Wednesday 14 October

Overcast once more, but dry. There is a breeze, but nothing too disconcerting. A contact in San Francisco is telling me stories about the big storm, the remnant of typhoon Melor, which has hit the area. Deep snow has fallen in the Sierra Nevada, and warnings abound about flooding. Tropical storm Parma is coming ashore in Vietnam, and will dissipate later today, after 17 days on the go. That is a respectable lifespan for a tropical system - the record stands at 30 days. A new cyclone has formed east of Guam, which will now see a third tropical storm whizz by. In the 3 years of hurricane watching, I've not seen this many storms pass over the Northern Marianas. 22W, the current name for the new system, will head for the Philippines, which is having a singularly bad year. It got three helpings of Parma - I think I'd prefer the ham they make in Parma.

The body of a man, clad in a wetsuit, has washed ashore on the beach at Camas Fionary in Skye, pictured below (the top marker on the map). His apparel suggests that this was the diver who went missing off Ardnamurchan Point (bottom marker) 12 days ago. The outcome of a post-mortem examination is awaited before police will confirm or deny that this is the case.

From the archives: Sunday 10 October 2004

From October 9 to 12, 2004, I stayed in the Isle of Eigg. I have a long-standing acquaintance with that small island, which goes back to 1989. My abiding memory of that first visit was a stunningly beautiful island, littered with wrecked and cannibalised cars, generators throbbing in the night, and conking out just as you're having your supper (leaving you in the dark).


Sunday 10th October dawned overcast but clear. The visibility was going to be the dominant feature. After breakfast, I left Kildonan at about 10.30, I really should not be keeping my host from her work by yakking so much lol. My progress up Eigg's main road keeps being impeded by ripe blackberries. Which obviously, I have to go and pick. Anyway, the piece de resistance of the road north through the island comes when you descend Bealach Clithe [pronounced Byalach Cleey] and first the towering mountains on the neighbouring island of Rum (seriously, the place is called that) hove into view. At 2,800 feet, they are impressive at 4.5 miles distance. The next corner reveals the green swathe of Cleadale, the crofting community, over which the 1,000 foot high cliffs of Beinn Bhuidhe [Ben Vooy] tower to the east. I slowly ambled down the road, past the houses of Cuagach, the terrible sideroad to Laig Farm and the old folks houses. Then you arrive at a T-junction, at which I went left, towards Seaview. This house was occupied by Angus MacKinnon, one of the island's elders until his death, a few years ago. It appears to be empty now. The blackberries distracted me. You can walk to Camus Sgiotaig, the Beach of Singing Sands from Seaview, but don't fall off the cliffs. You've got a bit of a job finding the way down. Don't chase the sheep over the cliffs either. Please. Once on the beach, the white sands, if dry, produce a shrill shriek if you rub your shoes over it. Or just walk over it. The streams cut a deep channel right through the sands, and you've got to be careful not to fall through the layer of sands if the water has undercut it. Otters have been seen playing in the kelp on the tideline. Towards the south, there are caves and natural arches to explore. It should be possible to walk back to Laig Beach, a mile to the south, but do watch the tides. I climbed up the hill at the north end of Camus Sgiotaig and ploughed through some dead bracken towards the pass of Bealach Thuilm. If you want to you can cross the stile and descend into Talm, which is overlooked by an 1,100 foot high cliff, Dunan Thalasgair. I climbed up the green hill behind the Dunan right to the top of the cliffs. Took me 15 minutes, but left me well out of breath. On the top, I got a signal on the mobile. Transmitter is located at Mallaig, 10 miles distant to the northeast. I went through the gate and proceeded to walk south. The views were phenomenal. I could see the Outer Hebrides from Barra Head north to South Uist, then again North Uist to Berneray and possibly Harris. To the south, I saw Tiree, the Treshnish Isles and Staffa and Mull. Having gorged myself on this panorama, I went south. Right by the edge of this cliff, only inches away from it. Not for those suffering from vertigo. Met a lady with her children, who had climbed up to the ridge from a point a few miles south. Then it's a case of following the cliff edge south, and choosing a route. Those heading for Kildonan just take aim for the farmhouse and make your way across. Beware of barbed wire fencing, and beware not to underestimate the distance.


