Pictures - 6 September

Maaruig / Màraig



Rhenigidale / Reinigeadal


Cloud nearly at road level north of the Maaruig junction


Arivruaich / Airidh a'Bhruach



Kinloch Seaforth / Ceann Sìphoirt


Loch Eishken / Loch Eisgein


Sideabhal


Balallan from the Eishken road



Loch Erisort Inn


South Lochs from Keose


Harbour at Keose / Ceos

East coast trip

This afternoon, we headed off for the eastern reaches of Lewis (and Harris) by car. First port of call was the tiny village of Keose, tucked away 2 miles off the main road between Stornoway and Tarbert. After freeing a small bird, that had managed to get itself locked into a creel, we had a look round and returned to the main road. Lunch was taken at the Loch Erisort Inn, in the shape of fish and chips. This used to be operated as the Claitair Hotel (still on the beer sign), but was refurbished a few years ago. The Loch Erisort Inn stands in the district of South Lochs, which I know very well after staying there through the winter of 2004/5. Nothing has changed round there. We then headed up another side road, to Eishken. If only to see it whilst there are no wind turbines on the hills. It is a wild and desolate area, with a savage natural beauty. Its native inhabitants were removed to make way for sheep. I think the year 1820 is still referred to as the Year of the Sheep. Eishken Lodge is the base for shooters and fishers who go round the empty peninsula, which once hosted 36 villages. Back on the main road, I found a new memorial to that disaster of Scottish history called Bonnie Prince Charlie. He had landed at Arivruaich (according to the memorial, although my info says it was on an island near Lemreway, 20 miles to the east) and sneaked over to Kildun Cottage at Arnish (just across the water from my current position) to request sanctuary in Stornoway. The burghers declined this hot potato but didn't shop BPC either. Crossed the border into Harris and promptly drove into the clouds (at 500 feet above sealevel) on our way to Rhenigidale. This village didn't have a road until 1987 - everything had to be brought in by boat or on foot. The main village in Harris, Tarbert, is 4 miles away, but that involves an ascent of 1,000 feet along a 1 in 2 incline. Upon return to Stornoway, I found I had taken 192 pictures today. Uploading these 244 MB will take a while, so I'll post some of the pics in another entry.

Sunday 6 September

Brightening up after a wet start, and a bit breezy. It is forecast to be more than just "a bit breezy" on Tuesday. We are on warning for severe gales and heavy rain (up to 40 mm / 1.6") for that day. The first autumn gale. The equinox is just over a fortnight away, so no surprises there.

As the weather is clearing up, we're hitting the road for the afternoon, so I'll return this evening with pictures.

Saturday 5 September

Overcast after a rainy start - strange thing was that at 4 am, the moon was still shining brightly. Weather changes so rapidly out here, it's hard to keep up with it. On the tropical front, things have quietened down. Hurricane Jimena is no more, tropical storm Erika has fizzled out due to contrary winds and tropical storm Dujuan is not going to bother Japan, I don't think.

I felt a bit queasy after reading that the man who married Jade Goody shortly before her death has been arrested on suspicion of rape. The only reason this horrible crime gained the headlines to the extent it has is that he was married to Z-list celebrity Jade. And the only good she ever did was draw attention to cervical cancer and the importance of taking smears and acting on them.

Locally, the council has approved the planning application for the Eishken Windfarm. This involves 39 turbines, each standing well over 400 feet tall on hills that overlook the Harris Hills and a large area of scenic beauty. Including the Callanish Stones. Can't say I'm happy with it.

Friday 4 September

Overcast and wet today, but not nearly as wet as northeastern Scotland. The area east of Inverness has had rainfall totals of nearly 100 mm (4 inches), which has caused serious problems with flooding. Apart from blocked roads and railways between Inverness and Aberdeen, about 400 people were evacuated from their homes at Elgin and others at Fochabers. The rain is moving away east, leaving folk to clear up the mess.

When, like me, you are interested in the news, and will reflect it on your website or blog, it is advisable to use reputable sources. The BBC is one of my primary sources. Two newspapers in Bangladesh ended up with one giant embarrassment, after they used a story from The Onion website, without realising that this is a satirical outlet, which makes up its own stories based on historical fact. Read more here. Yes, it's on the BBC, so it's OK.

Thursday 3 September

Overcast but fairly bright this morning. Heavy rain elsewhere in Scotland, but the Hebrides is having the best weather in all the country. May get a little drizzle, but nothing that is likely to produce flooding.

Today, 70 years ago at 11 am, the Second World War was declared by the United Kingdom, France and other nations. Germany had ignored an ultimatum to withdraw from Poland. Neville Chamberlain's radio announcement will be replayed over and over again today.

The Scottish Government is to unveil plans to hold a referendum on independence for Scotland, likely to be held in 2010 if the SNP get their way. Opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament will combine to thwart these plans, making it unlikely that said referendum will be held in this session of the Parliament (which will end in 2011).

More later.

Lockerbie - the political fall-out

Today, the Scottish Parliament debated the decision to release the convicted Lockerbie bomber Al-Megrahi on August 20th. MSPs were critical of the way the Scottish Government had handled the situation. A vote was taken on the issue at 5 o'clock this evening, and the government were defeated by 73 votes to 50, with one abstention. There will be no vote of no-confidence in the Scottish Government.

