From the archives: Monday 27 September 2004

For the morning session, I walk out at 10 o'clock, heading east out of the town centre towards Inganess Bay. This takes me along the road to the B&B where I stayed nearly 3 weeks ago. Once past there, the road veers off right; the road to Berstane Farm carries on straight ahead. When I reach a wood, filled with junk, I am confronted with a sign saying "Private", and I have to backtrack a little way. Then I jump over a gate and head south along the perifery of the wood. Can continue along the fence for nearly a mile, with views opening up over the airport. To my left lies the Creag of Berstane. Also see a windturbine near Heatheryquoy Farm. Cannot go there in a direct line, but have to veer right along fencing to Inganess Farm. Once on the minor road, I head east, downhill, to the salmon farm. I can drop down to the sands of Wideford, but have to rejoin the top of the seawall after the salmon farm. From here, a new-looking signposted walk leads me back to Scapa. The route is punctuated by some horrendously steep stiles, but finally I arrive at the A960 road to the airport. Cross this with care and carry on along the path. With some difficulties in orienteering, I reach the A961 Burwick road at midday. Cross with care and head into the road that leads to and past Fea Farm. From here, the track winds itself down a messy looking slope to Scapa Pier. This is familiar territory and I easily walk back to the YH on Old Scapa Road. After lunch, I join the bus which will take me to the Bishop's Palace and nearby Brough of Birsay (on the far northwestern corner of Orkney Mainland). The bus goes past Finstown, then down the A986 along such places as Doune and Twatt. People alight at various places along the way, some of them quite jolly. Many have been into town to do their shopping, and are now lumbering it home. Reach Birsay at 2.30. A few people get off here, several joining the bus for the journey back to Kirkwall. First of all, I have a look inside the small church dedicated to St Magnus. A little bare - have a look at this link http://www.birsay.org.uk/stmagnus.htm.
Also have a look inside the ruined Earl's Palace, of which only a few feet now remain of its walls. In every room, a little note tells the story about it. Having walked through the ruins, I finally make my way to the Brough. This lies about a mile west of Birsay village and is a tidal island, only accessible at low tide. A concrete slabbed walkway provides a fairly safe if slippery access route. On arrival at the other side, I say hello to the warden and start by looking round theViking settlement, of which only foot-high walls remain. It included achurch. Then I go on a walk around the island, which has some pretty high seacliffs, up to 40 metres / 135 ft high. Like the views down the coast to Marwick Head, with cliffs up to 80 metres / 265 ft high. Pass the lighthouse, where a cleft, only a few inches wide, crashes down to sealevel. The coastline is eroding badly, and you have to be very cautious. I walk along, latterly with two other people in the distance. Cross the causeway back to the mainland at 4pm, and stay behind to watch the tide coming in. Have a little walk along the coastline to Skipi Geo, where people used to store their boats high up on the shore, in a shed. Sit down with two other walkers to enjoy the afternoon sun for a while. Then head back to the carpark to watch the tide creep in. At 4.30, the flag is taken down at the visitor centre on the Brough, and the warden crosses over. Shortly afterwards, the tide covers the middle section of the walkway. We had a cup of tea from a van selling sausage rolls, but when we looked round again, it had gone. Hop back to the village to wait for the 6pm bus. It's a long and chilly wait. The return journey goes along the north coast of Mainland to Evie and Loch of Swannay. Pick up ferry passengers at Tingwall and return to Kirkwall at 6.50


Brough of Birsay, image courtesy Flickr-user bugmonkey


Birsay Palace, image courtesy Flickr-user leguan001

Sunday evening

It hasn't stopped raining all day. Went out to Gress, which is 5 miles short of Tolsta, without said guests as they were being entertained. It was nice on the beach, although it was raining steadily. I spent a quiet afternoon finishing two books I was reading: one about the landraids on the island of Vatersay, off Barra, the other about cloudformations. Also watched television, a programme about Italian architecture, and another about unusual wildlife in Indonesia. Makes a difference from being glued to this wee screen ;-)

I'll close proceedings on here by posting an archive entry from 2004, when I was coming to the close of my stint in Orkney. Having arrived there on 1 September, I spent 4 weeks exploring virtually all the islands (with a few exceptions) in that archipelago.