Along the top of Beinn Bhuidhe, south of Dunan Thalasgair

 
Singing Sands Beach


Rum, seen across Laig


Cleadale

Referendum

I'm not that much of a political animal, although I can get a bit hot under the collar over local issues. Windfarms is one of them. But that's not what this post will be about. It will be on quite a contentious issue: Scottish independence.

At the moment, the devolved government in Edinburgh is run by the Scottish National Party, headed by its leader Alex Salmond. The stated aim and objective of the SNP is to gain full independence for Scotland, and to leave the United Kingdom. During the elections for the Scottish Parliament in 2007, the SNP promised it would organise a referendum on independence within its first term in office. The party scraped into office by the margin of 1 seat, leaving it in a minority government. It needs the cooperation of other political parties to get any major legislation passed. The other main parties at Holyrood (the seat of the Scottish Parliament) are opposed to full independence for Scotland.

As matters stand, the SNP will not be able to organise a referendum, as they do not hold the necessary mandate in parliament. It is therefore necessary for them to persuade other parties to agree to a referendum. And that's where it gets interesting. Independence comes in shapes and sizes, it is not as black and white as it may appear to be on first sight. The Scottish Government could be granted powers to levy its own income tax, in other words, that more powers be devolved to it from the UK Government in London. Full independence would mean that Scotland would organise its own defence, and have its own foreign policy. And there are all sorts of shades of grey in between.

Which brings the focus on the referendum, and the questions to be asked therein. If the SNP wants to get its referendum off the ground, it would appear likely that concessions need to be made at this stage - in terms of how far any increase in devolved powers would go as a result of said referendum. It is, however, not a wholly Scottish affair. It is a United Kingdom matter. Will this referendum, and its outcome, lead to the break-up of the Union?

My perception of this situation is that it could, potentially, lead to the break-up of the UK. The way politicking is going at the moment in Scotland, I cannot see a referendum coming off the ground. If anything, bearing in mind the SNP's stated objective (the break-up of the United Kingdom), I would be opposed to having it.

Tuesday 13 October

Overcast and windy this morning, but as yet dry. The rainfall radar suggests the odd spot of rain is possible.

I am sad to report the death of my aunt at the age of 70. She was the youngest sister of my mother who passed away nearly 18 months ago.

Inverness could lose a landmark building to the wrecking ball, if councillors vote to demolish Viewhill House, the city's former youth hostel. I remember staying there in 1996, before the new hostel was built on the eastern outskirts of the city centre. Viewhill House was built 170 years ago by an engineer who constructed the Caledonian Canal alongside Thomas Telford. The below picture, from July 1996, shows the view from the building. 

Monday 12 October

Overcast today, but dry. Rain covers the Scottish mainland north and northwest of Inverness, but whatever rain we had has now moved away east. The moutains on the mainland, 50 miles to the east, stand out fairly clearly this afternoon. It does not feel very warm at all, with the mercury only just above 10C today.

Locally, it appears to be a thin news day, which is not unusual. Just been into town myself for a few bits and pieces, including (on request) a book on Norse Mills in this island. Late in August, I went on a guided tour with a dozen other folks to half a dozen sites where mills used to be situated. It was an interesting trip, not just because of the subject matter, but also because the weather was plain awful - wet and cold.


Norse Mill and Kiln at Shawbost, 29 August 2009

Evening notes

The land-based search for 83-year old Clifford Wannop, missing whilst on holiday in the Isle of Skye, has been stood down. Police will conduct inquiries as for his use of public transport in Skye or appearance in nearby villages. Mr Wannop hails from the Channel Islands and is described as very fit for his age.

