A fairly bright day, but not much sunshine. There was a little rain, but Scottish Water continues to remind its customers in these islands to use their mains water wisely. A device is available from the offices of the water company that can be placed in toilet cisterns to reduce the amount of water used when the loo is flushed. The total amount of rainfall in July, even after last Sunday's downpour, only stands at 34 mm, an inch and a third.
Shortages are also on the cards for the local fishermen. After 50 large fishingboats plundered the fishing grounds of prawns, meaning that the fishing could be closed as of September. This would not only leave the fishermen out of a job, but also the people in the processing plants. A couple of those stand across the water from my position, and each day I see its workforce going back and forth.
Less than 24 hours to go until the start of the London Olympics, and I'll have a job avoiding coverage. I shall be watching the opening ceremony tomorrow evening though. However, as I was discussing with one of my Facebook contacts earlier, the Olympics seems to be hugely important to many people. Are we seeing a global expression of tribalism, almost ersatz-war? Where I am from, the expression goes that football is war. Anyway, leaving my pot-psychology to one side, I hope it all goes well and may the best ones win.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Wednesday 25 July
Quite a nice day, especially as we finally lost the wind that has been much in evidence since the weekend. We once again managed 17C this afternoon, a temperature I much prefer to the 30C that was on the thermometers in London.
That city is ready to start hosting the 2012 Olympic Games, if it weren't for the fact that the Games have already kicked off. A soccer football match in Cardiff heralded the commencement of the sporting action. The BBC have launched 24 dedicated channels on satellite and terrestrial television, so it is possible to watch 24 different sports at the same time. You do need 24 separate TV sets for that, so I somehow don't see anyone doing that.
The small island of Berneray played host to the Scottish Education minister Mike Russell today, as he was shown round a community facility, the Nurse's Cottage. The link I supply may, when visited much later than the day of posting, show a different news item. Fellow researcher Direcleit is doing some work there on emigration from his isle of residence, a subject that appears to be a new focus for local historians. A new website, Hebrides People, was set up this weekend to help those who want to trace their roots from diaspora. There are now quite a few web-based resources around on the subject, and I quietly wished that someone would pull all the strands together. However, many of the sites (not just Hebrides People) charge for their services, so we can safely forget about this idea. The best site is Hebridean Connections, now slowly gathering dust. I have been told that it is not being updated and its funding withdrawn.
That city is ready to start hosting the 2012 Olympic Games, if it weren't for the fact that the Games have already kicked off. A soccer football match in Cardiff heralded the commencement of the sporting action. The BBC have launched 24 dedicated channels on satellite and terrestrial television, so it is possible to watch 24 different sports at the same time. You do need 24 separate TV sets for that, so I somehow don't see anyone doing that.
The small island of Berneray played host to the Scottish Education minister Mike Russell today, as he was shown round a community facility, the Nurse's Cottage. The link I supply may, when visited much later than the day of posting, show a different news item. Fellow researcher Direcleit is doing some work there on emigration from his isle of residence, a subject that appears to be a new focus for local historians. A new website, Hebrides People, was set up this weekend to help those who want to trace their roots from diaspora. There are now quite a few web-based resources around on the subject, and I quietly wished that someone would pull all the strands together. However, many of the sites (not just Hebrides People) charge for their services, so we can safely forget about this idea. The best site is Hebridean Connections, now slowly gathering dust. I have been told that it is not being updated and its funding withdrawn.
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Tuesday 24 July
A windy day but bright and with good spells of sunshine. We once again managed to reach the dizzy heights of 17C / 63F. The powercut brought some minor inconvenience to the shops in this town; the tills were not working, and the bank had to take even longer to reopen once power supplies were restored. It took an hour for people in Ness and Harris to come back on supply. The cause for the powercut is not clear.
Eight people have been charged in connection with alleged conspiracy to intercept communications, in other words phone and other forms of hacking. All have vehemently protested their innocence, something which will be down to a court to decide. The whole saga has opened a cesspit of dirty dealings between the press, police and politicians. Whether things will change depends on the outcome of the Leveson inquiry, which is moving towards a conclusion in terms of the first tranche of hearings.
