Thursday 2 July 2015, day 10
So, here I am, almost at the end, my last day in the Outer Hebrides. I needed to be on the 7 am ferry the following morning, from Castlebay, Barra, to Oban.
I had read Peter's route across Barra and I didn't think I had the time to follow his route, make it to the southern most point of the inhabited islands of the Outer Hebrides, Heillanish on Vatersay and make it back to Castlebay in time to pitch my tent before it became too dark. His route looked interesting and I was sad I could not follow it.
The ferry from Eriskay was full of men setting off to work on Barra. I pored over my map and decided to follow the most direct route across Barra to Castlebay which involved crossing some moorland and going over the summit of Heaval.
I left the road just past a hotel, and after walking across heather and bogs for a while, came across some way markers, but no visible path.
I climbed Hartaval and by the time I was at the trig point on Heaval the clag was down and there was no visibility. I sat down and waited for the cloud to pass which it did, then took some photos.
A group of people ran up whilst I was waiting, and asked me how many I had done today?
I replied none, this was the most direct way to Castlebay from the ferry for me.
I went over the top and down the side of the hill, past the statue of Our Lady holding baby Jesus.
Castlebay and Kisimul castle looked so beautiful as I descended Heaval, I had looked forward to this moment for my entire journey.
In Castlebay I was pleased to bump into the 3 cyclists I had met at the ferry in Leverburgh, they were just about to get on a ferry, it was great to see them again.
After a pint in the Castlebay Hotel bar, I set off for Vatersay the last island on my route.
I walked over three hills rather than round them, and as I approached the inevitable end of my journey at the end of this day, time was suspended. This was one of those moments in time you want to last for ever. Like a summer's evening in the Yorkshire Dales when the stillness is slowly eclipsed only by the slow coming of darkness and the moment could last forever. I descended a hill and joined the road at the old school house, then walked along the most beautiful beach I have come across. It was a still evening, this really was a place you would call heaven.
I knew from the map in my hand I was nearly at the end of the land. I left the beach and came to a lush green, grassy, hilly stretch, between this beach and the next.
There I came across hundreds of cows, many were calves, basking in the evening sun. Beyond them was another beach and beyond there, the southern most point of Vatersay.
I made my way through the cows to the southern most point, Heillanish. I would like to say I spent some time there and had profound thoughts and here they are.
After a brief pause, and thoughts of a dear friend who had inspired me to make these journeys, I turned to return to Castlebay; it was nearly 7.30 pm and I had a long way to go to get back to where I needed to be.
The road between Castlebay and Vatersay was deserted. I would gladly hitch a lift now my walk was over; I doubted there would be a lift to hitch at this hour in this place at the end of the road of the far flung place that I was now.
After I had walked for about an hour, a car did come and did stop for me - a friendly kayaker from London - he dropped me off near Castlebay, I walked to the hotel, enjoyed a pint in the bar then pitched my tent overlooking the harbour.
The sun set most beautifully on a still sea, tomorrow's ferry, the Lord of the Islands, slipped into the ferry terminal and the sky turned dark, lit only by the moon.
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