Sunday 27 September

Dismal morning in Stornoway, wet and windy. Nonetheless, may end up taking out some overseas visitors to the delights of the beach at Tolsta



which obviously doesn't look like that this morning. Improvements in the weather are still some way off.

From the archives: Sunday 26 September 2004

It's a cloudy day today, and it does not look as if it's going to brighten up. Arrive at a derilict busstation to take the tourist bus to Skara Brae, with a view to walk across to Stromness. It's also quite blustery and cold. Alight at the neolithic village at 11, and now have the rest of the afternoon to cover the 6 miles to Stromness. I start off by merrily walking into the teeth of the gale, past Skaill Farm,along walls and through pastures. Past herds of bemused looking cows,but very quickly I find myself crossing barbed-wire fences without any stiles. Back I go, glad to have my face out of that very cold SW wind. Retrace my steps as far as Skaill Farm, then head southeast, along a farmtrack that runs roughly past Loch Skaill. Then it's due south, and I'm again diverted because of herds of cows. WIth difficulty, on account of an overgrown and boggy farmtrack, I gain the road which leads south to Stromness. Because of the force 8-9 wind, I decide to engage in a spot of roadwalking. This presents me with quite a challenge, because the severe gale strength wind is determined to blow me into the path of oncoming traffic. After 2 miles, I get the opportunity to leave the busy B9050/A967 to briefly head for quieter side-roads. Pass Kirbister and proceed over Redland Hill. Here,a minor disaster befalls me, in that one of my bootlaces breaks. I tie the two ends together and carry on. My mapcase is also giving me grief. This consists of a Morrisons bag, and is flapping furiously, not really affording much protection against the force 9 winds. Carry on along the A967, with the weather improving gradually. As I struggle past Newburgh and Millhouse, the sun comes out. Head into a country lane to enter Stromness by the backdoor. The ruinous farm buildings along here don't do much for the scenery. Take a break off Millhouse farm, then descend to the bridge cum ford across the Mill Burn and wearily trudge down the hill into Stromness proper. This is along HIllside Road, not the main Kirkwall Road. Past the Co-op and the firestation at 4pm, and up Franklin Road to gain the higher reaches of Stromness. Even go up Brinkies Brae with my purchases from the Co-op, then into the town for a cuppa before the bus comes back at 4.50. Julia's Cafe is a nice wee place opposite the ferry terminal. Kids are sliding along the tiled floors. Have a cup of tea and a pastry before I rejoin the bus back to Kirkwall. Sun is out on the way back, making it quite an acceptable late afternoon.




Stromness, October 2008


Skara Brae, October 2008

A year on

On Tuesday, it will be a year ago that AOL gave us a month's notice to quit our journals before they would be deleted. The following 4 weeks were a mad scramble to move our blogs to another platform, mostly this one (Blogger). Many have since left blogging, either for Facebook / Twitter or altogether. AOL, well, they could at least have left the journals on their servers, even if we would not have been able to update them anymore. What galled me most was the cynical request for me to write a guest editor's post on September 25th, knowing (for 2 months) that five days later, the plug would be pulled. And the lack of cooperation from AOL Journals staff, who had not prepared anything, in spite of the 2 months' notice they had themselves.

On 1 October, I commenced a new blog, called Atlantic Lines. It became my main blog at the end of October, when its predecessor Northern Trip was deleted. Like for so many, NT had been a constant companion for years, three years in my case. I managed to transfer it to Blogger, and is now archived there. I set it up on 28 September 2004, when I was staying in Kirkwall, Orkney. I started using it as an internet diary ten days later, by which time I had transferred to the Isle of Skye, more specifically the village of Kyleakin (pronounce: ky-lakkin).

As a memory, I'll post a few entries from five years ago and add a map to show the places I'm talking about.

Ondoy

That is the Philippines designation for tropical storm Ketsana, which is currently moving west across the Philippines. It is dumping vast amounts of rain on the archipelago, leading to catastrophic flooding in the northern island of Luzon, and in the capital Manila. The website for the local weatherservice (PAGASA) has been inaccessible throughout today, probably due to high demand.

Ketsana is only a marginal tropical storm in terms of windspeed, but is carrying large amounts of water, as is typical of tropical systems. After leaving the Philippines later today (GMT), the system will move across the South China Sea, to make landfall in central Vietnam on Tuesday.