The focus of attention is now moving south of the border to the UK government. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is firmly in the spotlight, with revelations that he is reported to have said that he didn't want Megrahi to die in jail.

Although I dislike the SNP administration in Edinburgh, I support their decision to free Megrahi, as I believe it was taken for the right reasons. I feel it is disingenuous of the UK government not to fully brief the Scottish Government of the whole state of affairs surrounding Libya - but then, there is no love lost between Labour and the SNP. As I disapprove of this issue being turned into a political football, I am not going to devote any more posts to it.

Wednesday 2 September

Bright start to the day, but cloud is gradually increasing. Rain is on its way in from the southwest, but not before the afternoon is out.

Hurricane Jimena (I keep misspelling its name) is heading into Baja California, but is weakening all the while. By landfall, later today, it'll be a category I or II system; fears were for a category IV strike. Tropical storm Erika is an incoherent storm off the Leeward Islands, which is set to head northwest. It won't come to very much, as atmospheric conditions are not very conducive towards strengthening.

A powerful earthquake has struck the Indonesian island of Java at 0821 GMT today (0921 BST or 0421 EST). Centred at position 8.0S 107.4E, the Indian Ocean basin was put on tsunami watch, which was cancelled within the last hour. Some damage was caused to buildings in the west of Java.

1 September 1939

The armed forces of Adolf Hitler's Germany invaded Poland on this day, 70 years ago. The invasion triggered the cascade of alliances which was to lead to the declaration of war two days later. Great Britain and France had pledged to come to the aid of the Poles, and sent an ultimatum to Berlin to withdraw or else. Poland fought back valiantly, but its army had no chance. After a month, Poland was overrun from west and east - the Soviet Union taking its cut as a result of the pact between it and Nazi Germany, signed in August 1939.

The lights went out 70 years today. It would be nearly 6 years before they were on again.

Tuesday 1 September

Summer is over with September on the calendar. Not that August was much of a summer month here at any rate. The only real vestige of summer was the midges. Anyway, not complaining: I prefer moderate temperatures to the heatwaves they've been having on the European continent. And I prefer it even more to the hurricane conditions that will affect the south of the Baja California peninsula later today. Hurricane Jimena is bearing down with winds of 155 mph near its centre. That will decrease somewhat, but it's not going to be a teaparty.

I quote the relevant paragraph from the NHC website: "Interests in the hurricane warning area are advised that strong winds will precede the arrival of the center by several hours, so preparations need to be completed very soon. Remember not to focus on the exact forecast track since dangerous impacts extend some distance from the center. Jimena will be approaching the Baja peninsula at an oblique angle, and small deviations left or right of the forecast track could result in large errors in both the location and timing of landfall."

Photo video - 2 July

A photo compilation of pictures I took during a walk in the Yorkshire Dales last July.

Photo video - 1 July

A video of a walk I took during my holiday in the Yorkshire Dales.

Monday 31 August

Today it's 12 years ago that Princess Diana was killed in a carcrash in Paris. The cause of the crash is excessive speed coupled with excess alcohol in the bloodstream of the driver, who also lost his life. The nationwide and indeed worldwide outpouring of grief over the death of the "People's Princess" was unprecedented. Speculation surrounding the crash have continued ever since, and the unseemly legal battle fought by Mohamed Al-Fayed was only brought to a close last year. His son, Dodi, was killed alongside Diana, and the two were at least close friends.

The weather in the islands today is grey with occasional drops of rain. This morning saw me gallivanting around town, looking for bits and pieces. I've sent off a couple of letters to historical societies in Lewis, asking for more information on about 80 men who died in World War I that I only have scant details on. Awaiting the outcome of that, and half a dozen emailed queries, with interest. Plugging the website: Faces from the Lewis War Memorial.

Hurricane update - 31 August

Focus today is on Hurricane Jemina, a category IV hurricane in the Eastern Pacific, some 380 miles south southeast of the southern tip of Baja California. Jemina is headed northwest with winds of 125 knots, gusting to 150 knots. That means winds of 140 mph, gusting to 170 mph. The hurricane is forecast to intensify further, although as it approaches Baja Sur, the influence of land will erode some of its force. Nonetheless, by the time Jemina hits land, winds near its centre will still be at or just over 100 knots, 115 mph. Baja California sees hurricanes or tropical storms every year, but if the forecast is correct, this will be one of the most potent storms to hit the peninsula in recorded history.

Baja Insider relays information on Jemina to residents, although the formal forecaster is the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The current location for landfall is Magdalena Bay, although all residents in Baja Sur should be preparing for the arrival of the hurricane. Winds of 34 knots or higher extend for 80 miles from the centre (at present); hurricane force winds (64 knots) extend for 30 miles from the centre.

