West Coast Islands Blogs
Blogs (web logs) provide an ideal opportunity to explore the traditions, culture and wildlife of Wild Lochaber. We have put together a collection of local blogs and provide the titles and text snippets to give a taste of each entry with direct links to the main blog entry on the host website. We hope you will find time to explore the full articles and further information on the host blog sites.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions for blogs you would like to see here.
Scottish Islands Explorer
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This replica of an early Irish currach indicates the fragility of the voyages of those monks who sailed away from Ireland into the unknown. One arrived at what became Papa (the priest's island), in the south-west of the Shetland archipelago. It had pools of fresh water, enough land for cultivation...
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The Lealt Falls and Gorge, Skye, attract many visitors. An ambitious piece of civil engineering has started to provide a viewing platform and additional car-parking. See The Press and Journal.Scottish Islands Explorer - new views with very issueDigital Edition: an ambitious way in which to secure...
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The Bay at Oban (photo from VisitScotland) is a marine gateway to Mull, the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Now Crianlarich, the rail junction for Oban, is a train gateway for CalMac services. A dedicated section on the Caledonian Sleeper to and from London Euston will link with the coaches of...
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Sanday, in the Small Isles, has a low population, a few houses, a school, a restored church and a bridge to Canna. The infrastructure is minimal. However, its main track and has now become its first and only road. Survey through the BBC website. Scottish Islands Explorer - distribution depends on a...
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It's a misty Orkney day and a gantry barge is lowering what appears to be a capsule into the water. Go to the BBC and see what's on its way down and then take in more details directly from Microsoft. Keeping the kit cool is no problem; avoiding damp in the datacentre is another thing.Scottish...
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Of all the areas of the UK, the one with the highest incidence of surface water is North Uist. Yet there are three villages - Lochportain, Cheesebay and Hobeg - on a peninsula to the north-east of the island, looking forward to receiving their water-supply from a public mains operated by Scottish...
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Plans to re-open scheduled services to and from Ashaig Airfield, Broadford, Skye, are being considered. The popularity of the island has increased as a destination for travellers in recent years. The details are in The Press and Journal. So here's an airfield that could be upgraded to an airport....
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These approaches to South Uist give the impression of calmness. There is a timely warning, however, to those who perceive community ownership as being 'picture perfect' and 'plain sailing'. Storas Uibhist, which manages 93,000 acres on the island, has become embroiled in another row, which features...
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There's work, jobs, careers, vocations and ... a calling. Maybe you feel instructed to find out more about the recruitment for a remarkable appointment? If so, click here.Scottish Islands Explorer - no career openings at presentDigital Edition: always open for viewings
Treshnish Farm
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The rain held off until we had come back from a walk through the fields. I was accompanied this time by L, another botanist, doing plant surveys for the New Flora. The Treshnish tetrad has been surveyed already but she came back to say hello and have a look at what was around. I...
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Back to the Moonwort! A pair of fledging Ravens hanging about like unruly teenagers on the rocks in the hill park. Allowing us to get much closer than their parents would, before flying off. Inquisitive I would say!
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A day of travel and very little wild - except for the landscapes I drove through at times and the views from the car.Misty west coast gave way to grey east coast, with lush green fields and leaf laden green hedgerow trees with waist high curls of Cow parsley exuberantly dancing along the roadsides...
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In the Black Park again. We aren't walking the dogs in the Haunn field at the moment because of the Corncrake. Brownie.As midsummer approaches the sun set creeps up towards the Cairns of Coll. This time next week it will have started going back towards Tiree!
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Afternoon. Between Haunn and the Point.Wheatear in the Haunn garden.Mr and Mrs Wheatear in the Haunn garden.Evening. In the Black Park. Someone said they couldnt find the Moonwort so we went to check. It was still there thankfully. Moonwort.Back to the bank of Wood...
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Rain and wind overnight. Huge swell coming across from Coll and crashing on the shore.Down in the graveyard field the orchids and grasses bend and flex in the wind.
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The weather has turned. The leaves on the trees have turned. This morning a trip to Haunn rewarded us with a wonderful sighting of a Hen Harrier hunting over the Coronation Meadow. Flying like a lilting butterfly, playing the air, ducking out of sight beyond a knoll, and reappearing...
wondering wanderers
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June brings Fathers Day and two specific anniversaries each year. One is solely mine – the anniversary of passing my driving test, which I did on 12th June 1991. I posted some memories of passing my test and the feeling of independence and adventure it gave me on facebook this week and it...
Marc Calhoun
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I am just back home from an amazing three weeks in the Hebrides. Ten of those days were spent aboard the good ship Hjalmar Bjorge, during which we visited a dozen islands. A summary trip report will appear shortly on the Northern Lights website. Then, over the coming weeks, I will post more...
Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles
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Other Botanists’ Efforts. I have been a bit remiss in reporting here what other folks have found recently, so in no particular order: At the beginning of June Ian spent five days walking the Cuillin covering over 65 km with 5000 m of ascent, and on the way recorded and/or photographed plants...
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Following my excursion into the heart of the Cuillin I have had a couple of shortish lowland trips. Firstly, I went into a tetrad with only two records (ever) southwest of Mugeary. Secondly, in between the dentist in Kyle and a forestry meeting back on Raasay, I visited Loch nam Madadh Uisge and...