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ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
Together Harris and Lewis make up the largest island of the 130 mile-long archipelago known as the Outer Hebrides or the Western Isles. They lie at the very edge of Europe and, other than St Kilda and a few other isolated mountain peaks rising from the ocean bed, there is nothing but ocean to the west at a latitude of 58°N until you hit the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. During the dark winter months there are gales every third day; and the other two are simply windy! And with nothing in their way for thousands of miles, the Atlantic winds rattle ill-fitting doors and snatch carelessly pegged clothes from washing lines making the islands seem a desperate place to be.
Much of Lewis is black peat bog pitted with thousands of lochs and lochans and the interior of South Harris looks so ‘lunar’ that it stood in as the planet Jupiter for the filming of the sci-fi movie 2001: A Space Odyssey back in 1968. It all makes for a seemingly unappealing and hostile place to go walking, especially when getting there will certainly take longer and could cost you more than a budget flight to the guaranteed warmth of southern Europe.
Taransay – perhaps the best known island in the Outer Hebrides after the televised ‘Castaway’ series
But if you're a dedicated walker, tired of the crowded hills and mountains of more accessible areas, coming to Harris and Lewis is a must. You will get solitude in abundance and won't have to go far off the few beaten tracks to have a summit or glen to yourself. Although ferries and flights to the mainland are frequent these islands maintain an air of remoteness. Disembark at Uig after a week on the Outer Hebrides and even Skye can seem busy and boisterous, totally geared up for tourism.
Past industry in Harris – the old whaling station at Bun Abhainn Eadarra below Mulla bho Dheas (Walk 11)
In spite of being part of the same landmass, often referred to as the Long Island, Lewis and Harris are very different. With fish farming, ship building and even software development the economy of Lewis is much less dependent on tourism. Outside of Stornoway, the only town, the traditional occupations of crofting, fishing and weaving are still prevalent with many islanders still having more than one occupation. Having seen parents and grandparents suffering from the boom-and-bust cycles of industries such as herring fishing, weaving and rendering seaweed for chemicals, Lewis folk are proudly self-reliant and know how to get along. They also know how to enjoy themselves and although the Sabbath is still strictly observed with no shop opening or newspapers (a Sunday ferry service only started in 2009), Saturday night on the town in Stornoway is just as noisy and boisterous as in any other small town.
Harris is a total contrast; even Lewis people talk about going there as if it were another country. In many ways it is – or at least it was. In the past the mountains of Harris formed a substantial natural barrier between Lewis and Harris, and the sea rather than road was the main means of communication and transportation. It's easy to see why, despite being part of the same landmass, they have retained the names Isle of Lewis and Isle of Harris. Everything happened at the periphery where the land meets the sea and even today there are few landlocked villages anywhere on the island. The division was more than geographic. Until 1974 it extended to local government with Lewis being part of the county of Ross and Cromarty and Harris part of the county of Inverness. Together with the other islands of the Outer Hebrides they are both now part of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar – the Western Isles Council – headquartered in Stornoway.
Compared with Lewis, Harris has far less of most things that seem to count in the modern world. It has a smaller population with barely 2000 people compared with the 18,000 in Lewis. Having little industry other than agriculture, fishing and tourism, it is far less industrialised than its neighbour. And the lack of memorials to the land struggle or the staunch resistance to Lord Leverhulme that can be found in Lewis suggests that Harris folk are perhaps more tolerant and easier going. When much of the Spanish Armada was wrecked in storms as it circumnavigated Scotland in an attempt to escape Sir Francis Drake's fleet in 1588, some of the Spanish sailors are said to have ended up on Harris. Their Mediterranean genes are supposed to give the indigenous population a darker complexion and an easier manner than the blond, blue-eyed Lewismen, many of whose ancestors came from Norway. Who knows? It is also said that the Gaelic spoken in Harris has a softer lilt to it than that spoken in Lewis. Certainly everything else about the place seems to have a similar charm. But don't dismiss either. Harris may have higher hills and a greater number of beaches, but Lewis has more prehistory, more tourist attractions – and ultimately many more hills.
SO WHAT IS AN ISLAND?
You are probably still trying to reconcile the anomaly of having the two islands of Harris and Lewis on a single landmass. But what exactly does it take to make an island? The Oxford English Dictionary defines an island as a landmass surrounded by water. This sounds straightforward. However, Hamish Haswell-Smith, renowned sailor and author of the definitive The Scottish Islands, was faced with the dilemma of which to include and which to omit, as listing every little skerry would result in a work that would run to many volumes. He decided to limit himself to any piece of land that is over 40 hectares at high tide and completely surrounded by seawater at low tide so that you can only get to it by getting your feet wet or by boat.