Tomorrow, the Royal National Mod 2009 will swing into full gear. This annual celebration of Gaelic culture takes place in Oban, on the west coast of mainland Scotland, some 90 miles northwest of Glasgow. The focus is on music, although acting and sports also have a part to play. Four years ago, the Mod was in Stornoway and I recorded several dozen performances - you can have a listen via my Mod page.

I am pleased to note that Coastguard tug Anglian Prince is back in operation after it broke down near Ullapool last week. AIS Minch shows it in Loch Ewe this evening, awaiting a call out for its services. A tug was put on stand-by in the Minch some years ago, as it is used as a shortcut by ships carrying dangerous cargoes like crude oil. If anything goes wrong, the tug can be there within a short space of time, rather than having to come all the way from Oban or even further afield.

Anglian Prince at Stornoway on 18 April 2007

Sunday 11 October

Fairly bright in the Western Isles today, although there are some clouds and showers about. It is a typically quiet day (it being Sunday), and although we have now had a Sunday ferry for 3 months, I have not noticed any change to the Stornoway Sunday. The ferry leaves in a huge cloud of exhaust fumes (which nearly took my breath away yesterday) at 2.30pm and slips back into its birth some 6½ hours later quite unobtrusively. More so because it's dark at 9pm now.

More later.

Front picture

I have once more changed the picture, heading this blog, to an image I took last Wednesday during a visit to Bosta Beach in Great Bernera. What is littering the beach is seaweed, torn loose in recent gales. The island in the distance is called Old Hill, which can be seen from near the Butt of Lewis, some 35 miles to the northeast.

70 years ago - this Tuesday

On 13 October 1939, the Royal Navy's HMS Royal Oak, at anchor in Scapa Flow, Orkney, was struck by four torpedoes from German submarine U-47. The first torpedo did no major damage when it struck just before 1 am. The last three torpedoes, fired at 1.16 am, proved fatal. Within 13 minutes, Royal Oak turned turtle and went to the bottom, taking 833 crew with her. She currently still lies in 100 feet of water, upside down, reaching 5 metres / 17 feet below the surface of the water. The site is marked by a green wreck buoy and has been marked as a wargrave.

Tomorrow, the 70th anniversary of this tragedy will be remembered in Orkney's main town, Kirkwall. Last year, I visited Orkney and called in at the Royal Oak memorial ashore at Scapa, near the local Coastguard Station. I'll share some of the pictures I took at the time, dedicating this entry to the memory of all those lost there in 1939.






The wreckbuoy

Appeal to those across the pond

I relay an appeal by Dr Jeff Masters, who writes a blog on tropical cyclones (hurricanes etc.). He is warning that a satellite which provides crucial data on forecasting tropical cyclones, QuikSCAT, is about to fail. The satellite measures windspeeds and direction at the earth's surface, and has been in action for 10 years, well beyond its 2-3 year lifespan. If the funding cycle is initiated now, a replacement satellite could be in orbit by 2015. QuikSCAT's data save $135m a year in costs for shipping etc.

If you are in the USA and read this, please take the time to head over to Dr Masters' blog and get in touch with your local Senator to urge them to vote against a senate amendment, which would see a $172m cut in NOAA's budget to be diverted to law enforcement.

Please relay.

Saturday 10 October

Fairly bright in Stornoway this morning, with some drizzle on and off. Some light showers show on the rainfall radar out in the Atlantic. It looks as if our temperatures are on a slow downward slope (what do you expect in autumn).

A search is continuing on the Isle of Skye, south of here, for a man of 83 who has been missing since October 3rd. Clifford Wannop went for a walk in the Kinloch area of Skye, about 6 miles south of Broadford, and has not returned. Mr Wannop, pictured on this BBC link, is described as fit and active for his age, giving the impression of a man in his sixties rather than his eighties. Kinloch is a hilly, wooded area, bordering on the Sound of Sleat, which separates Skye from the Scottish mainland. There are several walking trails in the area, one leading to a deserted village (Leitir Fura), and one other going the 8 miles northeast to Kyle Rhea. Three regional mountain rescue teams will conduct a thorough search today, Saturday.

