos people destroyed it all again.
  Eventually, Seaforth took the case to the courts. Much interesting evidence of old methods of marking the boundary between the two districts was cited. One way was to bury charred peats on the march line. 
  The case dragged on. Seaforth sold the Lewis to Sir James Matheson, and it was he, after the case had reached the House of Lords, who got Lord Campbell to the actual ground. Up Benisval went the Lord Chief Justice and from the top determined the boundary line, taking the shortest route from the head of Loch Resort up the Kinloch Resort River and across to Aline on Loch Seaforth.

The cairn and commemoration stone Pochin-Mould did not find, but is described in her book, is still there to be found, standing next to the trig-pillar on the summit of Benisval (Beinisbhal). However most of the marble tablet is missing. What's left reads:

...of England

....This Cairn

I am guessing the full text on the marble tablet once read something like below. (If anyone knows what the exact text was, please let me know.):

"(To commemorate the visit of Lord Campbell, Lord Chief Justice)? of England

(Sir James Matheson Erected)? This Cairn"

The Lewis/Harris border walk is a classic Hebridean hike. With some planning you can do it in one day; starting at Loch Seaforth and walking out to the north via Morsgail, or to the south via Meavaig. Even better take a tent and sleeping bag; spend the night at Kinlochresort to let your sore legs recover before carrying on; and as you do, and as night falls, close your eyes, listen to the cookoos singing, the snipe drumming, the deer barking, and the sea lapping on the remote shore of a place as far from it all as you can get.

Amhuinnsuidhe Castle

Amhuinnsuidhe (River Seat) Castle dates to 1867, and is one of the easiest castles in the islands to get a close up look at for free. That's because the public highway runs past just inches from its front door. That's not good for the castle-dwellers, but good for those who want to get a close look as they drive by. In the 1960s the owners tried to have the road re-routed behind the castle, but they failed. For the first photo below I parked in a lay-by east of the castle, and walked back to take the picture.

Near the lay-by was a beautiful stone waterfall where the Abhainn Mor tumbles to West Loch Tarbert.

I'm sure the castle-dwellers get tired of looky-loo's slowing down as they drive past to take a picture or two, which is what I did to take the next photo.

Photo through the car window

Over the years I have driven by Amhuinnsuidhe several times on my way to Huisinis. It is a slow, but beautiful drive, along the narrow road as it winds its way across 12 miles of coastal terrain, to where it ends at the amazing beach of Huisinis. And along the way you'll pass what's known as the most remote tennis court in the islands. For more on Amhuinnsuidhe Castle see CANMORE and Virtual Hebrides.

Huisinis beach

Long Lost Lines of Communication

War brought a series of telegraph lines to the remote west of Lewis. After the war they were left to rot, and it's an odd sight, as you walk across desolate moorland, to see them. Remnants of these lines lead to Kinlochresort from the north and west. Some of the poles still stand, but most have fallen; either rotting away on the turf, devoured by bog, or taken away for building material.

Several of the poles that still stand can be seen on the walk from Morsgail to Kinresort, and a dozen or so can be found east of Loch Grunavat. Here are some photos of the poles near Loch Grunavat (which is a easy walk from Hamanavay). As can be seen in the last photo, some of the abandoned poles have been reused to make quadbike bridges.

The leaning poles of Grunavat

Fallen pole near Loch Grunavat

Standing pole near Loch Grunavat

Pole bridge near the Morsgail Beehives

The Strone

Here are two photos of the strone: an overhanging cliff on Sron Ulladale (North Harris). It attracts rock climbers from around the world. I have always wanted to hike in to see it up close, but the nearest I've come is the shores of Loch Resort, three miles to the north. The first photo was taken at Crola on the north (Lewis) side of Loch Resort. It shows the ruins of Luachair and, rising behind it in the distance, Sron Ulladale can be seen. The second photo shows more of the strone, as it was taken from the high ground above Kinlochresort.

Someday I will see the strone up close by doing the classic North Harris triangle loop: head north from Miavaig to Loch Bhoshimid and then on to Kinlochresort. From there head south through Glen Ulladale past the strone to Glen Chliostair, which is followed to the sea at Amhuinnsuidhe. From there a three mile road walk returns you the the starting point. Eighteen hard miles, and best done as an overnighter so you can take your time. 