Eight people have been charged in connection with alleged conspiracy to intercept communications, in other words phone and other forms of hacking. All have vehemently protested their innocence, something which will be down to a court to decide. The whole saga has opened a cesspit of dirty dealings between the press, police and politicians. Whether things will change depends on the outcome of the Leveson inquiry, which is moving towards a conclusion in terms of the first tranche of hearings.
Powercut
Oops, that was the power off at 2.45pm. Which, in the house, is naturally an inconvenience. Nothing works, no internet, no appliances. And, at night, no lights. But this is mid afternoon in July, it's a bright day, so no real problem. And after 15 minutes, the power did come back on. However, in the town centre, all the shops shut their doors to customers, as they could not operate their tills. The outlying districts took longer to come back on supply, but the power company reported on Twitter that everybody should have their electric back. Meanwhile, the powerstation at Battery Point (a few hundred yards from my position) is belching out smoke, providing a back-up. Don't know what brought this all on, but the fact that I am able to put this entry on the WWW means that everything is back to normal. In my usual daily blogpost, which I shall put up this evening, I will relay experiences of people who were actually in the shops when the power went off.
Hurricane update - 24 July
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has issued the final warning on typhoon Vicente, as it moves overland, still packing winds of 100 knots (115 mph) near its centre. At the height of its power, the typhoon presented this image on the radar at Hong Kong, not much more than about 60 miles away. As Jeff Masters writes in his blog on the storm, Vicente presented a nightmare scenario, intensifying from 75 knots (cat I) to 120 knots (cat IV) in the space of a mere 6 hours. A direct hit on Hong Kong or Macao would have claimed many lives; a comparable scenario on the US coastline would exact a similar toll, as there was no time to evacuate.
Monday, 23 July 2012
Monday 23 July
Quite an improvement on yesterday, with good sunny spells and gradually decreasing winds. That cannot be said about the weather in Hong Kong, which suddenly found itself on the receiving end of a category IV typhoon with winds of 110 mph in the outer areas of the territory. Here in the Hebrides, we reached 17C / 63F, which is about par for the course. Went into town for a few bits and pieces; bought a book about the Scottish community land buy-out movement, which has been gathering pace since the 1990s. It is a subject that has my interest; I have never understood why a landowner, who leases land to others, is able to influence what his tenants do on his land.
Yesterday's windy weather kept the local lifeboats busy. The Leverburgh lifeboat was tasked to Skye to help a yacht whose anchor was dragging near Waternish; the Portree and Castlebay lifeboats were called out for similar problems. The Leverburgh lifeboat Lifetime Care has been on station only since May this year, but has had five call-outs already. She plugs the gap between the RNLI stations in Castlebay, Stornoway and Portree. Lifetime Care also has easy access to the west coast of Skye, as was demonstrated in yesterday's shout.
Yesterday's windy weather kept the local lifeboats busy. The Leverburgh lifeboat was tasked to Skye to help a yacht whose anchor was dragging near Waternish; the Portree and Castlebay lifeboats were called out for similar problems. The Leverburgh lifeboat Lifetime Care has been on station only since May this year, but has had five call-outs already. She plugs the gap between the RNLI stations in Castlebay, Stornoway and Portree. Lifetime Care also has easy access to the west coast of Skye, as was demonstrated in yesterday's shout.
Hurricane update - 23 July
I got quite a shock in the last half hour, when I happened to look at the webpage for the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and found an amendment to the 1500 GMT warning for typhoon Vicente, near Hong Kong. Originally, warning 12 quoted Vicente at 70 knots, equivalent to a category I hurricane. JTWC have changed this ever so slight to 120 knots, that's a category IV hurricane. The storm has intensified by an unbelievable 50 knots in 6 hours, a rate of intensification that is classified as explosive.
The Hong Kong Observatory has placed the city under hurricane signal 10, reporting winds of 110 mph in places around the territory.