Image courtesy Xinhua

Saturday 26 September

Overcast with occasional sunny spells, so a slight improvement. Rain looks unlikely. This morning shows cruiseliner Marco Polo at anchor in Sandwick Bay and the Norwegian submarine S300 along the ferrypier. We've had submarines in before, but they did not moor. The Norwegian navy has put in appearances before, with four small destroyers in April 2007.

On a related theme, Ullapool registered fishing vessel Our Hazel was towed into Stornoway yesterday morning, after an 11 hour trip from the Butt of Lewis. The fishingboat put out an emergency call at 1 am on Friday, after she suffered a mechanical failure. The local lifeboat, (17-18) Tom Sandersen, went to her aid and towed her back to Stornoway.

FV Our Hazel and the lifeboat at Glumag Harbour, yesterday

Cruiseliner Marco Polo

War and Peace: S300 and a tender from the Marco Polo

Friday 25 September

Overcast and grey once more, although I have reason to believe the sun is still out there behind the clouds. Is it? If anyone has seen the sun in recent days, please tell it to show its face in Western Scotland. I've nearly forgotten what it looks like. Aeolus should take a vacation, and stop blowing so hard in the islands. I bet the fact that there isn't much of a hurricane season in the Atlantic accounts for our windy weather (joking).

The 'mole' who leaked details of MP's expenses, which ended up bringing down Mr Speaker (Michael Martin), did so out of disgust over the lack of proper equipment for army soldiers. Apparently, the soldiers did not get the right gear out in Afghanistan, whilst MPs were lapping up the dosh for their moats, duckhouses and what not. I'm glad it came out in the open, whilst being sad for the majority of Honourable Members who are hard working and only claim what they really need to claim for.

Pulmonary Fibrosis

I received an email from former J-lander Jan [jan3145] who is battling with the debilitating condition of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (UK site). She sends regards to all she used to know in J-land, as was. Atlantic Lines does not normally carry promotions, but I would like to make an exception for this charity.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is a rare and terminal lung disease. Its' cause is unknown and there is no successful treatment or cure for it.  Once diagnosed a patient may have two to five years life expectancy.  Lung transplant may extend their lives for a few years, but not everyone qualifies, or can be a candidate, for this delicate surgery. Pulmonary Fibrosis takes the lives of more patients every year than Breast Cancer, yet no one hears about it. Every eleven minutes someone is diagnosed and every 13 minutes someone dies due to Pulmonary Fibrosis.  Symptoms may be shortness of breath on exertion, a dry cough, fatigue or exercise intolerance due to trouble breathing. 

Pulmonary Fibrosis Association of Texas, Inc., an approved 501c3 Nonprofit, strives to meet the needs of PF patients who do not have the funds or benefits to obtain medically prescribed and necessary oxygen or other medical supplies.  It is never OK for someone to be denied air to breathe because they cannot pay for it, yet someone right now is being deprived of oxygen for that very reason.  Help us to help them.

We cannot add days to their lives, but we can add life to their days with your help.

Help us to help others breathe a little easier.

Thursday 24 September

Good morning from an overcast Stornoway. Once more, the wind blows from the west at force 5 and the odd showers is possible. The 12C / 54F on the thermometer is a bit on the low side, but what do you expect.

I'm left bemused at the snub that wasn't a snub, when British PM Gordon Brown was denied a formal head-to-head with B'rack Obama at the UN last night. They could only talk in the kitchen at the UN, a formal meeting was not possible. 10 Downing Street was allegedly frenzied at this snub-that-wasn't-a-snub (which it was, don't fool yourself). I think Obama saw right through the charade around the release of the Lockerbie bomber - Mr Brown didn't speak up on the issue for quite a few days.

So there is this vaccine that gives you a 30% chance of not contracting HIV/AIDS. I wouldn't chance it. It's excellent news that progress is being made, but there is a long way to go. Since writing an essay on the subject of HIV/AIDS in 1985, treating actually infected patients has made a lot of headway, and life expectancies have extended. But developing a vaccine has remained static for a long while.

Wednesday 23 September

Not too bad a day, but it's getting increasingly windy. The sun does come out, in amongst the odd shower. The radar and satellite imagery shows a squall line passing through, but the Atlantic further out is packed with more downpours.