A northern bottle-nosed whale, which had become stuck in Loch Linnhe near Fort William, has died. A huge rescue effort had been mounted all week to try to coax the cetacean out to the open sea. At one stage, underwater recordings of the sounds of a killer whale were played to try to get the whale to move away. It did not manage to get past the Narrows of Corran, which would have allowed it to proceed to open waters.

From the archives: Saturday 9 October 2004

A perfect autumn day. Crisp, cool, practically windless. Skye looked perfect in the morning sun, as I took the bus down to Broadford, and then on to Armadale. I just could not get enough of the magnificent landscapes along the 27 miles to the ferry terminal. Coruisk came in on time at 11.40 and left 5 minutes later. It's been called all sorts of unfriendly names, like an 'inverted flowerpot'. On one of its first journeys, it lost a propellor on rocks in Mallaig harbour, in August 2003. But it chugged across the Sound of Sleat in 23 minutes, and offered the familiar view up to Isle Ornsay, Sandaig Islands to the north and Eigg and Rum to the southwest. After two hours of dawdling through Mallaig, Lochnevis entered the harbour and embarkation began. The couple that I met yesterday at Strathaird was on board, following my glowing endorsement of the 7 hour round trip. I talked them through the first 75 minutes to Eigg. On arrival, at 3.20, my host, Marie, was waiting on the pier, also to collect her daughter on half-term hols. The ferry waited 20 minutes, doing nothing, until formal departure time came. I sat in the jeep to be driven the 100-200 yards to An Laimhrig, the Anchorage. This is the teashop/craftshop/general store building at the end of the new pier. Check out the Isle of Eigg website www.isleofeigg.org for further details. Having bought a can of coke, I speedmarched off up Pier Hill towards the Lodge and Galmisdale. The low autumn sun lit everything up in a way I had never seen in the 15 years of coming to the island. It was, again, a perfect afternoon. I continued up the hill, to Galmisdale, with its glaringly red roof. Then further along to Grulin, where I went as far as the Bothy, 1 1/2 miles in. I sat in the sun, looking out over the water to the Isles of Muck, Coll, Mull and the Dutchman's Cap and Staffa. At 5.15, I decided to head back. Temperatures started to drop, and I was glad to reach Kildonan, where I was going to stay for the next few days.


Kyleakin


Lodge gardens, Isle of Eigg


Grulin, Isle of Eigg; An Sgurr in the centre

Eigg and chips

That is the title of an excellent article on the BBC News website about the island of Eigg, situated about 90 miles south of Stornoway, 15 miles southwest of Mallaig off the coast of western Scotland. The islanders have gone from strength to strength since they gained ownership of Eigg in June 1997. Before that, they had suffered 30 years of maverick landlords who were only interested in the place as a playground or tax dodge. Said lairds were not prepared to make substantial improvements to the island. So, since June 1997, the islanders have done it themselves. In February 2008, they went live with a 24/7 electricity grid, after having to rely on capricious diesel generators for decades. Three windturbines, a handful of hydro-electric schemes, photo-voltaic cells - you name it they have it. And now the Eiggeachs want us all to join in. I can just about see them winning this Big Green Challenge for which they are shortlisted.

I have supported the islanders of Eigg for over a decade. And continue to do so. Go for it, guys!

Lost at sea

Over the past years, I have been relaying a long list of incidents at sea, sometimes with a tragic outcome. The latter is likely in the latest accident. This morning, at around 4.30, a crewmember fell overboard from a creelboat, the Kirkwall registered Noronya some 15 miles northwest of mainland Orkney. The man did not wear a lifevest or survival suit. A coastguard spokesman said the expected time of survival in seas of 10°C was a few hours. We are now nearly 12 hours down the line, and still no word. A search continues, with lifeboats, the naval vessel HMS Bangor and other fishing vessels.

Friday 9 October

An overcast day, with occasional rain since midday, accompanied by strong winds. These could strengthen to galeforce, according to the forecast.

