Thursday 26 August

Thursday is Stornoway Gazette day, but our weekly paper did not have anything earth shattering to report this week. One little controversy centres around our ferry, which has been emitting thick, noxious fumes. Last year, its engines were refurbished to process a heavier fuel oil, and since then the boat has looked more like SS Isle of Lewis rather than MV Isle of Lewis.


The day started with wall-to-wall blue skies and benign sunshine, but cloud bubbled up to give us some slow-moving downpours. These have subsided after 6pm, and the moon is now rising into a once-more clear sky. I may nip out later to check for the Northern Lights.

On Saturday, a team of climbers will tackle the overhanging rockface of Sron Uladail in Harris, one of the largest overhanging cliffs in the country. It is situated in a remote part of Harris, but can be seen from a distance of about 10 miles from the B8011 road to Uig in Lewis. The climb will be televised, not just on terrestrial TV but also on satellite. This image of the mountain in question was taken in May 2005, when I was on a walk to nearby Kinloch Resort on the Lewis / Harris border. The overhang can be discerned directly above the white house in the centre of the picture.