Picture post - 14 May

11.50 pm last night, looking north. Yes, that's daylight on the horizon.


4.33 am this morning


Familiar boat: the Cuma back on the slipway, 3 years after spending 11 weeks on there

Sundown notes

The sun is setting here in the Western Isles - yep, it's nearly 10 pm and it's still broad daylight. Come midnight, the sun will still be leaving a streak of light on the northern horizon. It's that time of the year again when I'll be watching the 10 o'clock news on the BBC with news from London, where it is pitch black. And I'm still seeing the pink of the sunset reflected in the lighthouse tower across the water.

I am quietly amazed tonight at the negative reactions to the announcement that we are going to have a Sunday ferry at long last. For the period that I've been here, I've been arguing in favour. And now that it will definitely happen, people start to cast around for who to blame. What are people like.

For the first time in a fortnight, I've gone round some of the blogs. Didn't get round to it when I was in Holland. Many thanks to Sugar for keeping the light on over at Call for Support.

Thursday 14 May

We have some big news in the island this afternoon: Lewis and Harris are going to get a ferry on Sunday! Question is now when this will be introduced.

Calmac have declared that under human rights legislation, it would be unlawful not to give the islands a Sunday ferry. Local consultation will start very soon, following which timetables for the Sunday ferry will be published. Not earlier.

The Lord's Day Observance Society, which is fiercely opposed to the Sunday ferry service, have promised to fight Calmac for placing the law of money over the law of God.