29 August 1930

Yesterday, it was 79 years ago since the last few dozen people were evacuated from the archipelago of St Kilda (Hiort), 40 miles west of the Outer Hebrides. The move, requested by the people themselves, came in the wake of a decline in population and the increasing problems posed by their remoteness. St Kilda has remained without permanent habitation since, with only Ministry of Defense personnel monitoring the rocket range on Uist and National Trust for Scotland staff looking after the remains of the houses there. Upon departing their shores, the St Kildans left a handful of grain on their tables, alongside the family bible, opened at the chapter Exodus.

A few houses have been restored, and cruiseliners regularly call in the summer. Reaching the islands is still difficult, due to the weather and sea conditions found in the North Atlantic. Efforts have been made to retain the history and culture of the islands, and quite a few books have been written. Yesterday was the first-ever St Kilda day. It is a good thing to celebrate culture. Celebrating an extinct culture in 21st century fashion is something that doesn't sit very easy with me.

Tour of Norse Mills

Yesterday, I went on a guided tour round Norse mills (or what's left of them) around parts of Lewis. According to the guide, there were hundreds of mills around - a figure of 262 was quoted.


The weather on tour


Mill at Cleascro, Achmore


Mill at Breasclete


Scrambling down to the mill site near Tolstachaolais, below



Near the site of a mill at Carloway


Old School centre, Shawbost


Restored mill and kiln, Shawbost


Millsite at Bragar

Picture post - 28 August

On Friday, we made for Garry Beach, which is located 2 miles north of North Tolsta and 15 miles north of Stornoway on the east coast of the island. The weather was completely different to the day before, starting off bright and sunny, but ending with showers.


Coll Beach


Glen Tolsta


Garry - the valley








Garry Beach


The heather is blooming!


Traigh Mhor [the Big Beach] at Tolsta


View south along the east coast of Lewis

Picture post - 27 August

On Thursday, we had use of a car, so after picking up someone in Ness (north Lewis), we headed south to have lunch at the Blackhouse Village in Gearrannan. By late afternoon, we made for Uig, west Lewis. Paid a visit to the wee museum in the community centre at Timsgarry, then headed south for the Top End. Total distance travelled: 135 miles.


Along the road in Ness


Blackhouse Village, Gearrannan


Along the road at Breasclete, north of Callanish


The B8011(M) at Enaclete


Near Mangersta


Waterfall at Brenish


The End of the Road at Mealista


Beyond the End of the Road

Hurricane update - 30 August

Hurricane Jemina, carrying winds of 100 knots (115 mph), is headed northwest some distance offshore from the coast of southwestern Mexico. It could make landfall in the peninsula of Baja California in the next few days, and I do not relish the prospect of a category IV hurricane making landfall there.

Tropical storm Krovanh is headed north in the Pacific and could graze the city of Tokyo in Japan. This is unlikely to reach typhoon strength, but I don't think it is a teaparty to have force 10 to 11 winds in a big city like that. I'll keep an eye on progress there.

In the Atlantic, no formal tropical cyclones, but a disturbance is winding up 1,000 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. NHC is tracking that one closely.

Sunday 30 August

Trying to brighten up on a cold morning. OK, shouldn't complain about 14C, but there's this penetrating wind blowing. Went to the shop up the road to scout for the Saturday papers, but there were none. It appears hardly any came yesterday. Feeling withdrawal symptoms from my daily fix of north news.

It is very quiet here on a Sunday, and the grand total of two cars on the move bears witness to that. Things will liven up in a bit, when traffic heads for the 2.30pm ferry (it's 12.20 now). Otherwise, you could fire off a gun and hit nobody.

Saturday 29 August

Freezing cold day today, with strong winds and frequent heavy showers. And that was the day I went out on a tour round former grain mills in the island. The heavy rain had turned the streams, powering those mills, into torrents and the wind made the 14C feel more like 4C. Anyway, quite interesting. Will post pictures tomorrow.

Friday 28 August

The day started bright and sunny, but the cumulus clouds built up to showers, some of which quite heavy although brief in the afternoon. After a lunchtime visit to Garry Beach, 15 miles north of Stornoway on the east coast of Lewis, we returned to Ness for the afternoon. Total number of pictures about 80. Will upload today's and yesterday's photographs this evening.

Japan is eyeballing tropical storm 12W, which is yet to be named. This system could be on a collision course with Tokyo on August 31st, although you never know what happens next with tropical cyclones. Should the forecast prove correct, Tokyo could be seeing a typhoon on Monday.

This morning, the A866 road in Lewis was closed for a while following a one-car accident at Braighe na h-Aoidhe (Branahuie). Its sole occupant had to be extricated by the emergency services, while queues of traffic built up on either side of the Braighe, the narrow isthmus of land that links the Point peninsula to mainland Lewis. The driver was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries, sustained in the crash.

Thursday 27 August

The day is nearly over as I type this, but then it's been a busy one. It took me all over the west of the Isle of Lewis, from Ness to Gearrannan, then on to Timsgarry and Mealista. Took about 120 pictures, which I'll upload to Flickr tomorrow. Weather was not terribly good, occasional light rain, but visibility sufficient to show me the Flannan Isles, 35 miles west of Lewis. The Top End of Uig, between Mangersta and Mealista, is an absolutely amazing place, and I could only just resist the temptation to carry on walking from the point where the road ran out. A total distance of 136 miles (218 km) by car.

