North & South Uist (Page Two

Immediately in front of you is the shoreline of Eriskay and you can make out the landing stage at Haun with two red roofed houses at the top of the road.
The village  is a quarter of a mile beyond.

 
Lobster Pots with Eriskey in the background.        Ferryman Mr. Campbell comes across from Eriskey

 
Fishermen at Pollachar Pier.                                          Ferryman, Mr. Campbell with a Lobster.

The crossing to Eriskay is only about 5 minutes. You cross the sound going slightly eastwards and pass close to where the SS 'Politician' sank, in 1941
and created. Whisky Galore Story. If you are nice to the ferryman he may take you even closer and it is said you can actually see the wreck. The
waters are incredibly clear. Off to the left is a small island, more a large rock actually! Sticking above the water where you have a good chance of
spotting a Seal or two.

The landing stage on the Isle Of Eriskey

The ferry enters the sheltered bay and pulls up to the Pier. If the tide is low you may have to scramble up to it, as I did. The ferry doesn't hang about
long and you may have to decide whether to come straight back (ten Minutes) or wait an hour or more for it to come back again. On a fine day this
is no trouble, though it is only a few minutes walk up to Haun. The narrow track climbs hard to the summit of the road with sheep wandering about.
There is a nice reverse view looking back over to Ludac and Pollachar followed by a short walk to the village.

Apart from being known for the internationally popular song "Eriskay Love Lilt", the island is where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot in Scotland,
a year before the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

The community is tiny, consisting of a circle of well-built houses, a play area and a school. However the beauty and peacefulness of the place sets
the scene that crated the famous Scottish song The Eriskay Love Lilt. Its a pity there wasn't a little more to hold your interest, though if all you want
is to spend a few hours walking and relaxing it is ideal.

Back to Ludac (none stop) to joining the main A865 at Daliburgh. While this is classified an 'A' road it winds and twists with some heavy gradients
and must be treated with respect. Besides the idea is not to speed around the islands but to enjoy the lovely little moments of landscape and light
that takes you by surprise as you enjoy the peace and quiet of the island.

 
The passenger only pier for the ferry between South Uist and the Isle Of Barra

A little more than a mile north from Daliburgh a short side road goes off to Askernish House. This is a Taigh Dhu (blackhouse) which is well
preserved and still lived in. A black house is the original style of housing in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. It is a single roomed building with
rounded ends, to allow the gales to move easily past the building. The 'peaked' roof is of Grass and/or Peat and lashed down by ropes with large
stones slung over the edges to act as weights.

Inside the building is divided into two rooms of soil floors, one for the family and the other for the cattle (cattle was the life-blood in olden times
and very precious).  A single peat fire in the middle of the room was lit throughout the year and used for heating and cooking. There was no
chimney, and just a hole in the roof to let the smoke out, though obviously the rooms would be very smoky inside. This may not have been as
bad as it sounds as it is thought that the smoke helped to ward off flues and other illnesses. You will pass many blackhouses all over Scotland
but this is probably one of the finest in preservation. Outside there are two grinding stones and implements at the base of the walls.

The house is in a nice setting and pictures may be had either with a sea or mountainview.

Back to the A865 and north to Mingary where you will see a Cairn at the head of a loch over to the right. You will soon become aware that
apart from the road there is little more to this end of South Uist than mountains on the right and bits of land between hundreds of small lochs,
on the left side. Across the empty sea, there is nothing between you and the eastcoast of America.

Three miles on before you come to the next side road, to the left to Ormaclett Castle. This is worth a visit, though it is little more than a
grassy knoll. You can make out the size and scale of the castle and much detail must be hidden under the rubble. It also makes a nice picture,
with Ben Mhor (2033') and 'saddle-shaped' Hecla (1968') now looking closer and higher, in the background.

Ormaclett Castle ruin

Another mile and the road crosses loch Ollay and yet another side road on the left. This goes to Stoneybridge.

Northwards again and on to Howmore. Off to the left on a short road are two Chapels and ahead to the north at the edge of a small loch, a ruined
castle. Back on the main road and to the right on loch Druidbeg is a ruined Dun. Loch Druidbeg (Scottish Nature Reserve) and the other lochans
around are set in a lovely plain below Hecla and is added to by the numerous Swans that swim and fly over the loch. On the A865 at the end of the
lochs is the first road (B890) that turns off to the right (east) to Loch Skiport.

 
Loch Druidbeg Nature Reserve and Hide

This is a longish twisting and heavy road at times but is worth the effort for the small hollows that allow trees to grow to a reasonable hight.
There are few trees on the Uists and the bare skyline is only broken by the telegraph poles and wires that runs down one side of the road.
They are added to with much greenery and yellow Gorse, which stand out in this usually wild treeless country. The second reason is for
the interesting change of scene as you approach Loch Skiport. The road appears to run into an opening in the rocks and drop straight
into the loch. But as you get closer you actually stay on the high ground and the view is over interesting cliff faces to the loch, which has
a large wooden pier. At one time this must have been a very busy place, or is still possibly so, but used by the military. There are a
couple of good pictures to be had here. Then it's back on the winding road to the main A865.

 
An Oassis in an otherwise treeless landscape. On the road to Loch Skiport

 
North and South views at Loch Skiport

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