South Rona is Popular

In looking at my blog statistics I've noticed that posts on South Rona have seen the most visitors - and not by a little, but by a factor of 10. That is understandable, as Rona is an amazing place. Over the past 20 years I've had the privilege of visiting Rona five times, and two of those visits were week-long stays. For more on Rona see this link about staying on the island, and this link to read Bill Cowie's Rona blog.

Below are a few more photos from South Rona.

Fiona and Donald Macalman (the island managers in 1995) at Rona Lodge

Donald Macalman sees us off from the landing in Big Harbour - this was in 1995, before the pontoon dock was built

View towards Big Harbour from atop Meall Acairseid

My wife inside Church Cave

Schoolhouse ruin - Dry Harbour

Looking north from the hills above Loch Braig

Village ruins above Dry Harbour - you will see a house just about everywhere you look

Cattle grazing in the early morning

Rainbow over Dry Harbour seen from Escape Cottage

An Teampull - Chapel at the south end of Rona

A visitor admires the lush grass around Escape Cottage (we quickly learned not to leave the gate open)

Rona light seen from atop Commando Hill 
That's my name for it (due to the Bren gun shell casings that litter the summit)

The view from Escape Cottage

Bill Cowie (Rona island manager) waves goodbye to us at the end of a week long stay (2007)

Livingstone's Cave - Ulva

On a summer walk on Ulva I followed the Livingstone Tail. It took me down a treed glen to the sea. Halfway down the glen the trail passed through an old settlement called Tobhta Livingstone, where the great-grandfather of Dr. David  Livingstone farmed in the 1700s. I believe the name Livingstone was adopted by the clan Mac Dhunnshleibhe (aka Mcleay) after the Livingstones became the rulers of nearby Lismore in the 1600s.

In the cliff face above the old settlement was Livingstone's Cave, and I spent some time exploring it. The cave has been extensively studied, and traces of occupation there date to around 6000 BC. 

For a map showing the route to the cave see this link. For a description of excavations in the cave see this link.

The head of the glen that the Livingstone Trail descends - Inchkenneth in the middle distance

Entrance to the cave

Remnants of excavation work in the cave

Starvation Terrace - Ulva

On my first visit to Ulva I walked the north road to pay a visit to Gometra. Along the way I noticed a string of abandoned houses above the shore near Ardglass Point. I knew nothing about them at the time, so I did not make the effort to descend through rough ground to see them.

Shortly after my visit I learned that this isolated settlement was called 'Starvation Terrace'. Here is a brief description of its history from the forargyll.com website:

'By 1848 the population (of Ulva) was down to 150. By 1921 nine of the townships were in ruins. Five more were inhabited by a single family and one by two families. Those who could not be cleared, because, old or disabled, no place elsewhere could be found for them in Scotland, Canada or Australia, were gathered together in a terrace of low houses at Ardglass Point. They were left to eke out what they could from the seaweed and the winkles on the shore. That terrace, for good reason, is known as Starvation Terrace and has usurped the name of the Point, now generally referred to as Starvation Point.'

After learning the history I wanted to return to see the ruins of Starvation Terrace. Ten years would pass, but finally, in 2010, on a cruise through the Inner Hebrides, we were set ashore at Starvation Point for a walk on Ulva. Once ashore we climbed through soggy fields to reach the string of roofless houses. They presented quite a sad sight, especially in light of their history. Here are a few photos of Starvation Terrace from 2010.

Ian Latharna Caimbeul - John Lorne Campbell

August 14, 2013 was a miserable day at first. A cold wind and non-stop rain were sweeping over Canna. I had a few hours to spend on the island, and after phoning home from the shelter of the red-box, I put on waterproofs and started walking to the old burial ground. Over the years I've visited it several times, but I'd always walked there by crossing open fields and skirting the edge of the nearby woodland.

But with the heavy rainfall and wind I decided to cut through the woodland to take advantage of the natural shelter. I soon found a path through the trees that appeared to have been recently made, and started to follow it. As I was walking through the woods I came upon a solitary tombstone. It had a simple inscription:

Ian Latharna Caimbeul

1.10.1906    25.4.1996

Fear Chanaidh

It was the grave of John Lorne Campbell. In all my wanderings on Canna over the years I'd never walked this way. I'd been cursing the bad weather, but it had been a blessing: otherwise I would not have found his grave. Campbell died in Italy in 1996, and was buried there. But his body was returned to Canna in 2006. For the story of Campbell's life see The Man Who Gave Away His Island, by Ray Perman.

Wallaby Island

I think I must be the only one who has been on Inchconnachan that has never seen one of it famous wallabies. The wallabies were brought to the island, which is in Loch Lomond, in the 1940s, and they've run wild since then. Hoping to get a few photos of a wallaby I was dropped off on the north end of the island. Camera in hand, I started walking to the south end, but there was nary a wallaby to be seen. Thinking my movement was scaring them away, I sat down quietly in a few spots along the way, hoping for one to hop by. But it was not to be. 

If you can't make it to Inchconnachan there are lots of YouTube videos (like this one) of them hopping around the island. A few years ago there was an attempt to eradicate the wallabies; the reason was that they're 'non-native'.  I'm not sure, but I believe they finally gave up trying to kill them. Here are a few photos from my wallaby-less walk across the beautiful island of Inchconnachan. 

Vandals Everywhere

We've all see evidence of vandalism, but when you come across it on a remote island it truly makes you wonder what drives people to do thoughtless things.

Over the years I've been to Canna several times; and seeing little Canna chapel, with its bell tower that's reminiscent of the great Irish round towers, is always a highlight. Sadly, like St Edward's Church on adjacent Sanday, this beautiful chapel has been the victim of vandals over the years. 

I always thought it would be great fun to climb the bell-tower. But on each visit to Canna I would find the door to the tower locked. However, on a visit in May of 2008, I entered the chapel and saw that someone had pried open the tower door; and in doing so had damaged its iron hinges.

The forced open tower door 

The rusty hinges were bent such that the door could not be closed. I stuck my head in to look up into the tower and take a photo (below). In the photo you can see the bell-rope, and the stepping stones embedded in the tower that allow someone to climb to the bell. I could not resist the temptation, so I used the stepping stones to climb to the top.

On my last visit to Canna (August of 2013) I entered the chapel and saw that the tower door had still not been repaired. But it has been pushed in enough to prevent someone from entering the tower (unless they're inclined to cause more damage by forcing it open a few more inches). Hopefully the door will get fixed in honor of the chapel's 100th birthday (which is this year).

Inner Meaning

Here is a Rorschach test. Tell me what is is - there's only one right answer.

The answer is, of course: I feel an intense desire to climb Eabhal; to return to na h-Eileanan an Iar, the Isles of the West, to spend a night afloat on a calm Loch Euphort. Then I'd be set ashore in the morning to make the long climb up Eabhal where, up top, I'd soak in the sight of the loch-spattered interior of North Uist. Then, back aboard the boat for the night, I'd listen to the seals sing as the sun sets over the western sea.