The Timeless Way from Eriskay to Heillanish, Vatersay

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.

The Timeless Way, from Howmore to Eriskay

Day 9 Thursday 2 July 2015

I set off from the Gatliff hostel and spent some time in the chapel, church and burial grounds, together with Commonwealth war graves which are literally next to the hostel.

I decided to follow the beach as much as possible so most of the day was spent striding along the coast, detouring inland at a few red 'danger areas'.

I moved from North to South enjoying amazing views of the sea and the as always luminescent sky to my right and mountains to my left.

I bumped into a family from Milngavie I had met at the hostel, after a few hours, and as I approached the causeway to Eriskay many hours later a car behind me slowed down and offered me a lift, it was the Milngavie family, I politely declined and laughed!

Between West and East Kilbride as I made my way round the bottom of South Uist a storm came towards me and as it reached me, then headed north.

I crossed the causeway and arrived on Eriskay.  I climbed up and over a hill to escape from the road, and turned inland to find the pub marked on the map.

I had tea in the Am Politician, then pitched my tent above the Prince's beach where Bonny Prince Charlie first set foot in the Outer Hebrides.  There were a few wild campers along this stretch of coastline, all perfectly content with the views and the stillness of the evening.

I had a paddle in the blue sea to wash and soothe my feet and slept well listening to the waves.

The Timeless Way, from Carinish, North Uist to Howmore, South Uist

Day 8, 30 June 2015

I felt much better after a long sleep and a lazy morning at the bunk barn.  Setting off from the bunk after noon I decided not to hitch back to the junction where I could cover the off road stretch described by Peter.  I wasn't sure I had enough time to make it to the end of the Timeless Way, and having come this far I was keen to make it to the end.

I walked along the road and knew that I was missing out some exciting off road sections.  In particular in his book Peter explains about the North Ford and South Ford stretches of sand he crossed as he did with Tong Sands at Stornoway.

I did not have the Stornoway Gazette for the tidal charts, nor did I have the benefit of the guidance of the local guide Mr Ewen Nicholson of Grimsay, which Peter had had before he attempted this on his own, and I did not have anyone to wonder where I was if I encountered problems.  I would love to cross these fords but today was not the day, Peter's description of the crossings and of finding the waymarkers is fascinating to read.

I headed west as directed by the highlighted line on my map, west of Ruabhal.  I found myself on a very boggy section to Church Hill and could not find a path to the township, for quite a while.  When I did reach the houses, I had a chat with some locals and then headed south along a track through fields to Torlum, from there another track south to Lionacleit and came across a.... hotel!  I had a baked potato with chili and a pint and set off feeling totally refreshed and refuelled.

At the Coop at Gramsdale I stocked up on food and drink and then turned off the main road, following the line which headed for the coast.  The road came to an end, so I followed a rough track through fields.  I could see the MoD buildings ahead and made my way round the MoD base, worried about cows but bravely made progress.  Boggy and muddy fields gave way to sandy fields.

The day was coming to an end; it was now around 8 pm and didn't get dark till around 10 pm, those last two hours of daylight in the Outer Hebrides are usually quite special, the sky is often bright.  At last I was running, with mountains to my left, the sea to my right, a luminescent sky and thirty birds accompanying me above, a surreal last few miles to the Gatliff hostel at Howmore and hours of my life I will never forget.

I arrived at the Gatliff hostel at Howmore after 10 pm, chattered to some Dutch cycle tourists, pitched my tent and slept well.

The hostel is in a black house with thatched roof and again, in such a splendid location.

The Timeless Way through the Outer Hebrides, Berneray to Carinish, North Uist

Day 7 Monday 29 June 2015

I set off from the Gatliff hostel on Berneray with a Dutch traveller called Myka who was hoping the weather would permit a trip to St Kilda.  We had breakfast at the Ardmaree Stores and Lobster Pot tea room .

I stocked up on food and set off on my travels, following the road back to the causeway, I was now on North Uist.  With a bit of mapwork, and checking what Peter said about his route here, I made my way across fields and came to the machair, climbed to the top and on the other side miles and miles of golden beach were beauty to behold.  I ran down and along the beach to Hornais.

I sat down on a rock for a quick picnic, and my map blew away, sprinting I eventually caught it but it was wet and torn in places. I picked my way through fields and some boggy terrain, missing out the crossing of sands at Traigh Athmor.

By the time I arrived at the memorial at Grenitote it was nearly 3 pm, I had a picnic in a memorial garden commemorating the crofters who had lived and worked the land there.

I dried the map out and checked it was legible enough to get me through the next stretch.

I wondered if I had enough to get me through the next off road section, confidence, equipment, ability.  I decided I did and set off along the track to Loch Geireann.  I went as far as to where I could see the old manmade peat boundary between two lochs, but did not go right up to it, as the weather was turning and I thought it best to make progress.  The views of distant mountains were amazing, and changed as I progressed.

I climbed up Marrogh and saw the shieling below but missed the barpa.

By the time I got to the top of Marrival there was no visibility, so I followed a bearing to take me to the road.  By the time I reached the road it was after 6 pm, darkening and miserable rain.  I decided to miss out Peter's route which headed for the coast at Cladhach Chnoc a Lin.  

I turned down a few offers of lifts, as I walked along the road, a few hours later I arrived at a junction at Clachan, where Peter's route went left and then took a right towards Loch Euphort and there followed a moorland off road section.

At this point it was around 8 pm and I didn't feel up to a wild camp, having seen a sign for a campsite 3 miles away along the road.  I decided that I would camp on the site and could get a bus back here in the morning to cover this off road stretch.

By the time I got to the campsite which was past Carinish I was tired, and pleased to see there was a bunk barn, so I gladly paid £20 for that luxury.  The bunk barn turned out to be a house with a lounge, TV, kitchen, rooms and two bathrooms.

I ate some tea, exchanged some incomprehensible words with another occupant and slept through howling winds and driving rains, in an attic room looking out into a wild North Uist sky and coast I was so pleased I was in a bunk barn and not on a moor.  I also dried my tent out.

When I went to bed I was thinking I would call it  a day, this was a long journey and I kept missing out off road sections due to concerns about the weather or time of day I reached more remote sections.  It was an elemental night, the wind and rain battered down onto the roof of the attic room all night long.  

The Timeless Way through the Outer Hebrides, Lickeasto to Berneray

Sunday 28 June 2015

I ventured off road as advised by Peter to visit a deserted township.  Leaving the road at the old Manish school house, I followed an old path down to the deserted homes on the edge of a loch and clambered back to the road further along.

Another detour took me through lunar landscapes and a boggy section near Ardvey.

I made quite quick progress along the rest of this golden road, and arrived at Rodel faster than I had thought I would, I was pleased to see St Clements church in the distance.

Walking up the hill to the door and entering the church I was aware of the history, having read about this in Peter's book.  This 16th century church is home to the tombs of the Chiefs of the Clan Macloed and the place is quite special, spectacular even.  

After a while I left the church and decided to miss out the pub, where I had hoped to have a pub lunch.  I took a route across some hills,towards Borghasdal and ran along the road from there to Leverburgh.

In the ferry port waiting room I met 3 cyclists who had been touring the Western Isles and we agreed we had hoped for better weather for our trips, but had all had a great time.

We caught the 18:15 pm ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray, and they cycled off, I ran to the Gatliff hostel on the north east coast of this little island.

Another superb location for a hostel, I camped above a beach a short distance away.