Title picture

Have changed the title picture that fronts this blog. It is a very wintry image, although that doesn't mean lots of snow. Just very brown and dull colours, with the black ribbon of the road leading into the distance. The hill is called Eitsal, and carries transmitters for radio, television and mobile phones. The location is about 15 miles southwest of Stornoway.

Cruiseships galore

It's been very busy with cruiseliners in recent days, even though two of them were unable to dock due to the poor weather conditions at the time. Today, two have come to call. Le Diamant is docked alongside no 3 pier, as I reported earlier today. At 4pm, the National Geographic Explorer dropped anchor in Glumag Harbour, directly across from my position on the seafront. Needless to say, I was out with the camera.


Le Diamant


National Geographic Explorer


Vistamar - was unable to dock on 24 August in spite of deceptively bright conditions.

Hurricane update - 26 August

This afternoon sees a new kid on the block: tropical storm Danny. This system is located 775 miles south southeast of Cape Hatteras, NC, and will head northwest. At present, winds blow at up to 45 mph, mainly to the north of its centre. Danny will gradually gain in strength and is anticipated to veer north northwest, to parallel the US coastline. Landfall in the Carolinas cannot be ruled out, although a course further out to see would see landfall in New England or the Canadian Maritimes over the weekend, as a category I hurricane. This is all still very uncertain, so keep watching the NHC output every 6 hours; as soon as land becomes threatened within 36 hours, these updates will come every 3 hours.

Wednesday 26 August

The sun is just poking through the clouds after a sopping wet morning. That is all that Hurricane Bill (or what's left of it) will be bringing us. The rainfall radar shows the back end of the rain moving into the West Side of Lewis (at 1130, 40 minutes ago), so it'll be sunshine this afternoon. Prime midge weather :-\

Channel 4 is going to axe Big Brother after next summer's session, thank heavens. I have not watched it for 5 years, and have come to regard it with no respect at all. It is one of Holland's exports I am not proud of. Don't forget it was Dutch TV producer John Endemol who came up with the format some years ago.

Strathclyde Police (who cover Glasgow) have stated that they would have provided whatever police cover would have been necessary for Al Megrahi, if he had been released into the community in Scotland. This flies in the face of what Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill said last week, namely that 48 officers would have been required, which was too much for a hospice situation, and too much for one man. I'm disappointed.

And we have a cruiseliner in. Docked, alongside number 3 pier. Le Diamant, a 35-year old French boat. The previous two cruiseliners were not able to put anyone ashore, so it's a relief to see one alongside as per normal. I'll post some pictures later today.

Boycott Scotland

That was the tenure of about a dozen letters, published in my regional paper, the Press & Journal, today. They had all come from North America, although only a few had bothered to include their postal address. A sense of shock, shame and disgust permeated from the relevant page in the newspaper, and my reaction was one of disbelief. It is pretty obvious that these letter writers had got hold of the P&J's letters email address from the Boycott Scotland website (which lists each and every Scottish newspaper of some repute). One of them made me howl with laughter, as it warned us that we could be expected to wear traditional apparel (e.g. burkhas) in the next few years if we continued to give in to Islamic imperialism.

I have made it clear over the past 5 days that I support the decision by the Scottish Justice Secretary to release Al-Megrahi on humanitarian grounds. Mr Macaskill made it crystal clear yesterday that he had done so purely on legal and humanitarian grounds, without consideration for political or economic consequences. I do not like the Nationalist administration that currently rules Scotland, but am prepared to give them full credit for this, their most difficult decision to date. I am profoundly shocked at the stubborn silence from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has so far found it more important to congratulate the English Cricket Team on winning the Ashes off Australia, rather than focus on an issue with implications on Foreign Affairs. Oh, Foreign Affairs are not a devolved matter, the Scottish Government cannot deal with that.

I am also disappointed with the ignorant section of American society, who act like seagull hatchlings, mindlessly swallowing what their peers vomit into their gullet. There are precisely 259 families in the US and beyond who have a genuine grievance in seeing man walk free, who stands convicted of the murder of their loved one. He was shown mercy that he denied his victims, and I fully understand that this does not wash with the families of those killed over Lockerbie. The world has changed beyond recognition since flight 103 was blown up, and it has also changed massively since 9/11. I wish people would take cognisance of that.

Tuesday 25 August

Heavy showers passing through at all too regular intervals - summer is firmly a thing of the past up here. More rain tomorrow, as the remnant of Hurricane Bill scoots northeast across Scotland.

As I mentioned last night, it would appear that Michael Jackson died of an overdose of sedatives. Although charges of homicide are likely, it would appear that MJ insisted on having more sedatives when the previous lot wasn't working. A very sad tale.

Prime Minister Gordon is finally going to say something about the release of Lockerbie bomber Megrahi 5 days ago. Well done, Gordon, a fine example of being Heathcliffe of Dithering Heights (quote Gerald Scarfe). Everybody can continue blustering, but the deed is now done, the man is free and that's that. In the end, the voters will decide. There is this vague hope that some goodwill will have been created in the Middle East, bearing in mind that Libyan officials are at pains not to comment on the case. They will probably see the hullabaloo in Europe and America, and don't want to jeopardise the improved relations with those parts of the world. Also, the welcome that Megrahi received could be seen as a tribal homecoming party for one of its members - Libya is apparently a society based on tribal loyalties.

