Wednesday 29 June 2016

Island 304 - Aird Mhor, Harris

Aird Mhor is a small uninhabited tidal island, which is linked at most states of the tide to the east coast of the island of Harris in the Outer Hebrides.  It is located 500 metres to the south east of the end of the road at Manais (apparently it is pronounced to rhyme with varnish, not vanish) Township.  There is no path to the island but in late June after a dry spring it was an easy walk round the coast to the causeway.  The gap between Aird Mhor and the mainland of Harris is no more than about 15 metres and a manmade crude stone causeway spans the gap, although it is broken at the mainland end.  I presume it was built to give people and sheep access to the island at all times, except high spring tides or during stormy conditions.  

The island is 700 metres from north west to south east and 400 metres from north to south.  There are 2 manmade cairns on the island - I'm not sure of their original purpose - navigation aids perhaps or memorials?  The island is closely grazed by sheep and when I visited in mid June 2016 lousewort, butterwort, tormentil and cottongrass were in flower.  

 The causeway looking south east over Aird Mhor

 One of the Cairns

 Another view of the same cairn

 The other cairn looking south

The other cairn looking north
 Harris from Aird Mhor at the causeway

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