The Hong Kong Observatory has placed the city under hurricane signal 10, reporting winds of 110 mph in places around the territory.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Sunday 22 July
The third anniversary of the Sunday ferry in Lewis saw the boat not cancelled in spite of winds reaching 35 mph this morning. The weather, until about 4pm, was pretty awful with lashing rain and those high winds. However, it has since dried up. Low, jaggedy clouds are racing northeast with the mercury at a pleasant 15C, well, it would be pleasant if the sun were out. But it's not, and not likely to be for the next day or so.
With regards the shootings in Aurora CO, I can only implore the Americans to realise that they really have to move into the 21st century with regards their 19th century attitudes towards gun ownership. This is not the shoot-out in the OK corral, where everybody has the right to bear and use arms because nobody else will stand up for them. That went out a very, very long time ago. There is no cause for anyone to bear arms in the street in this day and age, other than those involved with law enforcement, the defence of the state or properly licensed. The availability of firearms and ammunition is ridiculous. How can anyone just go out and buy 6,000 rounds of ammo for three different types of arms on the Net? However, there is a lot of politicking going on, and bearing in mind my tendency towards (over)simplification, you'll forgive my ignorance with regards the connections between politicians, the gun lobby and what not. I don't WANT to know.
The Peace Camp at Valtos is cancelled, after the forecast for high winds prompted the tents to be taken down at Cliff Beach (just over the hill from Valtos). I did not have the opportunity to view the camp myself; Valtos is barely served by public transport, and it is certainly not served after 6pm. The camp was only open between 9.30pm and 4.30am, so you see my tiny difficulty. I hold a driver's license, but do not own a car. A local resident, who was involved with the camp, kindly posted some pics on Flickr, so I refer to those.
With regards the shootings in Aurora CO, I can only implore the Americans to realise that they really have to move into the 21st century with regards their 19th century attitudes towards gun ownership. This is not the shoot-out in the OK corral, where everybody has the right to bear and use arms because nobody else will stand up for them. That went out a very, very long time ago. There is no cause for anyone to bear arms in the street in this day and age, other than those involved with law enforcement, the defence of the state or properly licensed. The availability of firearms and ammunition is ridiculous. How can anyone just go out and buy 6,000 rounds of ammo for three different types of arms on the Net? However, there is a lot of politicking going on, and bearing in mind my tendency towards (over)simplification, you'll forgive my ignorance with regards the connections between politicians, the gun lobby and what not. I don't WANT to know.
The Peace Camp at Valtos is cancelled, after the forecast for high winds prompted the tents to be taken down at Cliff Beach (just over the hill from Valtos). I did not have the opportunity to view the camp myself; Valtos is barely served by public transport, and it is certainly not served after 6pm. The camp was only open between 9.30pm and 4.30am, so you see my tiny difficulty. I hold a driver's license, but do not own a car. A local resident, who was involved with the camp, kindly posted some pics on Flickr, so I refer to those.
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Saturday 21 July
Summer has come to an end here in the Outer Hebrides (for now) whilst the rest of the country finally gets its summer. Rain came in at 3pm, and it's still raining as I type this (10pm). More rain is expected over the next few days as a deep depression slowly moves over Iceland towards the Arctic Ocean. 966 mbar is deep for mid summer, but our drought will be alleviated by it to some extent.
The alleged culprit behind the Aurora shootings (12 dead, 59 injured) left home before going on his shoot-out, having booby-trapped his apartment to the last square inch. Why, for goodness' sakes. Why.
The story of the extra ferry sailings between Lochmaddy and Uig (Skye) has me befuddled. Calmac (our ferry company) is putting on extra late night sailings between the Uists and Skye in order to beat the security restrictions around London to do with the Olympics. This is primarily to benefit haulage firms who are carrying fish down to London for onward transportation to the European continent.
The alleged culprit behind the Aurora shootings (12 dead, 59 injured) left home before going on his shoot-out, having booby-trapped his apartment to the last square inch. Why, for goodness' sakes. Why.