It was the weather that appears to have contributed to a tragedy in the Torridon area of northwestern Scotland on Sunday. A family group was out walking the mountain range of Beinn Eighe [pronounce: Ben Eye] when the clouds came down. Rather than continue with the walk to the second of the range's two Munros (peaks of 3,000 feet or higher), they decided on an emergency descent into Glen Dubh, which separates Beinn Eighe from its southwestern neighbour, Liathach [omit the tha in the pronounciation]. On the way down, one person, a man aged 76, fell 10 metres, injuring his head. Although he continued with the descent, the group soon found themselves stuck on a ledge (cragfast was the term used in local news reports). One managed to get off the hill and summon the emergency services at 7 am on Monday morning. They found that the 76-year old had deceased. The two other members of the family were taken off the mountain and taken to a nearby hotel.
I would like to extend my sympathies towards the relatives of the deceased.

Harris Tweed - the future

Tonight, the final programme in the series on Harris Tweed was aired on BBC4. The outlook remained at best a questionmark, and not much short of gloomy. Rather than get hot under the collar, I'll restrict myself to putting down the way I think the industry should move forward - a purely personal take, not unduly burdened by excess knowledge.

Harris Tweed is a product, unique to the Outer Hebrides, and therefore unique to Scotland. Its production, as laid down by the trademark description, has to take place in the Outer Hebrides - exclusively. This is such a narrow remit, that it merits intervention at Government level (Scottish Government) to take the industry in hand.

Brian Haggas's ownership of the Kenneth Mackenzie Mill in Stornoway should be bought out. He has a stock of men's jackets, which he is pandering off through newspaper competitions, saucy photoshoots and what not. At the rate he is going, it'll take nearly a decade to shift the 70,000 jackets that clog up his warehouse. The KM Mill's production capacity is needed, in conjunction with that of Shawbost and Carloway's mills, to make the volume, necessary to reinvigorate Harris Tweed. Rather than being in competition with each other, Stornoway, Shawbost and Carloway should work under an overseeing body which directs the work of the mills.

The BBC4 programme showed that there is demand for Harris Tweed. This should be channeled to be produced in the Outer Hebrides, using the abovementioned overseeing body. Who should this overseeing body consist of? Weavers as well as mills, combined with the Harris Tweed Authority. A cooperative? Well, I don't know enough about that sort of thing.

I'll repeat what I said at the end of my previous post on this subject. The Kenneth Mackenzie Mill in Stornoway is the keystone to Harris Tweed. Without this, the cloth will be relegated to handbags and seatcovers. And Brian Haggas's jackets.

Autumn 2009

Today sees the start of the northern hemisphere's autumn season, as the sun crosses the equator on its way south. The weather, as I already indicated in my previous post, is suitable for the time of year, at least here in the Western Isles. I am noticing the changing of the season also by the fact that the sun gets lower and lower in the sky. In my position, about 4 feet from the window, the sun does not reach me in the summer. It is beginning to do so now, and as the year progresses to its close, I'll have to close the curtains in the latter part of the morning - else I will not be able to read the screen.

Another sign of the changing of the seasons is seen in the behaviour of the starlings. Large groups of them are swirling around the town, but not nearly as large as the massive colonies of hundreds of thousands that are seen in southern England. One day, they'll all have gone south. To be replaced by individuals that have come in from higher latitudes to winter in the relatively mild climes of the Hebrides.

Winters here are not severe in terms of temperature. Your average daytime maximum will be around 7C / 45F, and frosts are not common. The lowest overnight temperature I've seen since 2005 is -6C, and that was in March. Snow too is not common either, with the deepest fall of 10 cm / 4 inches lasting exactly 24 hours on February 2nd, 2008.

What makes winters severe in the Western Isles is the wind. Last winter saw a storm with winds gusting to 110 mph, and January 2005 produced a hurricane with gusts to 135 mph. Even if these extremes are uncommon, gales are common: on average once a week will the wind blow at 40 mph or higher. High winds, and that need not necessarily be at galeforce, can persist for days on end, with low, grey clouds scudding by, with drizzle, rain and hail. Daylight hours are at a premium by December, with the sun rising at 9.15 am and setting at 3.35 pm.

