Blogging

Last night, 8 August, I attended a private function at Stornoway Golf Club, which I enjoyed very much. It was a wedding reception, for a marriage which had been conducted away from Lewis, and I felt privileged to have been invited. The total number present was around 80. As I was leaving, I was accosted by a fan of this blog who expressed admiration for my writing and photography. I did not have time to speak properly (taxi was waiting), but for their (and everybody else's) benefit, I'll write a summary what this blog is all about.

Atlantic Lines came into being in the autumn of 2008, after AOL terminated their blogging service AOL Journal. I have been blogging since 2004, at a time when I was travelling around western Scotland, and wrote my first post on 8 October that year, in the youth hostel at Kyleakin, now sadly closed down. Until recently, I blogged every day, writing about events in the news, items of local interest and including photographs taken each day.

In 2006, I became involved with the J-land community on AOL Journals, an on-line community consisting of people blogging about whatever they fancied, and we would comment and support each other. When AOL pulled the plug, we transitioned to Blogger, which does not work very well for our purpose, and mostly now to Facebook. That site does not lend itself to lengthy writings, it is only marginally better than Twitter, with its 140 character limitation.

I have been coming to Stornoway for the better part of a decade, for a while involving myself in local history, particularly related to the First World War. That project came to a close with the year 2014, and I am now considering my next move. I enjoy the environment of the Outer Hebrides, and although not socially (very) active, its people, culture and aspects of island life.

As a rule, I do not post my own picture on the WWW, and neither will I divulge too much information about my private situation. Those with whom I am closely involved when in Stornoway have a dislike of the internet and social media - and I can see their point, which I respect. Please respect their, and my, position in this matter.

For now, I shall continue with irregular updates of pictures and topical discussion if and when it arises.