The story of the extra ferry sailings between Lochmaddy and Uig (Skye) has me befuddled. Calmac (our ferry company) is putting on extra late night sailings between the Uists and Skye in order to beat the security restrictions around London to do with the Olympics. This is primarily to benefit haulage firms who are carrying fish down to London for onward transportation to the European continent.
Friday, 20 July 2012
Friday 20 July
Well, as I type this, a hefty rainshower is passing through, a most welcome phenomenon after weeks of drought. Mind you, we'll have to wait until Sunday until the rain really does return with a vengeance. The salmon are waiting eagerly, as they need the rain to fill up the rivers. Only then can they go upstream to spawn. And die afterwards. It's quite uncanny, but the fish go up the same river where they hatched themselves. It's almost like sheep that go back to the place where they themselves were born in order to give birth themselves.
I was shocked to hear of another mass shooting in the USA, with a dozen people reported killed in a cinema in Denver, CO. The culprit also threw a gas grenade into the theatre. He has been arrested; his flat is apparently booby-trapped, and the security services are proceeding cautiously. My sympathies are with the families of the dead and injured. I do not expect any change in gun laws in the States, although it is needed.
I was shocked to hear of another mass shooting in the USA, with a dozen people reported killed in a cinema in Denver, CO. The culprit also threw a gas grenade into the theatre. He has been arrested; his flat is apparently booby-trapped, and the security services are proceeding cautiously. My sympathies are with the families of the dead and injured. I do not expect any change in gun laws in the States, although it is needed.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Thursday 19 July
Another day of gradually changing weather, starting grey with some showers. Oh wow, we had some rain (0.03 inches). However, we are due some serious rainfall on Sunday, when the normal weather patterns finally return, after an absence of three months.
Today is the day that the weekly papers are published, and one of them had an interesting article, about a place called Tormore in Skye. It is a farmhouse, that was once home to the factor of landowner Lord Macdonald - and an unpleasant piece of work he was to his underlings. The historical appraisal started in 1920, but my interest goes back to the decades before 1883, when Lord Napier went around Skye to investigate the condition of the crofters and cottars there (as well as in other parts of Scotland). Lord Macdonald gave up his lands in 1920, by which time his factor had long gone the way of all flesh.
I have made steady progress through the Qu'ran. The English translation of the Muslim Holy Book that I have leaves me with the strong impression that it is a follow-up to the Bible. I'm not making that up; in one of the sura's [chapters], the Prophet states that God gave Man the Torah and Man did not take heed; then, God gave Man the Gospel, and Man did not take heed; God gave Man his teachings through his Prophet, and Man still is not taking heed. Furthermore, the Qu'ran quotes the same stories that occur in the Biblical Old Testament, refers to the same prophets and the same events. Why can't we regard the Qu'ran as a Third Testament? However, after more than 1400 years of ill feeling between Christianity and Islam, I don't think there is much chance of that.
Today is the day that the weekly papers are published, and one of them had an interesting article, about a place called Tormore in Skye. It is a farmhouse, that was once home to the factor of landowner Lord Macdonald - and an unpleasant piece of work he was to his underlings. The historical appraisal started in 1920, but my interest goes back to the decades before 1883, when Lord Napier went around Skye to investigate the condition of the crofters and cottars there (as well as in other parts of Scotland). Lord Macdonald gave up his lands in 1920, by which time his factor had long gone the way of all flesh.
I have made steady progress through the Qu'ran. The English translation of the Muslim Holy Book that I have leaves me with the strong impression that it is a follow-up to the Bible. I'm not making that up; in one of the sura's [chapters], the Prophet states that God gave Man the Torah and Man did not take heed; then, God gave Man the Gospel, and Man did not take heed; God gave Man his teachings through his Prophet, and Man still is not taking heed. Furthermore, the Qu'ran quotes the same stories that occur in the Biblical Old Testament, refers to the same prophets and the same events. Why can't we regard the Qu'ran as a Third Testament? However, after more than 1400 years of ill feeling between Christianity and Islam, I don't think there is much chance of that.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Wednesday 18 July
A cold feeling day, with this cold northeasterly breeze keeping the mercury down at 13C / 55F. And it really was the wind that made it feel very cold. Not a very welcoming climate for the cruise passengers on the cruiseliner Deutschland, which anchored off the Arnish Lighthouse this morning.
