Ardveg

We made it to the Ardveg today. I will write more when I get home in a few days as I hate typing on this iPod. Here are a couple of photos from what was a memorable day.

Off to Ardveg

I will be off-line for two weeks. I am spending some time on Scalpay, Harris and Lewis. On June 29 I hope to attend an Islands Book Trust event at the Uig Community Centre, where they are launching a book called An Trusadh - Memories of Crofting in the Ardveg, by John Macdonald. If the weather is obliging it will be followed by a boat trip to remote Ardveg, where I camped a decade ago (book 2, chapter 21). I also plan to hike around the hinterlands of Lewis and Harris in search of beehive cells, and to walk the old path to Renigidal and Molinginish. I hope to have some interesting photos to share when I return.

Ardveg - Photo by A A MacGregor

Journey to Tiree 5

After visiting the golf ball radar that sits on Carnan Mor, the highest point of Tiree, I went in search of a quieter summit. I found one here at the west end of the island on Beinn Ceann a' Mhara. Nearby is the site of the fort of Dun nan Gall, and the hill in the distance is Beinn Hough.

It is time to leave Tiree, for now, anyway. We're returning to Glasgow aboard Twin Otter G-BVVK. She's my favourite little airplane, having taken me to both Tiree and Barra, and one time delivering my lost luggage after I'd been on Barra for three days without it.

Journey to Tiree 4

Here are a couple of random photos from a wander around Tiree on a wet autumn afternoon. I used the phone box in the first photo to shelter from a brief rain storm. But there was no such shelter when another blew through when I was sitting on the top of the island (second photo). But the big golf ball, an ATC radar, provided some shelter.

Journey to Tiree 3

On the coast of Tiree due north of Kirkipol lies the ruined broch of Dun Mor Vaul. Its circular foundation, thirty-five feet in diameter, stands six feet tall, and when originally built it had been about thirty feet high. On the inside of the wall sit the base of the stairs that once wound all the way to the top of the tower (second photo). Many features of the defensive nature of the building are still evident: holes for the bar that held the door closed, and a guard chamber next to the entrance.

A mile SW of the broch you will find Clach a Choire, the Kettle Stone, better known as the Ringing Stone.  When I tapped on it with a beach pebble it sang out a high pitched metallic chime. The Tiree stone is not alone, as there are other Ringing Stones in Scotland, for example this one in Aberdeenshire. The Tiree stone has over 50 of the mysterious cup markings that no one knows the meaning of, but there are some fascinating theories. My favorite involves the cup-carver's intentionally directing earth energies. If you want to read more on this there is an interesting book on the subject called Ley Lines and Earth Energies.

Journey to Tiree 2

This photo shows a Twin Otter landing on the Reef, Tiree's airfield. For a fascinating description of the airfield's (and some of Tiree's) history, there is a wonderful book recently published by the Islands Book trust called Tiree - War among the Barley and Brine.

Twin Otter landing at the Reef

On my visit to Tiree I stayed at the Tiree Lodge Hotel, which you can see to the left in the next photo. The hotel is located in a magnificent spot. In front of it lies Gott Bay and the two mile long strand of Traigh Mhor, and behind it are the ruined churches of Kirkipol.

On the way to Gott Bay

Kirkipol Chapel

Tomorrow we'll cross over to the north coast of Tiree to see the broch of Dun Mor Vaul and the Ringing Stone.

Journey to Tiree 1

Yesterday's photo from Erraid reminded me of this picture of the island that I took from the window of a Twin Otter on a flight from Glasgow to Tiree. The loch with the small island in the foreground is Mull's Loch Poit na h-I. The second photo is an even closer look at Erraid I was fortunate to get on the return flight. Tomorrow we'll land on Tiree and tour the island.