Many people who see these islands in summer, under glorious blue skies see them at their best. Some may elect to come and live here. Not all can live through a Hebridean winter.

Tuesday 22 September

Changeable day in Stornoway, with frequent showers, a strong westerly wind and intermittent sunshine. Wind should abate after touching galeforce through the night and earlier this morning. Our freight ferry, the Muirneag, has not done its customary overnight crossing to and from Ullapool, leaving me thinking the shops will be empty today. The normal ferry is due in at 1.15pm, with supplies.

The River Clyde in Glasgow is the scene of a whale or dolphin rescue this morning. It was reported that a northern bottlenose whale of 5 metres / 17 feet in length had been spotted under a bridge a mile west of the city centre. Equipment is being brought it to aid with the rescue efforts.

The BBC reports that autism rates in children appear to be the same as those in adults, dispelling fears over the safety of the MMR vaccine. Ten years ago, a now discredited scientist published a report, linking MMR with autism in children. It led to a dramatic drop in the uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, causing an upsurge in the incidence of those diseases. It is worth stressing that these 'childhood' illnesses can carry serious complications both in children and adults, and those can be life-threatening. Although the scientist behind the MMR scare has been discredited in his field, uptake of the vaccine continues to be below the rates what they were prior to 1998.

Monday 21 September

Autumn is nearly upon us according to the calendar, but it has been around in the Western Isles for the last two months or so. Apart from a brilliant June and first half of July, summer was not really ever here. It is a miserably wet afternoon with some strong winds about. We are under severe weather warning for heavy rain and high winds - gales are imminent. No improvement for tomorrow either.

Last Saturday, I scanned the first copy of the local Roll of Honour, which was published in 1915. The second edition, which was published in 1921, has formed the base for my research so far. Just transcribing the 1915 edition, and see where any discrepancies lie. I have already noticed a number of portraits that were not in the 1921 Roll, so a promising source. Currently on page 11 out of 109.

Sunday 20 September

After a sunny spell just before midday, the weather has clouded over, the wind picked up and a drizzle commenced. Autumn continues, as it has done for a while. The Sunday sailing left Stornoway at 2.30pm, and will be back at 9 tonight. It remains very busy with visitors, although the main tourist season ended a month ago. The road-equivalent tariff, which was introduced on the ferries a year ago, continues to favour the Western Isles. It has slashed the fares across the Minch by half. It's not quite fair on other islands, excluded from the RET pilot study.

Veterans of the airborne landings at Arnhem in 1944 have laid wreaths at the graves of their comrades in the cemetery at Oosterbeek. It could be the last time they'll hold this commemoration.

Image courtesy BBC

Cycling in Scotland

It has come to my attention that the Scottish Government is reviewing its policy on cycling. As part of this, they have raised the possibility that cyclists could be taxed. I have never heard such a ludicrous idea in all my life. In a consultation on the subject, question 10 reads: Should all road users pay road tax? If so, how much should it be for cyclists and how could it be enforced?

It is generally held that cycling, if practicable in terms of distance, is a very good alternative to car use. It causes no pollution, no traffic jams and is good for your health. If anything, the Scottish Government should promote the use of the bicycle by making the purchase or use of cycles tax-deductible (happens in Holland), making roads safer for cyclists (by provision of a cycle-lane or widening the roads. Not taxing them, for goodness' sakes.

If you read this in the UK, please take part in the consultation. As I said, this is the most ridiculous idea I've heard on this issue.

Operation Market Garden

Sixty-five years ago last Thursday, the airborne landings commenced just west of the city of Arnhem in eastern Holland. On 17 September 1944, the Allied forces had been on campaign through western Europe for 3 months, after the successful landings in Normandy on 6 June. Airborne troops were parachuted into the area between Ede and Arnhem to engage the German forces, which were occupying Holland at the time. Although the Allies managed to penetrate into Arnhem, they failed to seize the Rhine bridge there. Fierce fighting in the city dislodged them from forward positions. Poor communications as well as a stronger resistance than anticipated forced a withdrawal south across the River Rhine.