Looking down the fjord-like Loch Seaforth that divides Harris and South Lewis
Having developed a working list of 165 islands to document, map and occasionally paint with his charming watercolours, the opening of the Scalpay Bridge and the causeways that link North Uist to Berneray and South Uist to Eriskay led him to reduce his list to 162, where it has remained since. Who knows how the population on the Isle of Skye, perhaps the most famous of Scottish islands, feels about being excluded from the list? Perhaps Hamish has to use an alias whenever he anchors in Portree harbour?
Geology
The main islands of the Outer Hebrides and the north-western part of the Scottish Highlands are made up of some of the oldest rocks in Europe, known since the late 19th century as Lewisian gneisses. The name describes a series of metamorphic rocks formed by intense pressure and temperature over a period of 1500 million years. Most of these gneisses started off as igneous rocks, such as granites and gabbros, formed by the cooling and crystallisation of magma nearly 3000 million years ago. These original rocks were then destroyed when they were buried, reheated and subjected to great pressures in the earth's crust, eventually forming the metamorphic gneiss complexes we see today.
Lewisian gneiss is characterised by narrow, alternating bands of contrasting colours. The paler bands, which are typically pale grey or pink, are made up of crystals of quartz and feldspar, whereas the darker green and black bands are largely made up of minerals called amphiboles. Examples of this striation can be seen in the exposed boulders on the western beaches of both Harris and Lewis as well as in many of the stones at Calanais.
Lewisian gneiss below Sron Godamull
Most of Lewis and the mountains of North Harris are made up of banded gneisses, but moving west and south there are increasingly more veins of hard pink granite and metamorphosed gabbro and related rocks, until at the extreme south of Harris there is a narrow band of metamorphosed sedimentary rock similar to that found at the extreme north of Lewis. Granite is less easily eroded than the surrounding gneiss and good examples can be seen in the sea stacks to the south of Uig Bay in Lewis and on the Ceapabhal promontory in the south-west corner of Harris. The coarsely crystallised pink and white granite found here is known as pegmatite and is largely made up of feldspar and quartz. It forms a distinct horizontal band across the hill that is obvious from quite a distance, especially when it catches the light. In addition to the large pink crystals of feldspar and white crystals of quartz, the rock is shot through with flakes of dark red garnet crystals and clear muscovite and glossy black biotite micas.
Since feldspar melts over a wide temperature range, depending on its composition, it is used in the manufacture of ceramics. When mixed with the clays it makes them easier to work and produces a stronger and more durable product. The peak of Roineabhal at the southern end of Harris and other outcrops around the nearby Lingreabhagh are made up of a rare type of whitish igneous rock known as anorthosite, which consists almost entirely of feldspar. During World War II a quarry at Sletteval on the north-east slopes of Roineabhal provided most of the feldspar that the UK needed to manufacture porcelain electrical insulators. However, the cost of extracting the feldspar proved to be greater than the cost of foreign imports and its colour meant that it produced inferior porcelain; therefore, as has been the plight of most commercial activity in the islands, it was a short-lived venture.
But this was not the end of quarrying in South Harris. Although small-scale quarrying restarted in the 1960s but again soon petered out, other people had ideas on a far larger scale. Starting in 1974, plans were produced to develop a coastal super-quarry to extract ten million tons of aggregates each year for 60 years, much needed, it was argued, to satisfy growing demand on mainland UK. Thirty years later in 2004, the developers eventually made a dignified retreat but by then the case had become the longest running and most complex planning case Scotland had ever seen, with more than 100 witnesses and over 400 written submissions heard during 83 days of advocacy that were part of the public inquiry. If planning permission had been granted, and once the quarry was exhausted, almost a third of Roineabhal would have disappeared. Fortunately it is still with us and remains one of the best.
