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HARRIS

Ceapabhal with the machair in full flower

INTRODUCTION

The hills of North Harris are the highest in the Western Isles, but none exceeds 3000ft so they are hardly a magnet for the committed Munro bagger. At 799m (2622ft) An Cliseam is the highest and the only Corbett – a Scottish peak between 2500ft (761m) and 3000ft (914m). In good weather it is a remarkably straightforward and easy approach, starting from alongside the A859 main road between Tarbert and Stornoway, which already knocks 150m off the ascent. There are three Grahams: mountains between 2000ft (610m) and 2500ft (761m) with a drop of at least 150m (492ft) all around; in descending height they are Uisgneabhal Mòr, 729m (2390ft), Tiorga Mòr, 679m (2228ft) and Oireabhal, 662m (2170ft).

Descending the south ridge of Cleit Ard (Walk 8)

Everything else is 2000ft or less and such a modest collection of summits may lull you into thinking that days spent in the mountains of Harris are carefree and do not warrant serious planning. If anything, it is the exact opposite. Once away from the roads, the North Harris hills are a wilderness with few paths and those there are have a tendency eventually to peter out. Under foot it can be boggy and there are numerous small streams to cross. After a sudden downpour these can quickly become major obstacles that can be tricky and potentially dangerous to cross. To the west are the impassable cliffs of the Atlantic coast and to the north is the difficult terrain of Lewis where endless peat bog is pitted with a maze of lochs and lochans. In addition, the weather can change dramatically in a matter of minutes. All of these factors make it an area where walkers need to pay particular attention to navigation and risk management. But it is worth it. Where else can you walk the hills surrounded by emerald seas and quite so many silver beaches?

An Cliseam from Airidh a Bhruaich on the border of Harris and Lewis (Walk 11)

For many years North Harris was owned by private landlords. Although the area did not suffer unduly under this arrangement, in 2003 the crofters and tenants established the North Harris Trust and secured funding to buy 58,000 acres of land and effectively become their own landlords. Since then, the Trust has grown to include the 7,472-acre Loch Seaforth Estate and the Isle of Scalpay. The Trust has numerous projects for the considered regeneration of North Harris, including providing low-cost housing for rent, tree planting, building a small wind farm to generate electricity for local consumption and restoring the old footpaths and drove roads. Despite stalling at the final hurdle with the first attempt back in 2009, the community still has aspirations of becoming Scotland’s third National Park, and it is difficult to envisage a more worthy contender.