Thursday 16 August

A slightly cloudier day, although the sun came back following the passage of a shearline at lunchtime. The wind also abated after midday. We once more managed 20C / 68F this afternoon. Yesterday's wildfire is held to be suspicious, as people were seen in the Strawberry Hill area at the time the blaze started.

I have continued to transfer some of my bit.ly links to diigo.com. I find that most of the shortened links related to local news stories, with one or two others of interest. I have passed information on a diigo.com group for the Outer Hebrides to the archivists of the local council, who will advise further on how to expand the group - this currently only has six members, and its founder is no longer in post.

I'll close this post with some of yesterday's pics.

Wednesday 15 August

Although it was marginally less warm today, the 20C felt absolutely sublime in the blazing sunshine and strong easterly wind. The southwest of Scotland was being lashed by rain and near-gale force winds; our breeze measured 25 mph. Went for a 3 mile walk to Sandwick and Plasterfield, east and northeast of Stornoway. Plasterfield is quite high up, and the vantage point showed me - a big column of smoke rising from beyond the Castle Grounds. Once more, we have a wildfire, and it was a big thing. In the half hour it took me to walk back to town, the column grew in density (getting more brown) and firecrews from all over the island congregated on the Castle Grounds to put the blaze out. Police are anxious to speak to anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the Deer Park area. I have not yet uploaded to Flickr any pics of the walk, except for a selection on Facebook. Will post the pics on here in a separate post tomorrow.

Tuesday 14 August

Sunny and warm today, with the mercury rising to 21C / 70F for several hours in the afternoon. It was t-shirt weather, with the windows open and the mild sea breezes carrying the pungent smell of rotting seaweed inside. By 9 pm tonight, the midges had finally come out with a vengeance, and I'm sitting here with very itchy fingers, as the little  blighters went for me as I watered the plants. Drought? Well, we've had less than an inch of rain in all of August, and we're nearly at the halfway mark in that month.

I've been trying to organise my useful links, by looking at my bit.ly account, and copying anything useful over to diigo.com. Found the Outer Hebrides diigo group languishing in the doldrums of inactivity (it only has six members). Its founder has moved to pastures new, but I'm going to see if there are others who are willing to contribute to it.

Monday 13 August

Overcast and wet at times, but not much cooler than yesterday. We still managed 18C today, which is quite respectable at any time. We saw brief glimpses of the sun, but not as much as on Friday or Saturday.

The school holidays are drawing to a close this week, and although I don't have kids, the controversy over school buses is certainly not passing me by. It appears that if a child lives less than two or three miles from its school, they are not entitled to free bus travel. For secondary school age kids (12 or over), the limit is 3 miles. Now, apart from shelling out a couple of quid for the bus, the alternative is walking. Pavements are unheard of out of town, and during the winter, darkness falls as early as 3.30pm. Parents are up in arms over this, by all accounts.

I am continuing my look-ups for WW1 casualties from this island, and today came across a family whose seven sons all served. Three did not live to see 1919. They came from the village of North Tolsta, 15 miles northeast of Stornoway.

Sunday 12 August

Another warm day, with slightly hazier sunshine than yesterday. We managed 21C / 70F at midday, after which the high-level clouds moved in to take the edge off the temperatures.

I watched the closing ceremony of the London Olympics, which was quite spectacular; I'm afraid pop-music is not my scene, so that was lost on me. What was not lost on me was the sense of occasion, that a memorable 16 days have drawn to a close, particularly when the Olympic Flame was extinguished on the stroke of midnight. The 70 days when the Torch travelled the length and width of the UK, passing within a quarter mile of my door on one occasion - it certainly was an Olympics to remember. Next stop: Rio de Janeiro, 2016.

Saturday 11 August

A gorgeous summer's day, with the mercury cresting 20C / 68F this morning. A gentle breeze from the northeast kept the worst of the sun's heat at bay, but flies, creepies, damsel flies and dragon flies had a field day.

There was an open day at the Eye Church (properly designated: Eaglais na h-Aoidhe), 4 miles east of Stornoway on the eastern end of the Braighe isthmus, which links Point to mainland Lewis. The church, which dates back to the 14th century, had fallen into disrepair. It is now lovingly being restored at the behest of the Eye Church Trust. As the picture shows, the event was well attended, much helped by the warm weather.