Sron Uladail – 250m of overhanging Lewisian gneiss with the ‘cnoc and lochan’ terrain of Morsgail Forest in the distance (Walk 14)
The rugged and desolate landscape of Lewis and Harris today dates from the most recent ice age that scoured away loose rock and deepened and widened pre-existing valleys, leaving the fjord-like lochs and sea lochs such as Loch Sìophort (Loch Seaforth). Many of the basins formed by the ice are now filled with either water or peat and surrounded by ice-sculpted crags. This ‘cnoc and lochan’ landscape is best seen in the Bays area on the east coast of Harris: cnoc meaning hillock, lochan meaning a little loch. Further north in Lewis the retreating ice laid down smooth, undulating layers of glacial rubble called till. Subsequently peat formed on top of this layer which, being rich in clay, is poorly drained. From about 11,500 years ago, when the sea level was 50m below today's level, the dry Arctic climate was gradually replaced by a relatively warm maritime climate dominated by the Gulf Stream. As the ice withdrew back to the poles the seas rose, changing the coastline and reducing the landmass. Around 6000 years ago it was 20m below current levels and it continues to rise, the east coast region of the Bays in South Harris being typical of a recently drowned landscape.
The sheer variety of terrain and the dramatic changes within the space of a short car ride are what make Harris and Lewis so appealing. Not only is there the possibility of four seasons in one day with the weather, but there are also high hills, remote moorland, vertiginous rock faces, deep sea lochs, silver beaches and emerald seas all in one neat package. You can rise early and enjoy a strenuous walk in the hills in the morning then chill out on a deserted beach in the afternoon sun. There are few other parts of Great Britain that can provide the same exhilarating mix, and while those seeking derring-do may only come to the island in their later years, what they will find here is much like well-aged single malt – well worth waiting for.
Four seasons in one May morning on Oireabhal – snow, then hail followed by sun and eventually a shower (Walk 13)
Flowers and vegetation
Pollen grains preserved within the peat bogs indicate that, following the ice ages, the terrain on these islands was colonised by a pioneer community of sub-alpine herbaceous plants and low shrubs. This was followed by heather, juniper and grass and subsequently, around 8000 years ago, by trees such as birch, hazel and oak. Large pieces of ‘bogwood’ are occasionally uncovered under the peat layer and indicate that Harris and Lewis once had more trees and shrub cover than they do today. This is particularly evident in Marbhig in the North Lochs area of Lewis where tree stumps are regularly unearthed.
Man’s need for wood and land for cultivation together with the overgrazing caused by an overpopulation of sheep and deer are traditionally blamed for the lack of trees, but it is more complex than that. The ‘natural decline’ model describes a shift to a wetter, cooler climate a few thousand years ago which caused peat layers to build up, engulfing woodlands and making it increasingly difficult for seeds to germinate in the waterlogged conditions, thus reducing the amount of land suitable for trees to grow. The grazing pressure of the large populations of sheep and deer prevents trees and scrub from re-establishing themselves anywhere outside of the steep ravines and fenced-off plantations where they are found today.
About 12–15 per cent of the Scottish deer population is culled each year, providing income from commercial stalking and venison for the table. Being totally free-range and expertly dispatched in a micro-second, it could be argued that it is the perfect meat for human carnivores with concerns for animal husbandry. However, research suggests that only a sustained annual cull of around 80 per cent would restore the balance between the vegetation and deer and allow trees once again to colonise. Where this has been practised, such as on the slopes of Creag Meagaidh in the Central Highlands, the effect on the ecology has been profound. In little more than a decade the area of woodland has spread tenfold with seedlings of birch, rowan, willow, aspen and oak, resulting in an associated increase in birdlife, flora and invertebrates and creating a biodiversity not seen for many centuries. With careful consideration for the livelihoods of those engaged in deer husbandry and stalking, the same could be achieved in parts of Harris and Lewis, and would transform the landscape.
But the islands are far from barren, with the hills, moors and beaches presenting a wide variety of habitats for plant life. Most plants are small and need searching out, like the delicate alpines or the 150 or so species of mosses and liverworts that occur on the rocky hillsides. But when they erupt in mass flowering the islands become spectacular, and the highlight of the year is when the machair – the ‘shell meadow’ behind the dunes – is carpeted with wild flowers during the summer months. Most of the plants are commonplace – ragwort, buttercup, clover, daisy, various vetches and trefoils and, in later months, rarer orchids – but collectively the effect is unforgettable. The best places to see this are on the west coasts of South Harris and the Uig area of West Lewis.
Water lilies are often found in remote lochs in summer
Wildlife
Although carrying a pair of binoculars round the neck can be uncomfortable and detract from the pleasure of a walk, they are an essential piece of kit in the Western Isles and will eventually add to the enjoyment of the day.