Between 11 and 12 this morning, I was watching the service in St Paul's Cathedral, London, to commemorate the 179 British service personnel who died in the war in Iraq. The service marked the end of the British involvement in that conflict. Although I missed part of the address by the Archbishop of Canterbury, I'll go so far as to say that I probably agree with what he had to say on the matter.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is always easy to say what went wrong and how it could have been handled better. The war was commenced on the orders of politicians, and executed to the best of their abilities by the armed forces. The most positive outcome was the removal of Saddam Hussein from power, within a few weeks. The subsequent mayhem did show up the Achilles heel of going in guns blazing without a thought for the future. This was very much a Bush war, with George W. finishing off the job his daddy never finished in 1991. It is a commendation for the soldiers who were ordered in to do this dirty work that they did so professionally. It is a good thing that the home front rallied round to support. The war in Iraq was based on a faulty premise, namely the presence of weapons of mass destruction, which turned out to be a weapon of mass delusion. But this is all hindsight. The deed was done, a regime change was effected. When will we see a similar ceremony for the boys, home from Afghanistan, or more to the point, not coming home? I don't want to think about that. It might not be in the lifetime of the current British monarch.

I have a lot more time for George W. Bush's successor, Barack H. Obama. But I did not believe my ears this morning when I learned that he had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. What for?? What substantive achievement has Obama chalked up, other than going round talking to people and talking to people and talking to people. For goodness sakes, there won't be a donkey left with its hind legs on where that man has been and gone. I think it is too early - and I'm not the only one with that opinion.

From the archives: Friday 8 October 2004

Today is the 5th anniversary of my blogging activities. Although I have been reposting entries from before 8 October 2004, I added those diary entries later on. It was on that date that I sat down at the communal computer in the youth hostel at Kyleakin, Skye (now closed) and wrote:

Once again in the Youth Hostel at Kyleakin. Strange day today. As I was waiting for the usual 10.20 bus to Broadford, I noticed two young people getting into the water of the Kyle. It was a bracingly cool morning. Bright and sunny, but rather nippy. And there were two youngsters getting into the water and going right in! The female appeared to be skinny dipping, oh dear. At Broadford, I proceeded to the Elgol postbus, where the driver was huffing and puffing to get all the mail, the milk, the papers, the everything on board. It wasn't until 11 o'clock that we finally got going. I had meanwhile come to chat to an elderly lady on the bus, who was quite knowledgeable. She lived at Elgol, which I was not going to reach. My destination was the little path just south of Strathaird across to Camasunary. But, that was not for another 75 minutes. The driver complained that he was a Jack of all Trades but master of none. On arrival at Torrin, we dumped mail not just in postboxes, but through open windows, on top of a baby's playpen, in dustbins, disused freezers, and little homemade boxes at the side of the road, marked 1/2 7. Meaning, half of number 7. It was all good fun, and we duly arrived at Strathaird at 12.15. Fifty minutes late. The path to Camasunary was well boggy at first, and stony afterwards. The views are stunning, and I'll add pictures when I get hold of them. I did not go very far, since I would not want to miss the return bus at 5pm. Bla Bheinn (Blaven), Beinn na Cro and the backdrop of Loch Slapin, Loch Eishort, Sleat, Suisnish and the distant mountains on the mainland dominated the backdrop on the ascent. At 1pm I was at the pass, alt. 189m, and my jaw dropped. The massive curve of the Cuillins' main ridge, forestalled by Sgurr na Stri, Camasunary. To the south all the Small Isles were visible, Eigg, Muck, Rum and Canna. Just to the right of the Cuillins the Isle of Soay could be seen. And on the horizon the double hump of Barra and the ridge of South Uist. A very sad cairn announced the location where the ashes of a cheif (sic) constable of Inverness-shire had been scattered by his daughter. Hers had been scattered in the same location 5 years later. A fantastic piece of scenery. Hobbling back to the main road, where I had to wait an hour for the bus back to Broadford. Fortunately, a couple from Israel/USA were also waiting, so we passed the time in pleasant chat, although the temperature was dropping like a stone.