Michael Jackson

I don't normally pay much attention to celebrity hype, but Michael Jackson's death has now had an unofficial follow-up. According to a court official in LA, a lethal cocktail of drugs was found in the blood of the singer after his death. Among those was the anaesthetic propofol together with two sedatives. If confirmed, this will make it likely that charges will be brought against the physician tending to Jackson before his death.

For our American friends

Graphic courtesy Lillysphere (please note, this is a blog in Portuguese - no I don't speak that language).

Monday evening notes

The cruiseliner Vistamar, which left us unvisited this morning, is currently just west of the port of Scrabster on the north coast of Scotland (some 20 miles west of John o'Groats), heading for Invergordon. That is a deepwater port on the northeast coast, some 25 miles north of Inverness. Although she is billed to arrive at 7 am tomorrow morning, I think she'll be there before midnight now. We're due another cruiseliner on Wednesday - that being the day that Bill will call round for tea. Bill? The former hurricane, now winding itself up as a nasty-looking depression in the Atlantic.

The Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill made a statement to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon to account for the decision to release the convicted Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds. His statement was pretty much like the one he made on Thursday, with the exception of mentioning the scenes that met Megrahi upon his arrival back home in Libya. Opposition MSPs [Members of Scottish Parliament] felt that his decision had been flawed from start to finish, and were wondering why he had not been transferred to a hospice in Scotland. Mr Macaskill replied, saying that it would have taken 48 police officers to maintain security, not really compatible with a hospice situation.

Although I do not like the current nationalist administration in Edinburgh, I feel that their decision to release Megrahi was taken with the right reasoning in mind. I agree with the Edinburgh Leith MSP Malcolm Chisholm that the politicisation of this case is regrettable - and at any rate, Megrahi is now over in Libya, to die.

Monday 24 August

Quite a bright and sunny day, but breezy - a southerly wind force 5 this morning. Which means that we had a third abortive visit by a cruiseliner. The Vistamar hove into view at 10.30, with all intention of docking. Unfortunately, the southerly wind made it quite hazardous for this large vessel to manoeuver (read: perform a 180 degree turn), so about an hour ago, she duly went on her way again. At this time, AIS does not show her updated destination. Please note: if you read this much later than the time of posting, the AIS map that the link leads to will not show an up-to-date position of this vessel.

Hurricane Bill has ceased being a tropical cyclone; it is now a non-tropical depression, headed east across the Atlantic. The UK will see its remnant on Wednesday, blowing northeast across the country with a lot of wind and rain. That means a nasty northeasterly for us, as we'll be in the northern quadrant of the depression. Another tropical cyclone I have so far not mentioned is typhoon Vamco. That system is gradually weakening as it moves north along 156 degree longitude east towards Kamchatka and the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific. It peaked at 115 knots (130 mph), but was not bothering anyone apart from seafarers.

Canoeists die on Loch Maree

Loch Maree [bottom central on the above map] is a large inland loch near the west coast of Scotland, east of Gairloch and south of Ullapool. It was the scene of a rescue operation this afternoon, after a father and his 7-year old son set out on to the loch by canoe, but failed to return. Stornoway Coastguard turned out by helicopter and recovered the two from the water. Local news website Hebrides News reports the search, but not the fact, relayed by BBC Highlands and Islands, that they were both dead. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased.

Sunday 23 August

A grey and overcast day, but at least it's dry. Dry is something they can do without like a hole in the head down in Greece, where wildfires are raging out of control near Athens. A year ago, a similar event left scores of people dead as they could not escape from the raging inferno that engulfed their villages. Still on the theme of weather, hurricane Bill is headed for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, which will get a lot of wind and a lot of rain today and tomorrow. Come Wednesday, Bill's remnant will approach England from the west and bring humid conditions for a day. I hope it isn't going to shoot up the English Channel; last time that happened to a former hurricane (1987), it wreaked havoc across the Home Counties with winds of 120 mph. Former BBC weatherman Michael Fish, who said there was not going to be a hurricane, has never lived down that erroneous forecast.

The political fall-out continues over the release of the Lockerbie bomber. Two former Scottish First Ministers have come out with vastly differing opinions on it all. Henry McLeish has said the right decision was taken; his successor, Jack McConnell, has made it clear that this would be damaging for Scotland's stature in the world. And meanwhile Gadaffi is laughing all the way to the bank. The Scottish Parliament will reconvene tomorrow to discuss this item, and we'll see an unseemly political scrap.

Have to say that I have little time for the current SNP-led administration in Edinburgh, but I do support them in this, their toughest decision to date. I have NO time at all for the American administration who fail to take cognisance of the difference in legal systems, namely that Scots law allows for compassionate release, and US law does not. And dare I mention the words Guantanamo Bay? All I can say to close this post is: the price of principle is often abuse.