There is only a small number of native mammal species on the islands. Common seals can be seen on islands in sheltered inlets, particularly in the Bays area of South Harris. Grey seals tend to be more difficult to see, but come ashore in great numbers on the uninhabited island of Shillay in the Sound of Harris. Similarly, although you will often see their tracks in the sand along the western shores, otters are elusive and are best seen either early in the morning or at twilight.
Red deer are numerous in the higher hills of North Harris, Uig and Park and if you scan the skyline you will frequently find yourself being watched by large herds of them. During the summer months they can often be seen around the high-level lochans between the summits of Huiseabhal Mòr and Oireabhal where they collect to drink in the heat of the day.
The mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is much more difficult to see as the local population is small and it is as secretive as its name suggests. It is also known as the blue hare and sometimes the ‘varying hare’ due to the changing colour of its coat across the seasons. In summer they have a greyish blue coat, and in winter they are predominantly white with only the tips of their ears remaining dark. Mountain hares moult twice a year, in late autumn and again in the spring, when they lose their winter coat. The mountain hare is smaller than the brown hare and has shorter ears and legs, but this does not compromise its speed; when threatened by a predator, such as an eagle, it can easily attain 60kph for short periods. The hares are mainly solitary and live high in the mountains, which is probably why they are a particular favourite with mountain walkers.
A large number of bird species, both native and migrant, can be seen around Harris and Lewis, and one of the best places to start is on the ferry crossing from the mainland when gannets, guillemots and shearwaters can regularly be seen. In late spring there are also puffins, especially on the crossing from Uig to Tarbert as the breeding colonies on the Shiant Islands and Eilean Glas come to sea to feed. The common seabird species of fulmar, kittiwake, shag and a range of gulls breed all around the cliffs of both Harris and Lewis and can easily be observed at close quarters at Dun Eistean and on Tolsta Head. Here there are also great and arctic skuas who may mob anyone straying too near to their nests.
Sea ducks, such as the common scoter, velvet scoter and the majestic long-tailed duck, can be seen in the sheltered bays of the west coast in early spring, a time when many inland lochs are home to a pairs of red-breasted mergansers. Many species, such as the waders that congregate on the saltings at Taobh Tuath, can be viewed from the comfort of a car. Seeing others, such as the red-necked phalarope (that only breeds on the Loch na Muilne reserve near Arnol in West Lewis) and the white-billed diver (most often found on the sea off Port Sgiogarstaigh near the Butt of Lewis in late spring) involves both a walk and a great deal of patience.
Everyone who visits Harris and Lewis wants to see a golden eagle, and outside of the breeding period, when both birds are at the nest, it is not too difficult. There were 59 breeding pairs reported on the islands in 2005 and all you really need to do is park up in hilly country, look up and wait. If it looks like an ironing board with shirt sleeves hanging off the ends floating across the sky, then it is a golden eagle. Equally magnificent is the white-tailed or sea eagle. These were originally reintroduced on the island of Rum in the Inner Hebrides in the 1970s, but quickly spread to other islands and now frequent the deserted sea lochs such as Loch Sealg in Park (Walk 30). Their ability to take lambs has not made them universally welcome in the Western Isles.
One of the big attractions of bird watching in the Western Isles is the variety of migrants passing through in spring and autumn as well as offcourse vagrants that get blown in during storms. There is a small but active group of recorders on Harris and Lewis and. Visit www.thewesternisles.co.uk/birdsightings.htm to catch up with their latest sightings.
Getting there
Getting to the Western Isles is a major undertaking. This, and the uncertainty of the weather, perhaps explains why there are so few tourists even in the middle of summer. The distance from London to Harris is roughly 1000km (650 miles), making it about the same as a trip to the French Alps. For most people, that probably means a twoday drive with an overnight stop. Going south to somewhere such as the Chamonix valley with its enticing arêtes and glaciers is also likely to cost less than heading for Lewis and Harris, where the only certainty is peat bogs and midges. The choice is yours – but once you are committed to going, getting there is an adventure in itself.
A snow-capped An Cliseam from above Maraig on Walk 7
By air
Currently the following airlines have scheduled flights into Stornoway on Lewis:
Flybe has regular services from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester and Benbecula that link with national and internal flights. For further information 0871 700 0535 or www.flybe.com;
Eastern Airways has a daily flight from Monday to Friday from Aberdeen. For further information 08703 669 100 or www.easternairways.com.