Arnhem and Oosterbeek were evacuated, and looted by the Germans. Holland north of the Rhine remained occupied until the early spring of 1945. In the wake of the failed action at Arnhem, the Netherlands' railway network in the occupied sectors went on indefinite strike. This caused major problems for the Nazi forces, but also for food supplies - by the spring of 1945, thousands of people in the major conurbations in western Holland had starved to death. Others survived by eating flower bulbs. The Allies finally managed to cross the river at Remagen, between Cologne and Koblenz, in February 1945.


Picture courtesy www.gelderlander.nl, credits Pouw Jongbloed

Today, veterans gathered on the Ginkelse Hei [Ginkel Heathland], some 15 miles west of Arnhem, to watch another parachute jump. Others laid wreaths at the War Cemetery at Oosterbeek. The German ambassador to the Netherlands also laid a wreath.

Saturday 19 September

A cold, cold Saturday, in spite of the intermittent glimpses of the sun. A paltry 12C / 54F shows on the thermometer, a strong southerly wind blows. Hope it'll warm up a bit later on. Another ship is in port: the Hanseatic Sailor, which was in before. It is here to collect products from the Fabrication Yard. She has visited Stornoway before: this picture shows Hanseatic Sailor on 30 July, coming in past the Arnish Lighthouse.


Talking of pictures, I have changed the front pic again to a more recent one. Two weeks ago, I went down to Harris, which is the mountainous end of the Long Island. The pic shows the hamlet of Maaruig / Maraig, situated some 6 miles north of Harris's main town, Tarbert. The road to Rhenigidale is new, it was only built in 1987. It is a crazy rollercoaster - starting at 500 feet above sealevel, it plunges down to sealevel in a mile, then rises steeply back up to 500 feet under the hill known as Toddun, only to dive back down to sealevel at the village of Rhenigidale. That's 2,000 feet of descent and ascent within about 4 miles. Before 1987, you'd take a boat out of Tarbert or Scalpay and take yourself to Rhenigidale across the water. If you felt fit, you'd walk from Tarbert (it's about 5 miles), but involves an equal amount of going up-and-down.

Yesterday, I completed the on-line memorial for Harris, and this includes references to two places that are no longer inhabited. The island of Scarp, located some 20 miles northwest of Tarbert, was abandoned in 1971. It is the final resting place of two casualties of the First World War. The village of Molinginish was abandoned in 1963, when the final two residents died. The remains of the township include two cottages which are still in use; Molinginish can be reached on foot by branching off from the track that links Rhenigidale to Tarbert. The Arnish Lighthouse blog did a write-up on this village in December 2005.

On the subject of abandoned villages, the district of Eishken in southeast Lewis was cleared in 1820. It is a large area, with some large mountains on it (by Hebridean standards). Beinn Mhor rears up to more than 1,700 feet. Eishken had 36 townships in it at the start of the 19th century. I've managed to trace 27:


1 Bhalamos Beag
2 Bhalamos Mor
3 Caolas an Eilean
4 Bagh Ciarach
5 Ceannamhor
6 Scaladale Beag
7 Scaladale Mor
8 Stromas
9 Brinigil
10 Bagh Reimsabhaigh
11 Smosivig
12 Glean Claidh
13 Brollum
14 Ceann Chrionaig
15 Mol Truis
16 Mol Chadha Ghearraidh
17 Ailtenish
18 Budhanais
19 Ceann Loch Shealg
20 Eilean Iubhard
21 Isginn [Eishken]
22 Steimreway
23 Cuiriseal
24 Gearraidh Riasaidh
25 Bun Chorcabhig
26 Gilmhicphaic
27 Ceann Sifiord

Friday 18 September

An autumnal day, cool and quite breezy. Feel sorry for the wedding party who are going to have pictures taken on a beach this afternoon. Meanwhile here in Stornoway, the 'successor' to Woolworths, which folded at the end of 2008, is opening at midday. Same range of products, including pick-n-mix. The company, WeeW, has conducted a weeks-long publicity campaign, with a formal opening last night. The shop will open for sales within an hour of this post going live.

It remains quiet on the hurricane front, with one typhoon in the open Pacific and a tropical storm (Marty) fading rapidly near Mexico. The Atlantic has only had 6 named storms, and the way things are going that isn't set to increase rapidly. I'm sure it's a reassurance for those in Hurricane Alley, but bear in mind what hurricanes &c are for: dispersing heat from the tropics to higher latitudes. It is reported that sea surface temperatures are approaching all time highs.