Island 438 - Fraoch Eilean, Balallan, Lewis

Fraoch Eilean means "heather island" and this small uninhabited tidal island at the far western end of Loch Eireasort on the island of Lewis, is indeed partly covered in heather.  The rest of the island is covered in grass, which is grazed by visiting sheep.  It can be reached at low tide across a 60m long natural rocky causeway from a layby off the B8060 half a mile south of the western end of the long thin village of Balallan (Baile Ailein).  The island is roughly round in shape with a heather covered hummock in the middle, which is a bit over 10 metres above sea level.  It is about 100 metres in diameter.  When I visited on a warm evening in early June the local cuckoo was in good voice, tormentil was in flower and two rams were grazing at the north end of the island..

Sheep grazing on Fraoch Eilean - looking north towards Balallan

 

Looking north east from Fraoch Eilean to Torais Eilean

 

Looking north west towards Balallan

 

Looking south from Fraoch Eilean

 

Fraoch Eilean from the mainland