Luachair with the strone in the distance (left)

The strone

Chapel at Rubh' an Teampaill

An easy, but very rewarding hike on Harris, is the two-mile stroll from Taobh Tuath (Northton) out to the medieval chapel Teampall na h-Uidhe, on the south side of Gob na Tobha (Toe head).

The chapel was built on the site of a broch, a stone fort about 50 feet in diameter, and many of the fort's stones were used to build the chapel. Bill Lawson describes, on page 27 of his book 'Harris in History an Legend', how the fort was one of several that could relay a warning along the coast of the Long Isle.

Below are some photos of a walk to the chapel in 2010. 

Uidhe Chapel - Pabbay in the distance (left), Shillay to the right

A Walk to Cravadale - 2

Last time I was on my way to Cravadale, and had just reached the misty top of the path from Hushinish known as 'The Stiomor' (possibly an Old Norse word for 'path'). Visibility was about 50 feet, and from the top of the foggy pass I slowly descended to the shore of Loch na Cleavag. The lone house of Cravadale soon came in sight on the southeast shore of the loch.

Cravadale House on Loch na Cleavag

To give you a full view of the Cravadale area here is a photo taken from the top of Scarp. You can see the white house of Cravadale on Loch na Cleavag to the right of centre. The long beach in the foreground is Traigh Mhuelein, Loch Cravadale (a sea-loch) is at the far left, and Loch a' Ghlinne can be seen in the distance, which goes about a mile up into Glen Cravadale.

Cravadale seen from the top of Scarp

There was a village at Cravadale, but the people were cleared off. All that remains is what had been a keeper's house. The house is still occasionally used, but no one was home. There had been a Side School here at one time. 

House at Cravadale

From the house I walked a short way east to the beach of Loch Cravadale. It was a beautiful spot and I had it all to myself. Just around the corner was the large Loch a' Ghlinne, which covers most of Glen Cravadale.

Beach of Loch Cravadale

Just above the beach lay a cluster of shieling ruins set next to a field of abandoned lazybeds.

Shieling ruins above the beach

All too soon it was time to return to the car. One option would be to walk a mile up Glen Cravadale to the head of Loch a' Ghlinne, then continue another three miles along a path through Glen Leosaid to Amhuinnsuidhe on the Hushinish road. I would have done that, but it also requires a six mile road walk back to Hushinish, for a total loop walk of 12 miles; too much when you also consider the long car journey. So I retraced my footsteps to Loch na Cleavag, and then climbed up into the mist to follow the path back to Hushinish. If you are looking for a great hike on Harris, this one is hard to beat.

A Walk to Cravadale - 1

Last June I hiked from Hushinish to Loch Cravadale; something I'd wanted to do for many years. Loch Cravadale lies at the remote northwest corner of Harris, and although the walk is only four miles round trip, it requires a long drive to the end of the road at Hushinish.

On the day I walked to Cravadale I had planned to climb The Clisham, the highest mountain on Harris. But the weather was not great, and the summit of Clisham was shrouded by clouds. A walk to the top would not be very scenic, so I decided to stay low and visit Cravadale instead. So after making the long, but very interesting drive to Hushinish, I parked my car in the small sandy car park above the beach. From there I walked across the machair to Hushinish jetty (first photo). Due to the fog I could barely see the island of Scarp (off in the distance to the left).

The well-built path quickly ascended the hillside above the Kyles of Scarp. From there I had a good view over to Scarp Village, which you can see in the next photo. The renovated church is in the centre, and the derelict schoolhouse can be seen to the right of it.

The path then rounded the shoulder of Husival Beg. The next photo was my last look back to Hushinish before the path turned east around the hill.

The path remained level for a while, and then started climbing very steeply. As I walked along the only wildlife I encountered were a few scraggly sheep.

After an hour or so the trail climbed to a pass completely shrouded in fog (last photo). But the worn path was easy to follow up through the mist. Next time we'll descend the other side of the pass to visit the beautiful beach of Loch Cravadale.