I have been amazed at the sudden interest in the UK in the Tour de France cycling race. It is a competitive race by professional cyclists, all over France. The reason is that the man in the yellow jersey (in first place) is a Brit. Well done to him. There is only a couple of days left of the race, which will terminate on the Champs Elysee in Paris on Sunday.
I am now approaching the one-third mark in my quest to find out, using my limited means, further information on the nearly 1300 men from the Isle of Lewis who lost their lives in the 1914-1919 war. The information is compiled into a website, supplementary to my main tribute site, Faces from the Lewis War Memorial. I am pleased to note that I occasionally find further information on some of the casualties. Tomorrow, I shall look into the men from the village of Aird Tong, numbering 15, who were lost. Aird Tong is a tiny hamlet on the outskirts of the slightly larger township of Tong, due north of Stornoway, on the far side of the Cockle Ebb, as shown below.
I have been amazed at the sudden interest in the UK in the Tour de France cycling race. It is a competitive race by professional cyclists, all over France. The reason is that the man in the yellow jersey (in first place) is a Brit. Well done to him. There is only a couple of days left of the race, which will terminate on the Champs Elysee in Paris on Sunday.
I am now approaching the one-third mark in my quest to find out, using my limited means, further information on the nearly 1300 men from the Isle of Lewis who lost their lives in the 1914-1919 war. The information is compiled into a website, supplementary to my main tribute site, Faces from the Lewis War Memorial. I am pleased to note that I occasionally find further information on some of the casualties. Tomorrow, I shall look into the men from the village of Aird Tong, numbering 15, who were lost. Aird Tong is a tiny hamlet on the outskirts of the slightly larger township of Tong, due north of Stornoway, on the far side of the Cockle Ebb, as shown below.
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Tuesday 17 July
Quite a nice day, with some spells of sunshine, which served to lift the mercury to all of 17C / 63F. Compared to the stifling heatwave in the USA, this is of course nothing. What does remain a prominent feature of our weather is the lack of rain. Nothing today. The weatherman are suggesting that the jetstream may shift north, propelling rainbearing weathersystems our way. Well, seeing is believing. I'm not expecting anything major until the weekend. However, it is nice not having your flowers, shrubs and trees blown to bits by a gale, and it's even nicer not to have many midges. Those pests have been kept down by the lack of moisture, which has served to dry out the island's bogs.
I was horrified to hear of the find of a car under a landslip, which occurred 10 days ago in Dorset, SW England. The vehicle had been flattened by the landslip, which left it encased under many feet of mud and rubble at the entrance to a tunnel near Beaminster. Nobody had known that the car was under there, until its occupants began to be reported missing.
This evening, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my internet contacts in the flesh, after my help was enlisted by one of his friends who had a spot of bother making mobile phone contact. I had been in touch through the local blogs for several years.
I was horrified to hear of the find of a car under a landslip, which occurred 10 days ago in Dorset, SW England. The vehicle had been flattened by the landslip, which left it encased under many feet of mud and rubble at the entrance to a tunnel near Beaminster. Nobody had known that the car was under there, until its occupants began to be reported missing.
This evening, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my internet contacts in the flesh, after my help was enlisted by one of his friends who had a spot of bother making mobile phone contact. I had been in touch through the local blogs for several years.
Monday, 16 July 2012
Monday 16 July
Although the day started out a bit grey, the sun came out in the afternoon and as I type this (9.30pm) it is quite sunny. Once again, we're left with very little rain and the drought continues unabated. We need weeks and weeks of heavy rain, and it's not gonna happen in a hurry. The salmon should be running up the rivers at the moment, to spawn, but they are stuck at the tideline. Down at Garynahine, some 15 miles from Stornoway, the salmon are swimming round a pool, unable to get up the river.