By sea
Caledonia MacBrayne operates daily ferries on the following routes:
from Ullapool on the Scottish mainland into Stornoway – journey time 2hrs 30mins;
from Uig on the Isle of Skye into Tarbert, Harris – journey time 1hr 50mins. Sunday services during on the winter timetable sail via Lochmaddy with a journey time of 4hrs 15mins;
from Berneray in North Uist into Leverburgh, Harris – journey time 1hr.
To save the disappointment of being left on the quayside, reservations are recommended for vehicles especially during the summer months, although this is not necessary for foot passengers. Since the autumn of 2008 Road Equivalent Pricing is being tested on certain routes, where ferry fares are based on the equivalent cost of road travel. If this remains a permanent fixture and new attractions, such as the Isle of Harris Distillery, appeal to new types of visitor, the Outer Hebrides may become much more of a magnet for tourists. Then it may become imperative to make a reservation. For further information contact 08000 665 000 or see www.calmac.co.uk.
You will undoubtedly have to schedule your travel to coincide with ferry departure times and one of the usual ways of getting to the Outer Hebrides is to drive through the night and take an early morning ferry. With two people sharing the driving it is possible to take advantage of the relatively empty roads and make good progress, freshening up with a shower on the ferry before enjoying a full Scottish breakfast in the cafeteria. It should be borne in mind that north of the main motorway network around Glasgow and Edinburgh there are few 24hr filling stations other than Fort William and Inverness, so keep an eye on the fuel gauge.
Approaching Tarbert on the ferry from Skye
Although Ullapool to Stornoway is by far the busiest ferry route, Uig to Tarbert is a personal favourite for a number of reasons. Travelling from the south the scenery is better, with views of Glencoe and the Cuillins on a clear day. At about 90mins, the crossing itself is just the right length with lots of interest out at sea: the Ascrib Islands in Loch Snizort as you leave Uig; the Fladdachuain off the north coast of Skye; and the Shiants as you get closer to Harris. With the help of binoculars it is possible to pick out the house that the writer Compton Mackenzie had re-roofed during the period 1926–7 when he owned the Shiants. If that is not sufficient reason to favour this route, the fare is also a few pounds cheaper than the Ullapool to Stornaway crossing.
By rail
It is quite possible to get to Lewis and Harris by rail. Heading for Harris, the rail network terminates at Kyle of Lochalsh, but a bus service connects directly with the ferry terminal at Uig on the Isle of Skye. Likewise, if heading for Lewis, a bus service links Inverness station directly with the ferry terminal at Ullapool.
For further information, contact Scotrail on 0845 601 5929 or see https://www.scotrail.co.uk/. This service does not carry bicycles, so if you are cycling you can either take the train as far as Garve and then cycle to Ullapool or use the Highland Cycle Bus that runs from Inverness to Durness via Ullapool in the tourist season. Phone 01463 222444 or see www.decoaches.co.uk for times and bookings. For further information contact Scotrail on 0845 601 5929 or see www.firstgroup.com/scotrail.
Getting around
In your own car
There are some 320km (200 miles) of road on Lewis and Harris. Some of it, like the descent from North Harris into Tarbert, is of an exceptionally good standard. Other stretches, such as the road around the eastern Bay area of Harris, tend to be narrow and winding. Having a vehicle on the island makes getting around to the more remote parts very easy. However, the only filling stations in Harris are at Leverburgh, Tarbert and Ardhasaig and the only ones in Lewis are at Stornoway, Kershader, Lower Barvas, Leurbost, Uig, Cros and Bernera, with only one in Stornoway and the one on Bernera currently open on Sundays. Fuel also costs around 10p a litre more than on the mainland.
Passing places – essential on the miles of single-track roads on Harris and Lewis
By rented vehicle
If you arrive by air you will probably need to rent a car. There are vehicle rental companies based in Stornoway and Arnol.
| Stornoway | |
| Car Hire Hebrides | Tel: 01851 706500 |
| Lewis Car Rentals | Tel: 01851 706500 |
| MacKinnon Self Drive | Tel: 01851 702984 |
| Stornoway Car Hire | Tel: 01851 702658 |
| Arnol | |
| Arnol Motors | Tel: 01851 700044 |
| Tarbert | |
| Isle of Harris Car Hire | Tel: 07825 222020 |
Car and van hire is available at the airport through Stornoway Car Hire. See www.stornowaycarhire.co.uk for further information or telephone 01851 702658.
