Island 456 - Eilean an Rubha, Balranald, North Uist

Eilean an Rubha is a very small low lying tidal island located off the west coast of North Uist at Traigh Iar near Balranald.  It can be accessed across about 25 metres of seaweed strewn beach at low tide.  It is covered in short grass and thrift was in flower when I paid a brief visit in mid June 2018.  I think it is part of the RSPB's Balranald Nature Reserve but there were no birds nesting or resting on the island.  It is a flat walk of about a mile from the RSPB visitor centre and car park to the island.

Looking west towards America

 

Looking south from Eilean an Rubha

 

Looking north west from Eilean an Rubha

 

Eilean an Rubha from North Uist

Island 455 - Gasaigh, South Uist

Gasaigh (sometimes spelt Gasay) has been linked permanently to South Uist via Rhubha Bhuailt by a breakwater/causeway since October 2013, as part of the development of the new harbour at Lochboisdale.  Rhubha Bhuailt, which is located between Lochboisdale and Gasaigh, was either a peninsula or possibly a tidal island with a very small gap between it and South Uist, but it is difficult to tell from a satellite map and the gap is no longer there to study.

As part of the development of the new harbour the western third of Gasaigh was blasted away to create a flat area on which to build offices; toilets, showers and a laundry for visiting fishermen and leisure sailors; some commercial or industrial units and a car park.  The harbour has 52 berths for boats of up to 18 metres in length and there is also a fishery pier and a slipway.  The new development was officially opened by Deputy First Minister John Swinney on  5th September 2015.  The total cost of the new harbour was around £10 million and the construction work was carried out by local firm MacInnes Bros.

Gasaigh is about 500 metres from east to west by 250 metres from north to south and it rises to a height of a little over 10 metres above sea level. The part of the island left undisturbed by the new harbour is covered in bracken and heather.  Cotton grass, foxgloves and tormentil were in flower when I visited in mid June 2018.  I visited during Storm Hector when it was extremely wet and windy, I didn't linger long.  There is a small navigation light on the north east tip of Gasaigh. 

Looking west over Lochboisdale Harbour from Gasaigh

Buildings on Lochboisdale Harbour

Looking east along the north coast of Gasaigh towards the navigation light

Foxgloves in flower on Gasaigh

Lochboisdale Harbour

Island 454 - Eilean na Coilleag, Eriskay

Eilean na Coilleag is a very small tidal island at the south end of Prince's Beach (Coilleag a Phrionnsa) on the west coast of Eriskay, close to the Calmac ferry terminal.  I visited in mid June 2018 during Storm Hector, so visibility wasn't great and it was a wee bit wet and windy.  Thrift and bird's foot trefoil were in flower on the island.

Prince Charles Edward Stuart (son of the deposed King James II) and better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or the Young Pretender, first set foot on Scottish soil on this beautiful beach on Eriskay on 23rd July 1745, at the start of his unsuccessful attempt to regain the thrones of Scotland, England and Ireland.  He arrived in a boat called Du Teillay  from France with 7 supporters, who became known as the Seven Men of Moidart.  The following day Alexander MacDonald of Boisdale advised him to return home. Bonnie Prince Charlie replied "I am come home" and on 25th July he left Eriskay and sailed on to Arisaig.

A striped pink convolvulus/sea bindweed flower (Convolvulus soldanella), which is not native to the Outer Hebrides, grows on Prince's Beach.  The story goes that Bonnie Prince Charlie brought the seeds with him from France and that they fell out when he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket.

Looking north up Prince's Beach from Eilean na Coilleag

Looking south from Eilean na Coilleag towards the ferry terminal

Eilean na Coilleag with the Calmac ferry to Barra in the distance

This cairn was erected by the children on Eriskay School on 23rd July 1995 to commemorate the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie here on 23rd July 1745

 Looking north up Prince's Beach towards Eilean na Coilleag

Island 453 - Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain 7, Benbecula

This is a tidal island, which lies to the north of Island 6 and is linked to it at low tide. It was an easy walk across some rocks and a bit of seaweed from Island 6 to Island 7.

There are a few faint paths on the island, so presumably it is occasionally visited by other people - fishermen perhaps?  There was a very dead and very smelly sheep lying close to one of the paths.  The island is mainly covered in rough grass, bracken and heather but there were a few harebells and some thrift and tormentil in flower.

Looking east towards Eilean na Cille from a small bay on Island 7

Looking north west

Looking south towards the causeway between Islands 5 and 6

The way up on to Island 7

Looking north west towards Island 7

Island 452 - Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain 6, Benbecula

This is the 5th and last island in the road chain between Grimsay and Eilean na Cille and it is joined to Eilean na Cille by a causeway.  This island has a small concrete slipway.   It has a few areas of exposed rock, some of which is covered in green and gold lichen.  Bird's foot trefoil, tormentil, clover, thrift and a white bedstraw were in flower. 