After having a look round, I started the 6½ mile walk back to Stornoway. I began by going down the beach on the northern flank of the Braighe.



At the far end lies the village of Melbost, which shares its village road with Branahuie [Braighe na h-Aoidhe] near the airport. I crossed the main road to Point, the A866, and walked down the shinglebank that leads towards the next hamlet, Holm.


After Holm, the coastline becomes a bit of a maze around fences, cliffs and streams. I managed very well, until this stretch of barbed wire, only a hundred yards short of the Iolaire Memorial. Even the cliffs posed no major problems, although it was a tad hairy past Holm Farm.




The green island with the sharp cleft lies offshore. I had to double back inland to reach the path the Iolaire Memorial. On a beautifully calm day like today it is difficult to imagine that 205 sailors drowned there on New Year's morning 1919 - but it did happen, amidst a force 8 gale. Their loss is still felt in this island.


But even today, the cliffs here claim lives, and following the tragic loss of a 16-year old lad in 1995, two lifebuoys were installed on Holm Point, near the Iolaire Memorial.


From Holm Point, it was a simple walk back to Stornoway, past Stoneyfield Farm, Lower Sandwick and Sandwick Bay.

Friday 10 August

Although the day started fairly cloudy, the sun came out and pushed the mercury to 19C / 66F. It certainly tempted me out for a walk in the Castle Grounds this afternoon. After crossing the Golf Course from the Porter's Lodge to the Marybank Gate, I ventured into the wilds around Strawberry Hill. It took me about 45 minutes to walk to the Marybank Gate, a distance of 2 miles. The next half mile took me 45 minutes, making my way across the very rough terrain. Tussocky heather, rhodondendrons, deep gullies and bogs, not to mention the steep slopes of the hill. Strawberry Hill is 220 feet high.


Path of sorts leading off Strawberry Hill


End of track. How do you mean, drought?

View south from Strawberry Hill Path across the Golf Course Chimney needs sweeping. And it's not the veronica bush that's the sweep

Hurricane update - 10 August

Very busy with tropical cyclones at the moment, although nothing dramatic yet. 

1. Ernesto is a tropical storm that has crossed the Atlantic and is currently dumping copious amounts of rain over southern Mexico. Although the system is now weakening, it is expected to reemerge over the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and regenerate into that basin's 8th tropical cyclone of the year. It is rare for tropical cyclones to cross between the two basins. Ernesto first appeared as a tropical disturbance on 30th July, around longitude 34 West. At the moment, the system is located at 95 West, meaning it has already traveled 1/6th of the earth's circumference.
2. 07L is a tropical depression in the central Atlantic Ocean, which is beginning to encounter unfavourable conditions, preventing it from strengthening much. Although the Windward Islands will see it as a tropical storm, the system is not expected to survive much once into the eastern Caribbean. 
3. Gilma is a former hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, more than 650 miles from land, which is weakening over waters that are too cold (below 80F) to sustain a tropical cyclone.
4. The Atlantic still has the remnants of Florence, currently located north of Puerto Rico, drifting west. It is not thought likely that it will turn into a tropical cyclone again. 
5. Just off Cape Verde we find a tropical disturbance, currently named 93L, which could well turn into a tropical depression within the next couple of hours. It is at this time of year that Cape Verde hurricanes occur, which have the width of the Atlantic to build their power.
6. The Northwestern Pacific Ocean is also busy. Two disturbances are grumbling away, one near Midway Island, just west of the dateline, and one near Guam. Former typhoon Haikui is giving eastern China a wet day, and former typhoon Kirogi is headed north into the Sea of Ochotsk near Sachalin Island.

