View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Tuesday 5 June

Quite a nice day, in spite of the lowish temperatures of 11-13C. Not much wind, so it felt reasonably nice. At the moment, we are having springtides, with high tide peaking at 5.0 m and the low tide at 0.6 m. That's a tidal difference of nearly 15 feet. It is odd to see the mudflats in the basin at low tide at 2.30pm, and come back 6 hours later to realise they are under 14 feet of water. Where on earth (literally) did all that water come from - and where does it go to??

The Jubilee celebrations have come to a close, and I managed to miss today's excitement. I came across this image, showing the Queen sitting on the throne - a hollow one. Next instalment of Britishness (or should I have omitted the capitalisation?): the Euro 2012 football championships in Poland and Ukraine. I think they start in about 10 days' time. And on July 27th, the London Olympics commence. Mind you, over in Holland they are even crazier about the football, with half the country turning orange (orange being the national colour in the Netherlands).

Tomorrow morning at 4.23, the sun will rise and it will be obscured by the planet Venus. Well, 0.1% of it. The forecast is not favourable, and I'd have to walk miles out of town to have a clear view of the northeast. I think I'll stay in bed.

Over the next few days, you'll see less of me than normal as my father is coming to visit. Where are my waterproofs?

Monday 4 June

A change in the weather, with mainly overcast skies and still cool. The day started with a large cruiseship docked alongside the ferry pier. The Silver Cloud left just after 3 o'clock, headed for Douglas, the main town in the Isle of Man.



During the afternoon, I continued my project of looking up further details about the WW1 casualties from the Isle of Lewis. This information is admittedly limited, such as a date of birth and family details from the censuses. I completed the village of Lower Bayble, which lost quite a few names. Next one will be Upper Bayble, next-door.

At sunset, at 10.15pm, the beacons were lit in the Western Isles (and beyond) to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. One was across from my position at Arnish Point; others were at Ness and on the top of the Clisham. I walked out to Oliver's Brae to check whether I could see fire on the Clisham, but the distance (30 miles) and the fact that the Arnish beacon was already out by that time meant there was not a spark to be seen.

The below image was taken just after 11pm on Oliver's Brae between Stornoway and Sandwick.