Saturday 22 August

News today continues to be dominated by the release of the Lockerbie bomber from prison in Scotland on compassionate grounds. FBI chief Robert Mueller has written to the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill to express his disapproval in quite strong terms. It is also quite unprecendented for a law enforcement agency to interfere in the due process of the law in another country. Notwithstanding the clear interest that the USA has in the Lockerbie affair (nearly 200 of its citizens died in the PanAm 103 bombing), the final decision was one for the devolved Scottish administration.

Justice is a devolved matter, meaning that the judiciary in Scotland is subject to the government at Holyrood (Edinburgh); foreign affairs remain the prerogative of the United Kingdom administration. The silence from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is deafening. The Foreign Secretary (David Miliband) and Trade Secretary (Lord [Peter] Mandelson) only opened their mouths to deny Libyan claims that this was all part of a trade deal. I am waiting to hear from the Westminster Government, certainly on account of the Foreign Affairs implications that this decision has had.

It should be noted that the Westminster and Holyrood administrations are barely on speaking terms. The Scottish Government is run by the Scottish National Party, headed by First Minister Alex Salmond; the British Government in London is run by the Labour Party. There is no love lost between these parties, and the Labour Party has been strident in its condemnation of Mr Macaskill's decision. I feel that this disunity is one that is probably being played upon by the astute Col Gadaffi - I do hope that Mr Brown (and his Westminster opponent David Cameron, who also strongly condemned Megrahi's release) will cut the proverbial excrement and close ranks with other UK politicians in the face of a regime that in my mind remains as odious as it was in the late 1980s.

Hurricane update - 22 August

Hurricane Bill is headed north across the western Atlantic, bringing galeforce winds to Bermuda.

The coast of Massachusetts is under tropical storm warning from Woods Hole to Sagamore Beach, including the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are likely within the warning area within the next 24 hours.

The NWS office in Boston is issuing Hurricane Local Statements with advice and localised forecasts. The National Hurricane Center in Miami is issuing advisories every 3 hours, and all in New England are advised to keep abreast of developments. The Canadian Hurricane Center is issuing bulletins as well, since Bill will impact the Canadian Maritimes from the US Border to Newfoundland. The main threat here appears to be rainfall (4 inches); the strongest winds will occur offshore, although hurricane force winds could affect the Wreckhouse area of Newfoundland.

Friday 21 August

A bright and sunny day, quite breezy with the odd sharp shower. I think I prefer our temperate climate to the extreme temperatures that were affecting mainland Europe yesterday: I had reports of nearly 35C in Holland.

I was saddened to see the festive welcome afforded to released Lockerbie bomber Al-Megrahi in Tripoli, Libya, yesterday. The Scottish Saltire flag (white cross on blue background) was waved near the plane as the man descended from the steps. He was being welcomed home a hero. It says more about the true nature of Col Gadaffi's regime than about the decision by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill to release Al-Megrahi on compassionate ground. He remains a convicted murderer, and will remain so until his death. It is said that he wasn't happy to abandon the appeal against his conviction.

Colonel Gadaffi, a maverick on the international political stage, has been sidling up to the US and UK in recent years, after seeing the treatment doled out to fellow dictator Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003. Tony Blair went to meet him in the desert, and Gadaffi abandoned his nuclear programme and what not, to have sanctions lifted (imposed after Lockerbie) and draw in lucrative investments. Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the coup d'etat that brought Gadaffi to power. It was also the day that Al-Megrahi, a throw-back to the bad days, returned to Tripoli. It was his homecoming (sic). One that showed Gadaffi in his true colours.

Kenny Macaskill made the right decision, for the right reasons, acting according to the principles that underpin Scottish society, the Scottish legal and prison system. He has been vilified in the American press, understandably so. I do hope that observers across the pond, rather than continuing this barrage, see that it is in fact Gadaffi that the focus should be on, coming out of this with his hands still as dirty as they were in the 1980s.

Hurricane Bill

Hurricane Bill, 20 August 2009, 2045 GMT - 40 minutes ago. Winds of galeforce and higher extend a mere 260 miles / 420 km from its centre; hurricane force winds blow within 115 miles / 190 km from its centre. Bill is not likely to affect land at its current strength, winds of 135 mph, although Bermuda will feel its effects over the next day or so. The Canadian Maritimes can expect to see some of Bill's force in ameliorated form - although winds of 105 mph (offshore from Nova Scotia) are still no teaparty. Keep an eye on the NHC output and that of the Canadian Hurricane centre. The United States will not be directly affected by Bill, other than in the shape of extremely dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents caused by high swell, generated by the hurricane, which will impact its entire eastern coastline. Please be careful when you go down the beach this weekend. Next week, Bill will come to visit Ireland and Great Britain as a vigorous depression.

For the moment, I'm content to watch from 3,500 miles away and admire the beauty in Nature's force from high above. Hurricanes are not monsters, they are a useful venting mechanism in the planet's redistribution of the sun's heat. Just keep out of their way if you can.

Another August

The year is 1989, also 20 August. One hundred and thirty people are on aboard a pleasure craft on the River Thames in London having a party when the vessel was rammed by the dredger Bow Belle. Fifty-one of those on board the pleasure craft drowned in what was to become known as the Marchioness disaster, named after the craft. Read the article on the BBC website and remember the victims of this tragedy today, twenty years on.