 Hurricanes, typhoons, tropical cyclones are all the same thing. It is one of nature's safety valves, designed to syphon excess energy from the sun away from the equator to higher latitudes. Vertically, these systems extend to an altitude of 10 miles (50,000 feet). A combination of the earth's rotation, the energy expended and generated by evaporation and condensation of water serve to create a small but very powerful venting mechanism. Limited only by the frictional effects of water, sustained windspeeds of 180 mph have been observed in the strongest systems. However, in many instances it is not the force of the wind that creates the biggest problem - it is the amount of rainfall. One such system could dump a year's worth of rainfall (as per London average) on an area in a matter of days or even hours. In mountainous terrain, landslides and flash flooding will occur.

I scoff at sensationalism in the media who refer to hurricanes as "monsters" and "killers". It is true that lives are lost, and sometimes in huge numbers, as a result of hurricanes and typhoons. But without them, there would be no life on earth.

Wednesday 8 August

Summer is said to be on its way north. Southern Spain is reporting temperatures of 43C / 109F. Fortunately, we are that far north, we'll be lucky to see anything over 20C / 68F. No sun for us until after dinnertime, and our mercury stopped rising at 14C / 57F. I'm not complaining as it did feel warm today. We tend to set our standards low in this part of the world, but anything over 80F makes me uncomfortable.

I have written extensively about the Pairc Windfarm which appears to be off the agenda. SSE have suggested that a smaller community windfarm could still be on the cards. I'm quite happy that this windfarm is now not going ahead, as it would be a huge blot on the landscape of South Lochs. I have few images of that area, as I was haunting its moors in the winter of 2004/5, not yet in possession of a digital camera. One of these days I will revisit, if I can persuade the bus company to take me the 5 miles down the road from Balallan. Or if I can get my hands on a vehicle.

SSE pulls the plug on the Pairc windfarm

 SSE have today announced that they are withdrawing from the proposed 26-turbine 94 MW windfarm at Pairc (South Lochs) in the Isle of Lewis for environmental reasons. This is major news, for several reasons.
It is good to hear that a major player in the renewable energy market, SSE, now recognises that environmental constraints are a good reasons for not siting a windfarm in sensitive areas. Colonies of golden eagles and other raptors were at increased risk of colliding with the turbine blades. It is to be hoped that this approach will be applied to other windfarm schemes across the Scottish Highlands.

Bearing this in mind, the question could be asked whether the Muaitheabhal and Pentland Road windfarms in Lewis, which have been approved, should not now be reconsidered on their environmental (de)merits. Construction of both schemes is due to begin within the next 12 months.

The implications on a local level are equally major. The Pairc windfarm was one of the schemes that would contribute towards the renewable energy output to be generated in the island, to justify the construction of the interconnector (sub sea cable) to the Scottish mainland. At present, only the Muaitheabhal windfarm in Eishken and the Pentland Road scheme appear to be contributing - and I am not certain that the threshold is now going to be met.

The potential construction of a windfarm on the Pairc Estate has been one of the stumbling blocks for progressing the community buy-out in South Lochs. Had SSE proceeded with the windfarm, this would have caused the value of the land to skyrocket out of the reach of the Pairc Trust, who have striven for nearly a decade to take the estate into community ownership. This being no longer the case, the likelihood of a successful buy-out appears to have taken a substantial boost.

Tuesday 7 August

An overcast day, opening into spells of brightness. We managed 15C; later in the week, it should get warmer. The cruiseliner Silver Cloud called in between 8 am and 3pm for a visit, allowing its passengers a glimpse of the town and the island before heading to Belfast, London and the Mediterranean. Next liner will be the MSC Lirica, which is due on Saturday, as well as on August 23rd. This year, just over 20 cruiseliners will be visiting our small port.

It was reported that all 23 railway open level crossings in Scotland (i.e. crossings without barriers) will now have barriers fitted. This follows a string of accidents in which lives were lost on such crossings. In one incident, three people were killed on a crossing at Halkirk, in the far north of Scotland, when their car was struck by a train in 2009. Whilst applauding the improvement in safety, the question remains in my mind whether it will ever stop the idiots who will try to jump the barriers in their cars, not being prepared to wait the minute or two.

Monday 6 August

I'm birthday boy today and kept it a quiet day. Many thanks for the nearly 70 Facebook contacts who congratulated me on the occasion. Had some cake and a glass of wine, followed by a meal of cabbage, apple, onions and potatoes, one of my faves. I also watched parts of the Olympics this morning, with some track and field events on the menu. Managed to avoid most of the news-based hype, which I dislike.