My attention was drawn to a "Peace Camp" which will be in operation at Cliff Beach, Uig, Lewis, from July 19th to 22nd. The camp consists of a large number of tents with lights inside positioned at remote locations. The installation is accessible between sunset and sunrise, and here in Lewis that means between 9.30pm and 4.30am. You need to book a slot (of an hour) and present your booking slip at the gate. You must also bring outdoor gear and a torch. There are several other locations around the UK hosting peace camps, which are celebrating love poetry and landscape, to quote the website. It is possible to contribute poetry, imagery or music to the Peace Camp project. I'm not sure if I'll be traipsing the 35 miles to Cliff in the middle of the night to view this installation.
My attention was drawn to a "Peace Camp" which will be in operation at Cliff Beach, Uig, Lewis, from July 19th to 22nd. The camp consists of a large number of tents with lights inside positioned at remote locations. The installation is accessible between sunset and sunrise, and here in Lewis that means between 9.30pm and 4.30am. You need to book a slot (of an hour) and present your booking slip at the gate. You must also bring outdoor gear and a torch. There are several other locations around the UK hosting peace camps, which are celebrating love poetry and landscape, to quote the website. It is possible to contribute poetry, imagery or music to the Peace Camp project. I'm not sure if I'll be traipsing the 35 miles to Cliff in the middle of the night to view this installation.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Sunday 15 July
A quiet day, as per usual on Sunday. The Hebridean Celtic Festival is over, the last performances took place last night. The big tent remains on the lawn of Lews Castle, but will probably be taken down tomorrow. The area around it is fenced off and closed to the public as all the equipment is still on site. I went for a walk round to the Castle, and was able to walk down the shore road to Cuddy Point. It being Sunday, the area was busy with walkers and cyclists.
Tributes have been flooding in since yesterday in memory of Fr Calum Maclellan, the parish priest of Eriskay. Although he is known to many as one of the three priests featured in the Island Parish TV series, his achievements span many of his 86 years.
The drought conditions have sparked another major wildfire, this time just outside the village of North Tolsta, some 15 miles northeast of Stornoway on the east coast of the island. In contrast to the rest of the UK, the Outer Hebrides are crying out for rain, which has been in short supply since the middle of May. We have only had about an inch of rain over two months. A month ago, four wildfires wreaked havoc in the Castle Grounds.
The fire was in the area of woodland, shown at the centre of the map below.
Tributes have been flooding in since yesterday in memory of Fr Calum Maclellan, the parish priest of Eriskay. Although he is known to many as one of the three priests featured in the Island Parish TV series, his achievements span many of his 86 years.
The drought conditions have sparked another major wildfire, this time just outside the village of North Tolsta, some 15 miles northeast of Stornoway on the east coast of the island. In contrast to the rest of the UK, the Outer Hebrides are crying out for rain, which has been in short supply since the middle of May. We have only had about an inch of rain over two months. A month ago, four wildfires wreaked havoc in the Castle Grounds.
The fire was in the area of woodland, shown at the centre of the map below.
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Saturday 14 July
Happy Quatorze Juillet to all in France; 223 years ago today, revolutionaries stormed the infamous Bastille prison in Paris, and razed it to the ground. It commenced what later became known as the French Revolution, which ended up devouring one of the men that started it, Robespierre. The last King and Queen of France lost their heads in the Revolution - through indecisiveness, as it later turned out.
Today is the last day of the Hebridean Celtic Festival, and the town is bustling with people playing the bagpipes, a harp and what not on the streets. Tonight, another set of bands will play in the big tent on the Castle Lawn; yesterday's performances were part televised, but I was underwhelmed to be honest. Until last year, Festival Saturday was also the date of the Lewis Highland Games, which were held in the village of Tong, 4 miles outside Stornoway on the road to Tolsta. Unfortunately, the organisers could no longer afford to meet the legal requirements and decided to pull the plug on the Games at their AGM last January.
When you live in an island, you have to be inventive. That was in evidence in the first week of July, when the gangway to the ferry broke down. New parts were needed, so people turned to Ebay to get these; other parts were fabricated by Lews Castle College. So, now foot passengers can walk on board via the covered gangway, sheltered from the rain (what rain???); rather than via the vehicle ramp.