Taxis are available at the airport and the airport bus service runs at regular intervals throughout the day. Contact 01851 702256 for the latest timetables.
By bus
If you plan your itinerary well it is possible to visit the island and get around using public transport. Even if you bring your own car, you may still need to use a bus to get to the start of a linear walk. Different routes are operated by a range of operators and the service timetable changes during school holidays. The complete timetable is available online at www.cne-siar.gov.uk/travel and if you are planning to make use of them during your stay, it is probably better to print out a complete set and bring it with you. Many services begin or end at Stornoway bus station, which can be contacted at 01851 704327. Otherwise Stornoway Tourist Information Office (01851 703 088) or Harris Tourist Information Office (01859 502 011) can provide information during opening hours.
By cycle
It costs nothing to take a cycle on the ferry and it makes an ideal way to get around, especially if you are camping or hostelling. Alternatively, cycles can be hired at Alex Dan’s Cycle Centre (01851 704 025) and Bike Hebrides (07775 943 355) in Stornoway, and at Harris Cycle Hire (01859 520 319) and Harris Outdoor Adventure (07788 425 157) in Leverburgh.
Where to stay
Both Lewis and Harris offer a range of hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and hostels, so there is something to suit most pockets. If you prefer self-catering accommodation there are numerous holiday homes in all parts of the islands and this may be a more economical option for larger parties.
The cheapest option is a tent and this also gives the flexibility to move around. Although the right to roam means you can camp anywhere in Scotland, if you want amenities such as toilets and showers the only choices are the sites at Stornoway and North Shawbost in Lewis and Liceasto in Harris. During the summer months mobile homes tend to congregate behind the beaches at Riof in Lewis and Hogabost in Harris where there are public toilets. The odd tent is unlikely to cause problems but expect to pay a fee as the sites are on communal grazing land. Otherwise there is a tap near the school at Seilbost, but no toilet facilities, and as you are in a fairly populated part of the islands it may be difficult to find the solitude required for ‘rough’ camping!
The Gatliff Hostel at Rhenigeadal (Walk 7)
Accommodation is in short supply and in the peak season even campsites can get full, so it is advisable to make a reservation before you arrive on the islands. Whatever your needs, a good place to start looking for accommodation is on the Visit the Outer Hebrides website www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk.
Safety considerations
Much of Harris and Lewis is remote and in a normal day you will encounter few fellow walkers. You are very much on your own. There is a local mountain rescue team but even if you are able to raise the alarm it is likely to be some time before assistance arrives. Therefore preventative measures and good risk assessment are vital. In addition to normal good mountain craft, the tips below may help.
Unless you are entirely confident in your navigation skills, think twice before venturing into the higher hills alone. Going as a pair is better, but being a party of three or more is preferable so that one person can remain with any casualty while the other raises help.
Check the weather forecast before you set out. As the Outer Hebrides are essentially a small landmass in a large maritime environment, it pays to check shipping forecasts and coastal waters forecasts as they will give you the outlook for wind speeds and visibility. These can be heard on BBC Radio 4 at 198 kHz on long wave at 0048, 0520, 1201 and 1754, accessed through the BBC Weather pages on the Web or obtained from the local tourist information offices in Tarbert and Stornoway. If you do you will lessen the risk of getting caught out in a gale or having to test your navigation skills in the mist. The wind deserves respect in the Western Isles. In January 2005 the islands experienced the worst gales for 50 years with a lorry driver in Lewis reporting a sheep being blown across his windscreen! Sadly a family of five was killed during the same storm when their car was blown off the South Ford causeway that links Benbecula and South Uist. If in doubt, put the walk off until the next day and find something else to do!
A whistle, watch, torch, survival shelter, first-aid kit and emergency food rations are all essential when venturing into high or remote terrain.
With a scale of 1:25,000 the Ordnance Survey Explorer series gives much more information than the 1:50,000 Landranger series and will make it easier to navigate this potentially difficult terrain. Purists will be happy to navigate with a map and compass, but having a hand-held GPS (global positioning system) will be an added safeguard and will certainly help you move more confidently, and therefore faster, over the often bleak moorland. Whatever you chose, it pays to be diligent, frequently checking your exact location and looking backwards so as to familiarise yourself with what may become a much-needed exit route.