Another space craft has landed on the planet Mars, 155 million miles away in space. The Curiosity Rover will roam the Red Planet for the next two (Earth) years, looking for signs of past life on the now dead planet.I am following the device on Twitter.

Sunday 5 August

An overcast and grey day, which I spent editing part of the Napier Report, which I transcribed over the past 2 years. I also did my customary daily batch of about 10 names from the WW1 casualty list from this island. I also watched a fair bit of coverage from the Olympic Games in London. I take a passive interest in athletics and weightlifting; how can anyone hoist 450 lb above their heads is above mine, if you catch my drift. A brief post, admittedly, but it's about Sunday, and therefore a quiet day.

Saturday 4 August

An overcast, non-descript day in terms of weather. The sunshine that we were promised in yesterday's forecast never materialised. Today being the first Saturday in August meant that the Stornoway Carnival was on. The lack of floats in the procession was made up for by the hundreds of people thronging the town centre. As per usual, the floats are very topical, reflecting recent events in the island. I share a few pictures to underscore that fact.

The third image deserves an explanation. There is usually a funfair during Carnival week, lasting from Tuesday until Saturday night. This year, the council have stipulated that South Beach carpark, where the funfair usually stands, can only be occupied by anything other than parked cars, for one day. <sarcasm>There is such a lack of carparking spaces in the town centre that we can't have any removed from use for any length of time</sarcasm>. Recently, councillors have been issued with their own iPads for council use - hence the vitriolic reference to the machines on the banner.

Friday 3 August

A beautiful summer's day, in spite of the easterly breeze. We managed a creditable 19C / 66F this afternoon, and it tempted me to go out for an amble. I walked through the town to the Cockle Ebb, the estuary of the Laxdale River to the north of Stornoway. I proceeded along its southern bank to the village of Stenish, which I could only reach by taking off socks and shoes and wade through the river. This was not deep, and the water was warm. Those of you who have read my blogs over the past 8 years know that I don't baulk at fording rivers, but it's a bit more pleasant at this time of year. After walking through Stenish (a tiny village), I took the shortcut over the Carse of Melbost, which is directly beside the airport runway, to Sandwick, and returned to my base through the cemetery and along the foreshore at Sandwick. Five miles on the dot.

A B&B proprietor in the west of Lewis is suing Tripadvisor over alleged malicious and inaccurate postings. Tripadvisor is a website where people can rate and review accommodation around the world. The major complaint is malicious postings which are not policed or removed upon presentation of evidence. My gripe against the site is that someone can post a review of an establishment, even if the proprietor of said establishment does not want anything to do with TA. It is NOT possible to have your listing removed from the site.

Thursday 2 August

A fairly mild but overcast and at times damp day. The midges were out; for only about the second time this summer. Midge counts in this part of the world are down 80% due to the (continuing) drought. However, it will never destroy the midges; they have been through worse and have been around for longer than we (as a species) have.

The Nicolson Institute is holding an open day - for the old building. Many generations of schoolkids have passed through there, and there will be memories there for quite a few islanders. Whether good or bad - our schoolyears are among the most memorable in our lives. Or not, as the case may be. The Nic will be demolished over the next few months, to make way for a bus and car park as well as a large meadow.


The old school as seen from Sandwick Road. 


Stone plaque on the clock tower, stating year of first build

Although I enjoy watching some of the action at the Olympics, I despair at the exaggerated length of time dedicated to British medal wins. Ten minutes for the 5th gold medal of Sir Chris Hoy? Yes, a major achievement no doubt. Other news is completely drowned out, and it is difficult to find out what else is going on in the world. 

Wednesday 1 August

A day of varying fortunes, with good summer downpours interspersed with brighter intervals. We even had a ray of sunshine earlier on, accompanied by a rainbow descending directly onto the lighthouse. The mercury once again managed 17C / 63F, which is about par for the course for summer here. However, the longer term forecast shows a steady cooling trend.