Skye Cuillins


Rum and Soay


Bla Bheinn and memorial cairn

Thursday 8 October

A better day than yesterday, with only scattered, light showers. Not the huge downpours that plagued us through the afternoon on Wednesday. The wind is expected to pick up again by the end of the day.

One of my sources for local news is a website called Hebrides News, and its attendant letters column. The news is pretty good, the letters column an opportunity for all and sundry to vent their spleen and hold forth on their pet hates. A local letter writer is going to be taken to court for all his bother, after he criticised a candidate for the General Election. More here. Just goes to show, there can't be much wrong with the place if that is headline news. After the people having to be cut out of crashed cars and megasized fishfarms.

Regionally, the story of the plane that wasn't properly de-iced and had to be diverted to another airport drew my attention. In April 2008, an aircraft took off from Aberdeen in freezing conditions, only to find it was losing control. It was diverted to Wick, in the far north of Scotland, where temperatures were higher. The ice melted naturally. More here.

Wednesday 7 October

A cold day, with bright intervals and heavy showers, quite a few with hail. Temperature managed double figures, but is presently at 6C. Went out by car to Great Bernera, 25 miles west of Stornoway as had not visited that place for over a year. Bernera is a relatively small island, just off the west coast of Lewis, quite rocky and with a very scenic, rocky shoreline. Visited Bosta Beach, on the northern shore of Bernera, and the adjacent cemetery where I discovered another dozen war-related gravestones.


Road hazards


Downpour outside Breaclete




Valasay




Tobson








Bosta

Tuesday 6 October

Occasional showers passing through this morning, but also sunny intervals. The changeable weather continues. Further south, the remains of tropical storm Grace are approaching the southwest of Ireland, now part of a frontal system extending south from a low pressure system near the Faeroes. It's October, and we'll know it.

More later

From the archives: Monday 4 October 2004

Today's weather is a little better than at the weekend, but still very showery. I take the 10.20 bus to Broadford and alight at the bottom of the road to Heast. This is a settlement 5 miles south of Broadford on the shore of Loch Eishort. Six years ago, I walked up this road a little way, but I'm now up for the whole hog. Not a terribly inspiring route, but the approach into Heast is nice. The village is only 2 miles east of Boreraig, but it's not possible to find a route. Right by the seashore, a fishing pier with a lot of fishboxes and the stench of diesel. Across the harbour lies Heast Island. I tried to walk east, parallel to the shore, which was tricky. Going west, to Boreraig was a signposted route. Unfortunately, following the heavy rain of the last few days, the Heast River was in spate and could not be crossed. Thwarted on both sides, I could only retrace my steps up the road.There is a nice view once you crest the highest point, at 200 m / 675ft. It ranges from the Red Cuillins in the west to Scalpay, the islands in the Inner Sound and the hills between Kyle and Applecross. I wanted to make things interesting by cutting cross Braigh Skulamus, from gridreference NG660206. This path was fine, until it got wetter and wetter, the closer I got to Harrapool. Nipped into one of the local hotels for a bite to eat, then started to look round for a shop selling boots.There was an outdoor shop next to a veterinary surgery. Have to be careful not to go into the wrong door there. In the hotel, the barman was sanding and revarnishing his bar. Had a general look round the village before returning to the Coop. This provided me with tonight's dinner. Went back to Kyleakin on the bus at 4. There is a restauran tacross the road from the hostel, and I went in there to check out the food. At one point, I joined a family for dinner who were also in the hostel. Nice convivial evening. In this restaurant you serve yourself. Food good, no atmosphere. It's the King Haakon bar. Kyleakin is the Kyle (Narrows) of Haakon. So no Ky-lea-kin please, it's Kyle-akin. Still noisy pipes in the hostel. It offers Internet access, a TV-room. I sit in the dining area and offer people advice on the district. Am I a walking tourist office, or what?