The focus today is heavily on the release of the Lockerbie bomber, and I have just turned off coverage on BBC TV and Twitter, some 15 minutes after his plane took off into the cloudy skies above Glasgow. In 4 hours' time, he will touch down in Tripoli, Libya, to a hero's welcome. And apart from the man with the long name, a certain colonel will also be a hero. He has come back out of the cold, feted by the great and 'good' of the world now that he has become the best boy of the class.

The overwhelming sentiments of reactions on Twitter were negative, along the lines of "where was the compassion for his victims?" The repercussions will be heavily political, both inside and outside the United Kingdom. American reactions have been particularly vociferous - understandable, with some 35 students from a college in Syracuse among the dead of Lockerbie. As were 11 townspeople in Lockerbie itself. It still remains an eerie memory to see the wreckage of an aircraft strewn along the M74 motorway, which I know quite well, with the familiar roadsigns - and a big hole in the ground beside ravaged houses.

Image courtesy BBC

In death, all are equal, as I said before on a different subject. Megrahi, like any convicted criminal, deserves compassion and mercy when it becomes clear he has not long to live with a terminal illness. I support the Scottish Justice Secretary's stance on that, and on balance (60/40), that is my line. Also because I believe that Megrahi's was merely a scapegoat, to stand trial in lieu of dozens of other people who were in the know and who will never have to face justice over the 270 dead of Lockerbie.

Thursday 20 August

This afternoon at 1.25pm, the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill announced that the sole person convicted of the bombing of PanAm flight 103 on 21 December 1988 is to be released from prison at Greenock on compassionate grounds. The bombing killed 270 people, both on the plane and on the ground in the town of Lockerbie, a small town in southern Scotland, some 60 miles southeast of Glasgow.

The finger of blame very quickly pointed at Libya, and it took 14 years for a man to be put on trial and convicted. The trial took place at Camp Zeist, Holland, but was, formally speaking, in a Scottish court. Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was sentenced to life in jail, with a recommendation he serve at least 27 years.

A prisoner transfer was applied for between the UK and Libya, but actually rejected. Megrahi was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which was deemed to be terminal with a life expectance of about 3 months at the beginning of August. It is for that reason that he has been released.

Kenny Macaskill said he was aware of the pain and deep wounds and scars left by the Lockerbie bombing, but felt that compassion, although denied to Megrahi's victims, should be afforded to all prisoners, irrespective of their length of sentence.

As I type this, it is reported that Megrahi will be welcomed on arrival at Tripoli by Libya's leader, Col Gadaffi.

I support Mr Macaskill's view that compassion and mercy should be shown. I also support the victim's relatives views that justice may not have been shown to be served and that Megrahi should have served the rest of his life in prison.

Le Grand Bleu

Wednesday 19 August

Not a very good day in terms of weather, with a strong southerly wind. Although this morning's heavy rain has subsided, the brightness is only slowly turning up.

This morning, the large private motoryacht Le Grand Bleu is lying anchored in Glumag Harbour. It is one of the largest privately owned yachts in the world, weighing in at 108 metres in length and 5,556 gross tonnage. It is owned by one of the richest people in Russia, who had it gifted to him by Roman Abramovich, well known in football circles in the UK.

Hurricane Bill is now a category IV hurricane and will steadily veer on a more northerly course over the next couple of days. New England and Nova Scotia should start keeping an eye on this system for the coming weekend. The forecast shows the storms skimming the southeastern point of Nova Scotia in 5 days' time; a very long way off as yet, so keep an eye on the NHC output.
Typhoon Vamco is in the open Pacific, 1,000 miles from any land. It is not certain if any land will be affected by this system; if so, it will be no earlier than the middle of next week.

Ardbheag and Lochresort

Ardbheag and Lochresort
This article on the website of the Uig Historical Society shows pictures of a recent trip they did to Hamnaway, Ardbeag and Luachar - strange names of some of the remotest areas in Lewis and immediately adjacent Harris. It is still on my to-do list to walk to Hamnaway and Ardbeag (a distance of 8 and 10 miles from the road at Carnish).

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Like a ship out of water

Just like last Sunday, AIS is throwing a wobbly. The ship, the Arundo, is shown as sailing across the Harris hills. Wish I was there, I want to see this lol

Tuesday 18 August

It's supposed to be summer, but you could have fooled me. Rain only a short distance away (oh, it just passed over) and more to come this afternoon.


The Russian ship "Arctic Sea", shown above, was found off Cape Verde (West Africa) on Sunday, after being missing for more than 2 weeks. Its last sighting was off the French coast on July 30th, and it took the Russian navy a wee while to trace it to West Africa. Investigations are underway, and 8 people are under arrest aboard a Russian naval vessel under suspicion of piracy. This piracy is alleged to have started in the Baltic Sea, not exactly known as a hotbed for pirates.

Seven US Senators have registered their opposition to the intended release of Lockerbie bombing convict Megrahi from prison in Scotland. It would appear that the decision by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny Macaskill will be his alone to take, and the signs are that the transfer to Libya could well be going ahead. It is my personal opinion that although Megrahi's guilt was proven beyond reasonable doubt in a Scottish Court of Law (sitting in Holland), he was put forward as a scapegoat or fall guy to take the rap for something that had the pawmarks of a certain colonel all over it.