Hotting up is more likely to happen in the Caribbean, where a tropical cyclone is due after Friday. System 05L has formed in the Atlantic, 800 miles east of the Windward Islands, which will see it on Friday. The storm will be at hurricane force on Monday, when it passes Jamaica. That is still a long way off, and the NHC will keep us abreast of developments. On the other side of the world, two typhoons are making for mainland China. Saola is passing within 40 miles of Taipei, Taiwan; Damrey is headed straight for China, some distance north of Shanghai.

I am leaving you tonight with a few snaps which I posted on Facebook earlier today.


Heron


Curlew


Cruiseliner Ocean Duchess

Tuesday 31 July

The day started like this, with a few showers. The cruiseliner is the Kristina Katarina, which is visiting Stornoway today. Another liner will call tomorrow. The passengers trouped ashore, and the town was buzzing to the sound of foreign tongues.

In the afternoon, the showers faded away and the sunshine became quite warm (by our standards), with the mercury reaching a pleasant 17C. I went for a walk to the newly finished Nicolson Institute (see previous post) to take a few pics. I carried on down Francis Street to the Town Hall, where an exhibition had been opened just a few hours before about the history of the school. It was first established in 1875.

An alert was put out this morning that a girl aged 3 had made a 999 call from her home in Leeds to the effect that her mother had fallen and was unresponsive. This had happened yesterday, so police were very concerned. However, it turned out this evening that two girls aged 10, calling from Bridlington (on the east coast of England) had perpetrated the prank. They have been spoken to. Bored during the holidays? Well, I hope they will be taught a lesson.

Nicolson Institute

The island's secondary school has a new building, a prominent edifice along Sandwick Road next to the Council offices. The builders handed it over yesterday, 30 July, and pupils will be entering it on August 16th. Stornoway Historical Society have an exhibition on the history of the school was opened in Stornoway Town Hall, which is well worth a visit. Of the old buildings making up the 'Nic', only the Pentland Building and the Matheson Hall will be retained. The other premises are to be demolished before the end of the year.

Monday 30 July

The morning started off quite wet, with plenty of drizzly showers. These dried up through the afternoon, and as I type this, light is fading on a decent evening. The nearest weatherstation to show detailed rainfall readings, Flesherin (9 miles northeast of Stornoway), collected 4.4 mm today, bringing July's total to 62 mm or 2.5 inches.

This morning, I went to a carpark on Kenneth Street to view a procession of tractors that were preparing to set off for the long drive to Rodel, some 55 miles south of Stornoway at the far southern end of Harris. Well, the procession totaled 4 tractors, as well as two that had set off early as they were so slow. One sat on a trailer behind a car, as it could not move under its own steam. A smidgen disappointing, but it's the gesture that counts. The drive, which would have taken 6 hours, was in aid of the Linda Norgrove Foundation. This charity was set up in 2010 following the death of Lewis-born charity worker Linda Norgrove. She was killed in Afghanistan during an abortive mission by US forces to liberate her from her captors. Her parents set up the charity to continue Linda's work in her name.



Do you blog? Well, you'd better be careful about the use of pictures on your blog. You could get sued for their unauthorised use, as this blogger explains.

Sunday 29 July

Sunshine and a lot of showers today, those showers being of the drizzly type. When you get caught out in one you get incredibly wet. Nonetheless, the rainfall total for today was only 3 mm. Went out for a short amble just before ferry time (2.30pm). Sunday in Stornoway remains very quiet, and nothing moved.

I shall not be watching much television for the next fortnight or so, whilst all the British TV channels are clogged with Olympic coverage. That in itself I don't really mind, but the inexecrable hype over medals that British competitors should have had but don't get, really gets on my nerves. Also, there are other things going on in the world apart from the Olympics - the Syrian crisis e.g. - and I find it very hard to keep up with the rest of the news.

Not much happening on the hurricane front, except for two tropical storms in the western Pacific. Saloa is heading north towards Taiwan, which it will eventually pass as a category III typhoon at 100 knots; Damrey is moving west towards China. Both systems will end up soaking the east coast of China, either side of Shanghai, with large amounts of rain. If memory serves, eastern China has suffered severe flooding so more rain is the last they need down there.