Being exposed to wind and sun, the effects of which are intensified by the surrounding sea, it is always worthwhile during the summer months to include lip balm, sun hat and a high-factor suncream in your pack. Since the weather can change rapidly, and what starts out as a warm sunny day can quickly deteriorate into an unpleasant squall, it is always worth carrying a warm hat and gloves at any time of year.
Although some of the mobile phone networks give remarkably good reception in parts of the Outer Hebrides, it would be foolhardy to rely on a mobile to raise a distress call in the mountains. It is far better to leave your itinerary and estimated time of return with someone before you set out into the hills – remembering to let them know of your safe return lest they alert the support services.
Aurora borealis – the northern lights – are sometimes visible after violent bursts of solar activity
Midges
The peat bogs of Lewis and Harris provide the ideal breeding ground for a midge, Culicoides impunctatus, which despite being less than 2mm long has the infinite capacity to deter people from visiting the Hebrides. The midges swarm in the early morning and evening from May through to September and, once bitten, most people come out in red itchy blotches. The odd bite is tolerable, but being feasted on by a swarm results in a mass of irritable and inflamed lumps and bumps that will take a few days to disappear. Prevention is better than cure and there is a choice of repellents ranging from natural substances such as citronella through to chemically-based creams, sprays and wipes available at pharmacies. Bumps can be treated with antihistamine creams which can also be found at the pharmacy.
Ceapabhal and Taransay from Losgantir
There are other things you can do to minimise being bitten.
Stay indoors in the early morning and evening and even then keep the windows closed.
If you are camping and have little choice about being outdoors, choose a location which is not damp or shaded. Try to pitch somewhere that is sunny and subject to a steady breeze, such as on a west-facing coast or on higher ground, as a light wind tends to blow the midges away. They certainly never show during a gale – perhaps they never venture out, or perhaps they do and just get blasted across The Minch to the mainland!
Keep arms and legs covered up with light clothing and get a hat with a midge net to protect the face and neck.
Try the Marmite diet! Eating two pieces of bread or toast with a thick layer of Marmite for two weeks prior to your trip is reputed to make you unattractive to midges, as are additional quantities of Vitamin B1.
If you can, stick close to those who are prone to bites in the hope that the midges will overlook you! Reputed to work – although annoyingly the hapless victims tend to keep running off.
Footwear
Lewis and much of Harris consist of peat bog and even the summit plateaus of the highest mountains can be distinctly ‘quaggy’. The wet conditions underfoot might lead you to consider wearing wellingtons for walking but this would be unwise. While they might be a suitable choice for short, low-level walks, wellingtons do not provide the support needed to move safely on steep ground; neither do they have the type of sole needed for a good grip on wet rock. Today most good quality, ankle-height walking boots are totally waterproof and you will only get a wet foot if you go in up to your calf.
In the days when walkers wore knee length breeches gaiters were ubiquitous, but nowadays they are less often seen on the hills. They will provide protection when moving through wet grass and heather and will certainly help keep your trousers clean, but they cannot be expected to keep your feet completely dry.
Abandoned blackhouses around Ob Leasaid in South East Harris
Walking in the more remote parts of the islands is inevitably going to involve fording streams; carrying a pair of chunky plastic beach shoes and a towel in your pack may be advisable, especially if you do not have overnight access to drying facilities. However, if you cannot see the bottom of a stream or if it is in spate, you should either venture upstream to find a narrower and easier place to cross or turn back.
Access
In Scotland there has long been a general presumption of access to all land unless there is a very good reason for the public to be excluded. The Land Reform Act 2003 confirmed this presumption, and walkers in Scotland now have a statutory right of access to all land, except for areas such as railway land, quarries, harbours, airfields and defence land where the public are excluded by law. Access rights extend to all beaches and foreshores.
Walkers should act responsibly when exercising their right of access, and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code published by Scottish Natural Heritage and available at www.outdooraccess-scotland.com. For example, you should avoid walking across growing crops or croftland when there is a route round it, and obey advisory signs asking you to avoid certain areas at certain times for land management, safety or conservation reasons. Particular care should be taken during the deer-stalking season, which typically runs from 1 July to 20 October, and the grouse-shooting season which runs from 12 August to 10 December. During these times it is best to check with the local tourist information offices which will be able to give you contact details for any nearby estates.