Roll of Honour

The Roll of Honour for the Isle of Lewis 1914-1919 has been published on-line on this link. It is a straight transcription, with some paraphrasing here and there to condense wordy descriptions. Otherwise, no information has been added that was not in the copy, residing in Stornoway Library.

More extensive information on men that died as a result of the war has been collected in the Faces from the War Memorial site.

Project 2996

I have posted about this on Facebook and Twitter, and will also put this on here.

Every year, tributes are being published on blogs around the world in memory of the victims of 9/11. The effort is coordinated by D. Challener Roe on http://project2996.wordpress.com. If you'd like to participate, please visit his site. You don't need a blog or website of your own.

Hurricane update - 17 August

I now have six tropical cyclones to cover, most not threatening land.

1. Tropical depression Ana is falling to pieces to the southeast of St Croix in the Caribbean, and only rain will remain a threat.
2. Hurricane Bill, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, is not threatening land at this time either.
3. Tropical storm Claudette moved ashore in the Florida Panhandle at midnight local time near Fort Walton Beach. Again, only rain will be a threat.
4. In the Pacific, Guillermo is being torn apart by contrary winds in the atmosphere to the northeast of Hawaii.
5. Tropical depression Maka is still trying to keep the show on the road in the middle of nowhere, 400 miles east of Wake Island
6. Tropical depression 11 has formed 800 miles east of Guam, and is heading north - in the general direction of Japan. If its course does not alter, Japan might be in for a nasty surprise in the shape of a typhoon in a week from now.
   

Hurricane update (2) - 16 August

Tropical storm Claudette is continuing to move north towards the coast of the Florida Panhandle. It carries winds of up to 50 mph, which will continue to strengthen until landfall, expected around midnight EDT. Winds of 40 mph or higher occur within 70 miles of Claudette's centre, meaning that a tropical storm warning has been declared from the Florida / Alabama border to the Suwannee River. This means that TS conditions are expected within 24 hours. Coastal storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal tidal levels along the coast of the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend.

Please note Claudette is NOT a hurricane; its current winds equate to force 10 on the Beaufort scale.

Please note That this information is a summary from the NHC, and full details must be obtained from the NHC website.

Gundamain on AIS

AIS (Automatic Identification System) is a system which logs the location, course, destination and speed of most ships over 300 tons. I am an avid user of its reflection on the Internet, www.shipais.com, particularly to find out about ships in my area. Stornoway is not a busy port, so any unknown vessel has me running to the window. This afternoon, nothing is coming or going (apart from the ferry), but AIS shows the following - the boat I'm on about is highlighted in yellow.



The view from the window shows this



My attention was on the large yacht, the Gundamain, which you can see against the backdrop of the hills. Its description as a 2,159 gross tonnage oil products tanker is patently wrong. Just wondering if anyone who reads my Twitter feed or this blog could drop them a line to correct their settings.

Edit: The IMO number refers to the tanker Janet C, pictures of which now feature on AIS in connection with this yacht.

Sunday 16 August

Today's weather is a lot better than yesterday's, with the sun out, a moderate breeze and (as yet) not rain. The radar shows rain moving away east. It's not often we get a full, 24 hour, dose of rain, contrary to the Western Isles' reputation - but it does happen.

A pharmacist from southern England has published an Open Letter to the Americans, with regard to the current debate on healthcare in the USA. All I can say is that I hope the current frank discussion that is taking place across the pond will result in a healthcare system that is fair, accessible and affordable to all. Including the 47 million who currently don't have that.

Hurricane update - 16 August

The Atlantic hurricane season has turned into the proverbial number 11 bus service: you wait for ages for one to come, and then three all come at once. Let's have a look.

Tropical storm Ana, a bit of a ragged affair 560 miles east of the Leeward Islands, is making steady progress west and will affect the islands on Monday. Rain appears to be the main danger, although 40 knots of wind (that's force 9 on the Beaufort scale) cannot be dismissed.

Tropical storm Bill is more than 1,500 miles east of the Leeward Islands, and is expected to pass to their north as a category III hurricane on Wednesday or Thursday.

Tropical depression 04L (soon to be Claudette) has sprung up in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, 150 miles south of Apalachicola and is moving north towards the Gulf coast. Winds are expected to rise to 45 knots (that's close on force 10), rainfall up to 10 inches and a 3 to 5 feet storm surge. If you're in the Panhandle, please monitor the 3-hourly output from NHC for updates and warnings.

The Pacific is not quiet either, but for the moment nothing is threatening land. Guillermo is blowing himself out more than 1,000 miles east of Hawaii, and will not affect that state; Maka is in the middle of nowhere (hundreds of miles from Wake Island, if you can find that on a map), although a 75 knot typhoon (by Wednesday) is always worth watching. And something is brewing northeast of the Polynesian island of Pohnpei (again, get the atlas out). If interested, keep an eye on the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's website.

For reference: a typhoon is the same as a hurricane.