A little while ago, the sad news reached me that the parish priest for Eriskay, Fr Calum Maclellan, has passed away at the age of about 84. Fr Calum served Eriskay for many years, and featured in two series of An Island Parish on BBC television. He was a man of character, hugely respected and loved in the Southern Isles. May he rest in peace, now that he has gone home.
Today is the last day of the Hebridean Celtic Festival, and the town is bustling with people playing the bagpipes, a harp and what not on the streets. Tonight, another set of bands will play in the big tent on the Castle Lawn; yesterday's performances were part televised, but I was underwhelmed to be honest. Until last year, Festival Saturday was also the date of the Lewis Highland Games, which were held in the village of Tong, 4 miles outside Stornoway on the road to Tolsta. Unfortunately, the organisers could no longer afford to meet the legal requirements and decided to pull the plug on the Games at their AGM last January.
When you live in an island, you have to be inventive. That was in evidence in the first week of July, when the gangway to the ferry broke down. New parts were needed, so people turned to Ebay to get these; other parts were fabricated by Lews Castle College. So, now foot passengers can walk on board via the covered gangway, sheltered from the rain (what rain???); rather than via the vehicle ramp.
A little while ago, the sad news reached me that the parish priest for Eriskay, Fr Calum Maclellan, has passed away at the age of about 84. Fr Calum served Eriskay for many years, and featured in two series of An Island Parish on BBC television. He was a man of character, hugely respected and loved in the Southern Isles. May he rest in peace, now that he has gone home.
Friday, 13 July 2012
Friday 13 July
Friday the 13th. Well, it certainly wasn't a good start of the day on Highland roads. A lorry went up in a fierce blaze on the A9 near Aviemore. The A835 Inverness to Ullapool road was blocked at Aultguish for a couple of hours following an accident, prompting a detour of 100 miles through Gairloch - not good for ferry traffic. Because today is the second day of the Hebridean Celtic Festival here in Stornoway. About 15,000 people have descended on our wee town, but to be honest, the line-up doesn't do it for me. I am typing this, watching live coverage on the Gaelic TV channel BBC Alba. And I'm singularly not impressed.
Rangers FC of Glasgow look set to play in the lowest division of the Scottish football league in the new season, which starts in August. They were demoted from the top flight after going bust - as a result of not paying tax. They were more than £100 million in the red.
I was saddened to hear of the death of nine climbers on Mont Maudit (near Mt Blanc) in France. They were killed in an avalanche yesterday morning at 5.30 am local time. At the time, there had been high wind conditions, which are known to be a contributing factor for avalanches to occur. Those on the climb were experienced and well equipped mountaineers, and the 9 deaths are attributed to an accident. I know, from my own experience, that mountains should be treated with respect, and any hazards anticipated and their risk assessed. But still, even the most experienced can get caught out - one of the dead was a former general secretary in the British Mountaineering Council.
Rangers FC of Glasgow look set to play in the lowest division of the Scottish football league in the new season, which starts in August. They were demoted from the top flight after going bust - as a result of not paying tax. They were more than £100 million in the red.
I was saddened to hear of the death of nine climbers on Mont Maudit (near Mt Blanc) in France. They were killed in an avalanche yesterday morning at 5.30 am local time. At the time, there had been high wind conditions, which are known to be a contributing factor for avalanches to occur. Those on the climb were experienced and well equipped mountaineers, and the 9 deaths are attributed to an accident. I know, from my own experience, that mountains should be treated with respect, and any hazards anticipated and their risk assessed. But still, even the most experienced can get caught out - one of the dead was a former general secretary in the British Mountaineering Council.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Thursday 12 July
Quite a nice day, with good sunny spells. A northeasterly breeze did not prevent the mercury from rising to 15C / 59F. As I type this, the sun has just set, and cloud appears to be increasing. But no rain is in the forecast. Our drought continues.
