Western Isles – Godiva Travellers

North Uist – the Land of Lochs and Machair

30th Sep 201929th Aug 2020Posted in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, travel, UKTagged Barpa Langais, Berneray, Machair, midges, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, RSPB Balranald, Western Isles, wild flowers6 Comments

North Uist is one of the main islands in the Outer Hebrides. The eastern and central part of the island has a flat, peatland landscape, interspersed by up to 800 fresh and salt water lochs. This makes it a paradise for anglers and bird watchers. The western coastal region is more fertile than the east and arable farming is a feature of the area. The rich fertile soil has also allowed a unique display of flora to thrive. Driving along the coast road visitors can see a beautiful carpet of flowers known as the machair which stretches for miles. The beauty of the machair is one of the Outer Hebrides best kept secrets.

Mochair, Hougharry, North Uist — Machair, Hougharry, North Uist

We visited North Uist whilst we were staying on the island of Benbecula. The islands of Eriskay, South Uist, Benbecula, North Uist and Berneray are now connected by causeways but prior to the causeways, individual islands could only reached by boat. Driving across the islands today is so easy but just thirty years ago, our journey could have taken up to a day. Despite the causeways, life on North Uist still moves at a slow pace and there is little of the congestion that is sometimes found on the more northern islands. Perhaps it is this peacefulness that makes North Uist so attractive to walkers.

RSPB Balranald nature reserve walk

One of the most scenic walks on North Uist is the walk around the Balranald RSPB nature reserve. Situated in the north west of the island, we would recommend a trip to the reserve to all visitors. We enjoyed a gentle 90 minutes stroll around the reserve when the machair was in full bloom. It was quite stunning. As we walked, we were entertained by birds singing their particular tunes, and though we could not identify them all, we definitely heard the distinctive cries of the Corncrake.

The reserve is bordered by some fantastic bays and beaches. The white sands literally dazzle the eyes with its brightness. We wore sunglasses to protect our eyes from the glare and it is easy to imagine you are walking on a beach on a South Pacific atoll and not on a beach on the North Uist island.

Barpa Langais – Burial Chamber

Though North Uist has only one major Neolithic site, the spectacular chambered cairn and stone circle at Barpa Langais are well worth a visit. The chamber is visible from the A867 road in the east of the island just north of Langass Lodge. We made the short boggy walk from the car park up the hill to the cairn. It is quite humbling when you realise that this monument was built by our ancestors, with no machinery to help them, over 5000 years ago. There is an explanatory notice board at the site which gives a history of the monument and its builders.

You can continue up the the Eavel hill to visit North Uist’s only stone circle and enjoy the view of the wetlands below. We decided to retrace our tracks down the hill to our car as we were short of time. Next time we visit North Uist, we will have to stay longer!

The Beautiful Isle of Berneray

Berneray is a small island now connected by a short causeway to the island of North Uist. Berneray is where travellers can catch the ferry to the Isle of Harris just a few miles across the sea. We were lucky enough to have some time to explore the island before we took the ferry to Harris. The machair and beaches of Berneray are perhaps the most spectacular of all the Western isles. Words can not really do the island justice. Please enjoy a few of the pictures we took whilst we were on a short walk near the ferry port.

Machair – A note of warning beware of midges here!

Beautiful beach in Berneray – no midges here!

We left our hire car in the car park at the Berneray ferry terminal. We never met a representative from the car hire company – no hard selling for extra insurance or more charges for unused petrol – what a welcome change this was from dealings with car hire companies we have had in the past. Some sheep came down to the ferry to wave us off as we set off on our short voyage to Harris. It was so funny looking at the sheep, as they looked at us, as our boat sailed away. It made us smile as we said goodbye to Berneray. Now onto Harris and the rest of our adventure.

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Please follow and share with anyone you think may be interested. See you again soon!

Eriskay and the missing 10 shilling notes

2nd Sep 2019Posted in Outer Hebrides, Scotland, travel, UKTagged Bonny Prince Charlie, Calmac, Eriskay, Outer Hebrides, SS Politician, Western Isles, Whisky Galore5 Comments

About 4 square miles in total, Eriskay is one of the smaller islands of the Outer Hebrides. Though the island has been connected to its larger neighbour South Uist by a causeway since 2001, the island still maintains its independent character. Our second ferry journey on the Calmac Hopscotch 23 route was a short 40 minute ferry voyage from Barra to Eriskay. It was another opportunity to meet and talk with fellow travellers and another opportunity to scan the seas for passing sharks and seals. Travelling on a Hebrides ferry is a real pleasure.