An Cliseam from Eilean Anabeich (Walk 14)
Access rights extend to wild camping; as long as you have no motorised transport, a small number of people using lightweight tents can stay for up to three or four nights in any one spot. It is therefore possible to wander off into the wilderness of the Park area of south-east Lewis, or indeed any other remote area of Harris or Lewis, and simply lose yourself. Leave no sign of ever having been there by carrying out refuse and removing all traces of your pitch. I will not dwell on the risk of open fires because finding wood on Lewis and Harris is never easy; but if you are lucky enough to find something to burn, such as old woody heather roots, ensure that your fire is sufficiently isolated from surrounding heather so as to preclude a major fire. Uncontrolled fires burn very fiercely and can set fire to the peat in which the heather grows. Not only can these fires be very difficult to quench, but where the peat is burnt heather and other seeds are destroyed, and plant life is lost; erosion may follow and it will take many years for the ground to recover.
Maps
The vignettes from the Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 series that are shown here are included to give readers a feel for the overall course of each walk, but they are no substitute for carrying and frequently referring to a separate map. The OS Landranger series will stand you in good stead for most of the low-level walk, but it is advisable to use the OS Explorer 1:25,000 series for any high-level walk or excursion in the more remote areas where there are few marked footpaths. They show much more detail and will be far more useful in situations when you really need them, such as when finding your way across open moorland in a mist.
The maps needed for each route are listed in the individual route profiles. Collectively they are OS Landranger Series map numbers 8, 13, 14 and 18 and OS Explorer Series map numbers 455 through to 460. You will need to buy these from a bookstore that stocks a comprehensive range of OS maps – and even then they may need to be ordered. Alternatively purchase them from an internet bookstore or directly from the Ordnance Survey online shop.
Bhaltos in West Lewis – just one of the many place names with Norse origin
Place names
The use of Gaelic and naming conventions on OS maps deserves a comment. Gaelic is a beautiful yet complex language. Many words, including first names and place names, are pronounced and written differently according to what word or letter precedes them or how much emphasis is put on the word. For instance, ‘It is cold’ is Tha I fuar. But ‘It is very cold’ becomes Tha I glè fhuar and the pronunciation of the last word changes. Place names are the same: Beinn Mòr and Beinn Mhòr both mean the big or high mountain, yet are pronounced differently. And just to confuse, the Gaelic word beag actually means little or small, and not big as English speakers might assume.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Western Isles Council, has adopted the pragmatic approach of labelling place names in both Gaelic and English – and even when they are not you can generally work it out for yourself. Chàrlobhagh must surely be Carloway and you can be certain that Calanais is Callanish, although it is not always so straightforward. If you have time to spare and intend to return to the north-west of Scotland, the island folk will be delighted if you take the trouble to learn a few basics in Gaelic and can start a conversation with Ciamar a tha sibh? (How are you?), even if you dry up after a few everyday phrases.
Many guidebooks stick firmly with the English version of placenames. To me, this smacks of linguistic imperialism. It is also not very helpful for those using the guides. Most likely you are going to be using this guide in conjunction with an Ordnance Survey map, where places and features are nearly always labelled in Gaelic, Norse or some hybrid of the two. Following that convention, I have chosen to use names taken directly from the OS maps throughout the text, making it much easier to follow route descriptions.
However, despite Ordnance Survey’s laudable policy on using Gaelic or Norse places names and the lengths it goes to when updating maps, all of which can be read on the OS website, naming on OS maps is far from consistent. For instance, neighbouring lochs at NB128120 on OS Explorer series 458 are labelled Loch Mòr Sheilabrie and Loch Beag Sheilibridh. There are numerous other inconsistencies, and finding such anomalies can provide yet another diversion for days when bad weather keeps you indoors.
How to use this guide
The walks in this collection have been selected to take in most of the main summits as well as shorter, half-day walks exploring antiquities and places of interest. Each route starts with a box giving the highest point reached during the walk, the total ascent involved, the distance covered and a rough guide of the time it is likely to take. These times are based on covering 4kph on the flat with an additional allowance of an hour for each 600m of ascent. This reflects the difficulty of some of the terrain and in practice it has proved fairly near the mark. However, these timings remain an estimate and you should also take into account the fitness level of the least experienced walker in the party, the conditions underfoot and the visibility on the day. With few paths, it is remarkably easy to get lost in mist. Even with two GPSs between us my party still managed to waste an hour navigating a way off the summit of Uisgneabhal Mòr on a misty April afternoon. So if you are unaccustomed to walking in wild country, start with a low-level walk to assess your own speed over the ground before venturing into the higher hills.