Three hundred and twenty-four years ago today, the Battle of the Boyne was fought in Ireland. It was basically between Protestants and Roman Catholics, and the strife continues to date. King William of Orange, who had come over from the Low Countries to assume the English throne, had made it his life's work to fight the popery - and his good offices (sarcasm alert) continue to reverberate in 2012. In Northern Ireland, the day is marked by marches by the Orange Order. I refer to this Wikipedia article for further details.
The wee house on Shell Street has disappeared, and is now just a small heap of rubble. Lorries arrived by mid afternoon to cart it all away, and very shortly, it will become an area of hard standing for tanker lorries on the adjacent fuel depot. I don't think the Maclean family, who inhabited the premises between roughly 1861 and 1891, would have expected their domicile to be reduced to a pile of rubble at any stage.
The pictures I put up yesterday were in demand by the local paper today, as their own photographer turned up after the last walls had been knocked down.
Three hundred and twenty-four years ago today, the Battle of the Boyne was fought in Ireland. It was basically between Protestants and Roman Catholics, and the strife continues to date. King William of Orange, who had come over from the Low Countries to assume the English throne, had made it his life's work to fight the popery - and his good offices (sarcasm alert) continue to reverberate in 2012. In Northern Ireland, the day is marked by marches by the Orange Order. I refer to this Wikipedia article for further details.
The wee house on Shell Street has disappeared, and is now just a small heap of rubble. Lorries arrived by mid afternoon to cart it all away, and very shortly, it will become an area of hard standing for tanker lorries on the adjacent fuel depot. I don't think the Maclean family, who inhabited the premises between roughly 1861 and 1891, would have expected their domicile to be reduced to a pile of rubble at any stage.
The pictures I put up yesterday were in demand by the local paper today, as their own photographer turned up after the last walls had been knocked down.
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Wednesday 11 July
You may wonder what the connection is between these two pics, but it has to do with the house on the right in the left-hand picture (taken in May 2011). This, as planned, is now being pulled down as well. It has very thick walls, and in the early part of the 20th century stood right on the shoreline. There were steps leading down from the frontdoor.
It was a mainly overcast day today, with occasional showers and not too cold. Went for an amble around town, but found it not to be overly busy this afternoon. It's the Hebridean Celtic Festival this week, and its first concert is tomorrow, Thursday. I do not have tickets for any of the concerts, as none of it really tickles my fancy this year. The main stage is inside this striped tent, located outside Lews Castle (which you can see in the background)
I happened to pass the Festival Office on Church Street, where festival goers were queueing out the door to get tickets. Admittedly, the shop is a small affair, even smaller than the premises they had rented last year. If memory serves, it is actually the Jehovah's Witnesses' place.
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Tuesday 10 July
The day commenced grey and overcast, and we had a spell of drizzle for an hour or so between 11 and 12. This started just as the competitors in the Sail Stornoway "Coronation Cup 1902" set sail for Cromore and Bayble. When I went to the Coastguard Station to take pictures, I could hardly make out the white sails against the grey sky, so the pics from the house have to suffice.
Tomorrow will see a Sail in Company to Bayble, some 5 miles east of Stornoway, followed by a barbeque on the beach and the adjacent pier.
The Hebridean Celtic Festival is set to take off on Thursday, with quite a few well (and not so well) known bands playing in the big blue tent by the Castle, and in venues across town. This is the 17th edition of the festival, and once more, many thousands are flocking to these shores. I expect tomorrow's three sailings from Ullapool to be packed out, and cross my fingers that the ferry doesn't break down. It's been doing that a few times too many of late.
Tomorrow will see a Sail in Company to Bayble, some 5 miles east of Stornoway, followed by a barbeque on the beach and the adjacent pier.
The Hebridean Celtic Festival is set to take off on Thursday, with quite a few well (and not so well) known bands playing in the big blue tent by the Castle, and in venues across town. This is the 17th edition of the festival, and once more, many thousands are flocking to these shores. I expect tomorrow's three sailings from Ullapool to be packed out, and cross my fingers that the ferry doesn't break down. It's been doing that a few times too many of late.
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