We decided to hire a car for this part of our travels through the Outer Hebrides. We picked up the hire car at the ferry port and arranged to leave it at the ferry port in Berneray a few days later. Our plan on arriving was to set off on a 1.5 mile circular walk which started at the ferry terminal. The walk would have taken us along Prince’s Beach where Bonny Prince Charlie landed in 1745 at the start of his forlorn adventure to regain the British throne for the Stuart family. The walk would have taken us past Eriskay’s remarkable Catholic church, built by local people using local materials towards the end of the 19th century. The church contains remains from both the first world and second world war within its structure. The altar sits on top of a lifeboat from the WW11 aircraft carrier, the HMS Hermes and the bell comes from the German battle cruiser, the Derfflinger which was scuttled in 1918.

Here is a link to further information about the church: St Michael’s Church

The route of our planned walk can be found in Paul and Helen Webster’s book: The Outer Hebrides: 40 Coast and Country Walks

Unfortunately, the weather turned shortly after we disembarked and it began to rain quite heavily. We sadly decided not to venture on our walk and instead headed for the comfort of the modern Politician pub. The pub is named in honour of a ship that was wrecked on local rocks. This shipwreck gave birth to the story for which the island is now most famous The following is a short account of that story.

The SS Politician floundered on rocks in the Sound of Eriskay whilst sailing to America from Liverpool during the wartime Britain of 1941. It was loaded with 264,000 bottles of Scotch whisky. Of course, the good folk of Eriskay were very happy to have crates of their favourite drink wash up on their shores. Unfortunately, the tax man was not so happy so the next few months saw a game of cat and mouse between Government officials and islanders who were intent on protecting their illegal liquid treasure. The 1949 film ‘Whisky Galore!” was based on this incident. However, the filming took place on the nearby island of Barra, not on Eriskay itself. Here is a link to our blog on the island of Barra: Barra-Southern-Gem

Perhaps of equal interest, but less well known, is that the SS Politician was also carrying 290,000 ten-shilling bank notes destined for the banks of Jamaica. These bank notes would be worth several million pounds in today’s valuation. Within a few months of the shipwreck, these notes began appearing in mainland British banks. Evidently, they did not all sink with the ship! The question is: what happened to all those ten-shilling notes?

We may never know: perhaps they should make a film about this too?

In preparation for our trip we thought we should watch the film. If you are in the UK you may still be able to watch the black and white 1949 film Whisky Galore! on BBC iplayer. It made us chuckle and we would recommend you watch it.

There was a remake of the film in 2017 starring Eddie Izzard. We watched this too, but must admit to liking the black and white 1949 version best.

We had lunch in the Politician pub. The barman allowed us to hold some of the artifacts from the grounded ship. The locals had fun with us suggesting we hold the sword and gun to each other’s heads whilst holding the whisky!

We also made a visit to the local cemetery. Like so many Hebridean cemeteries, Eriskay’s cemetery contains the graves of sailors lost at sea during the world wars. Such graves are poignant reminders of how much we owe to the brave people of the past for the freedom we enjoy today. The graves are immaculately kept and such cemeteries are worth visiting for their manicured beauty alone. They also offer moments of tranquil meditation and reflection.

After our short tour of the island, we drove across the causeway to South Uist and the next stage in our journey. You can read about this in our next blog.

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Please share with anyone you think may be interested. See you again soon!

