The walk took us out to the westernmost point of South Uist, Rubha Aird a' Mhuile, which is a grassy peninsula with a loch at its heart and vast beaches stretching off both north and south. On our way we visited some interesting archaeological remains (a Norse site which was just an array of lumps and bumps, an Iron Age broch and an 18th century castle with an unfortunate history) and passed through an area teaming with sea and coastal birds.
As well as the sights all around us, underfoot for most of the time was a very rare type of grassland - the machair. This is a zone at the back of the dunes and is a rich mixture of sand and peat, much fertilised over the generations by layers of seaweed. It is unique to north-west Europe and some 70% of this is found in Benbecula and the Uists. It hosts an abundance of wild flowers, birds and insects and is a naturalist's paradise.
We were hoping that we'd finish off the day with a meal at a recommended hotel but it didn't quite turn out as planned. When we got to the hotel and discovered that food was not being served as most of the staff were out looking for a lost cow! I hope they came across her and were able to reunite her with her new-born calf. That, at least, would be some compensation for the pretty average pubby meal we ended up having on our way back to the B & B. There really isn't much choice when it comes to dining out in this part of the world.
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| A tapestry of colour in Nunton Graveyard on Benbecula. Dandelions, lesser celandines, daisies and primroses. |
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| This is the place where Flora MacDonald, of Bonnie Prince Charlie fame, lived as a child - alledgedly. Except that then she was known by the less romantic name of Flory Milton. |
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| Sea, rocky beach, sandy beach and mountains - now that's what I call scenic variety. |
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| I watched these two seals for a while and became convinced that the one in the water was trying to persuade the other one to come and play, to no avail. Lounging about in the sun was obviously more attractive than frolicking in the sea. |
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| Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised by my interest in fence posts. The wonder of this one is how they managed to keep it upright in such sandy soil with so little bracing. Not a job that will last, methinks. Amateurs! |
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| How about this for a beach? And, look, no people! If you look carefully, you may just be able to make out a buzzard sitting on a post. |
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| Ideally placed for those walkers who get caught short whilst on this part of the coast. Given the cuts in public conveniences 'back home', perhaps this is an idea that should be adopted by Cornwall Council. |
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| Towards the end of the walk we came across the ruin of Caisteal Ormacleit. By some accounts it may well have been the last castle to be built in Scotland. Built around 1700 and burnt down in 1715, it didn't last intact that long. It's not possible to go inside as the structure is unsafe and also a private house is built on to the side of it. |
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| A very common flower in Cornwall: at this time of year the hedgerows are awash with them. They are Lady's Smock or the Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis). I came across this single plant in the middle of a very large field and was puzzled at its solitude. The star/cross shape of its 4 petals is very characteristic of the Crucifers. |
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| There are two unusual things about this photograph. The first is the fact that it's as well focussed as any flower shot I've taken with my compact camera. The second is the plant itself: known variously as the Sea Pansy, Dune Pansy, Sand Pansy or Wild Pansy. Its Latin name is Viola tricolor ssp curtisii and comes in blue/violet, yellow and white - and mixtures in-between. It's not a rare plant in the UK but is restricted mainly to north-western coastal areas. I find it a lovely little flower to behold. |
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