Eilean na Cille from Island 6

Looking south east across the causeway to Eilean na Cille

The small concrete slipway is on the left hand side of the causeway

Looking west along the causeway to Island 5

Interesting strata in these rocks

Looking north from Island 6

Island 451 - Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain 5, Benbecula

This is the 4th island in the road link between Grimsay and Eilean na Cille.  It has a small concrete slipway.  The island is covered in heather and bracken with patches of thrift and silverweed.

Slipway covered in decaying seaweed

Island 5

Island 450 - Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain 4, Benbecula

This is the 3rd island in the road link between Grimsay and Eilean na Cille. There were lots of cottongrass plants covering this island with a few patches of heather.  Thrift, silverweed and tormentil were in flower.

Cottongrass - looking west to Island 3

Looking south east to Island 4

Island 449 - Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain 3, Benbecula

This is the second island in the road link between Grimsay and Eilean na Cille. It is linked to its two neighbouring islands by causeways.  It has a few stunted trees growing on it, areas of exposed rock and some patches of heather and thistles.  Lousewort, bird's foot trefoil, thrift and cottongrass were in flower.

Looking west towards Island 1

Cottongrass and bird's foot trefoil - looking east to Island 3

Island 448 - Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain 2, Benbecula

This is the first island in the road link between Grimsay and Eilean na Cille.  It has areas of bare rock with patches of heather and bracken.  Tormentil, thrift and silverweed were in flower.

Rocky outcrops, heather and bracken

Causeway and bridge to Grimsay from Island 2

Island 447 - Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain 1, Benbecula

A chain of five small islands has been used to join the larger islands of Eilean na Cille and Grimsay to each other by road.  Grimsay is in turn linked to Benbecula by a causeway/bridge at its north western end.  The gaps between the islands in the middle of the chain have been filled in with causeways but there is a bridge at the north west end of the chain.  The name Eilean Dubh Ceann a' Chlachain apparently means "black island of the stony head".

The first island I visited is actually a tidal island, which is not part of the causeway. This small round island was covered in bracken and heather.  Tormentil, thrift and bluebells were in flower.

Causeway and bridge to Grimsay from Island 1

Looking south from the island

Crossing point

Island 1 from Island 2

Island 446 - Eilean an Dùnain, Berneray

Eilean an Dùnain is a small, low lying, uninhabited tidal island located about 75 metres off the south coast of Berneray.  It takes its name from the barely discernible remains of a dùn or fort, which is located on the island.  The island is only about 50 metres from north to south by 30 metres from east to west and is easily accessed across a beach of silver sand at low tide.  

Lots of plants were in flower when I visited in early June 2018: bird's foot trefoil, bedstraw, silverweed, thrift, daisies, kidney vetch, buttercups.  Judging by their droppings, the local sheep sometimes graze on the island but they weren't there on the day I visited.  There was a plastic box hidden under a pile of stones in the middle of the island with a visitors' book inside, so I signed it.  Shame it wasn't a geocache!

The coast of Berneray close to the island contains the remains of a submerged prehistoric forest in the peat layer.   It is thought to date from 4 to 5,000 years ago when sea levels rose and the climate cooled and became wetter.  However this site is eroding rapidly.

Cairn on Eilean an Dùnain

Looking north east towards Berneray

Not a geocache

The south coast of Berneray from Eilean an Dùnain

Bird's foot trefoil in flower on Eilean an Dùnain

Looking south to North Uist from Eilean an Dùnain

I think the stones on the top of the bank may be part of the dùn.

Eilean an Dùnain from Berneray with North Uist in the distance

Island 445 - Stuaidh, Rodel, Harris

Stuaidh is a small rocky tidal island located in the south east corner of the island of Harris 500 metres west of the village of Rodel. 

There is a track from Rodel to Borrisdale but in order to access Stuaidh from this track, you need to climb down a steep slope to get to sea level.  Then it is an easy walk across a rocky but seaweed free causeway to the island.  The remains of Dùn Stuaidh, an ancient fort, can be seen on the top of the island.  Some sheep were grazing on the island when I arrived but as usual they all ran back to the mainland when they saw me.

Stuaidh from Harris

 

Sheep on the summit of Stuaidh

 

Walls of the fort

Looking towards St Clement's Church, Rodel from the top of Stuaidh

 

Looking north from Stuaidh to Harris

 

Discarded buoy on the causeway - looking east towards Rodel

 

Pile of stones on Stuaidh

 

Looking south to Stuaidh