Oban: Gateway to the Western Isles

5th Aug 201929th Aug 2020Posted in History, Outer Hebrides, Parkrun, running, Scotland, travel, UKTagged Bagpipes, Calmac, Catholic churches, ferry journey, Oban, Oban Distillery, Outer Hebrides, Parkrun, Piper, running, Scenic train journey, Scotland, Seafood, St Columba, Visit Scotland, War Memorial, Western Isles5 Comments

Our journey to Oban on the west coast of Scotland began with a 3 hour scenic train journey from Glasgow. The journey is ranked amongst the top train journeys in the world and it didn’t disappoint. After leaving urban Glasgow the journey follows the wonderful river Clyde as it meanders through the glens on its slow voyage down to the coast. We felt like we were on holiday right from the start. We’d bought advance tickets for only £10.50 each, so this was definitely a bargain buy. Another bonus was the amazing things you can learn on journeys like this by talking to your fellow passengers. We learned about the art of sailing from two delightful people who happened to be sitting next to us. Oban is now a centre for yachting holidays and our two companions were going on sailing trips from Oban. Here are a few photos from our train journey.

We stayed in a small B&B a short walk from the town centre and train station. A great location and full Scottish breakfast.

If you still feel the need to eat later in the day after your breakfast then there are lots of places where you can eat. One of the most popular spots was the Oban Fish and Chip Shop – claimed as one of the best chip shops in Scotland according to The Scotsman newspaper. We thought it a little pricey and crowded so we ended ended up eating our fish and chips in the excellent Wetherspoons situated by the harbour. Great value, quick service and lovely views.

Another popular place to visit is Oban distillery in the heart of Oban. A great place to visit if you have a rainy day, or if you would like to try a wee dram or two!

McCaig’s Tower was one of the sites we wanted to see. This is a circular monument built in the 19th century by a local dignitary. It’s a steep walk up the hill from the town centre to see the structure which from a distance resembles the Colosseum of Rome. It gives you a great view of the harbour and bay. Unfortunately for us it was raining when we went up there but it was still worth it for the panoramic views it gave. It is accessible by car for those who don’t wish to walk and there is car parking nearby. For the more energetic, it’s well worth the effort walking up the hill, even if it’s raining!

Oban harbourside

The harbour is an ideal place to watch the ferries coming and going and to eat some of the freshly caught seafood. The harbour’s fame for good seafood now attracts many Chinese visitors so do not be surprised if you hear more Mandarin being spoken than English as you eat your meal!

As we left Oban for our onward journey to the Outer Hebrides we saw a young piper on the harbourside. Visitors and locals alike enjoyed listening to the young man who proudly played his pipes and who we thought, was very good. It was certainly unexpected entertainment for the many travellers waiting at the ferry terminal. The terminal is the onward transit point to many of Scottish islands. It is here that we later boarded the ferry to the first stop on our Hebridian adventure, the small, but lovely Island of Barra.

History of Oban

Oban began life as a small fishing port on the West coast of Scotland. It only started to grow with the establishment of a distillery in 1794. The railway which connected Oban with the hinterland arrived a century later in 1880 so the town experienced little of the rapid Victorian urban growth that some Scottish towns experienced.

Oban was an important military base in the Second World War when it was used as a centre for anti-submarine warfare. Since the 1950s, tourism has been the dominant industry in the town and Oban now acts as the ferry port for both the Inner and Outer Hebridean islands.

Despite being only a small town, Oban has a number of impressive churches with the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Columba being particularly impressive. If St. Columba isn’t to your liking then you can visit one of the many other denomination churches. In Oban you are spoilt for choice!

Scotland has many war memorials and Oban’s memorial is particularly emotive and worth viewing. Situated at the side of the road going out towards Ganavan, the memorial is a statue depicting two soldiers carrying their wounded comrade. The statue has a silent dignity that expresses so much about human nature. Personally, I rank the Oban memorial as one of the most memorable war memorials I have visited. I recommend it for a few minutes of contemplative respect.

Running in Oban

The free local Saturday parkrun attracts park run tourists from all over the UK and beyond. In the Summer months there could be more tourists running the race than locals! The race starts by a local caravan site near Ganavan Sands, hence the parkrun is called the Ganavan Sands Park Run. With 275ft of climbs the run is ranked as one of the toughest 40 park runs in the UK so do not expect a PB. The start is in a wonderful setting, by the sea which some runners go into for a post run cool down and swim! All visitors are treated with wonderful Scottish hospitality which helps to make Oban’s parkrun one of the top rated amongst park run enthusiasts.

When you go to Oban you should make a special effort to do the parkrun. You’ll enjoy it.

We only had a short stay in picturesque Oban before we continued our journey to the Western Isles. We wished we had longer and it’s on our list of places to visit again.