A trip report by Janice Gow.
Saturday 13th August
Arrived at Miavaig Pier, West Loch Roag and MV Cuma at 4pm today. (Some of us, Bev, Marcus, Joe, Graham, Hannah and I, had travelled through the night from Glasgow before the ferry from Ullapool at 10am – thanks Hannah and Graham for all that driving.) Met everyone else there – Pat, Alan, Misha, Angus, Danny and Geoff. Got kayaks on, tied to side of boat with our roof straps, got all our bags on and got our cabins.
Murdo, our skipper, had said we were going to Scarp, that St Kilda wasn’t possible, and we’d known it wasn’t likely given the forecast. BUT as we travelled, we became aware we were going away from the coast and going west? A big cheer went up. We were going to St Kilda!
St Kilda is 45 miles west of Harris, an archipelago of five islands, the biggest one being Hirta, the one that was inhabited. It’s not a short journey. It took till 11.30pm that night to get there and it was a choppy sea, some of us were suffering — Hannah and I…. but we survived.
Sunday 14th August 31km Force 2-3
Awoke to see we were anchored in Village Bay looking over to Hirta and the ruined village main street. But not alone. There was a big Norwegian cruise ship and a yacht also anchored so we were not the only tourists.
Plan for the day was to go round Hirta anti-clockwise to Glen Bay on the north coast and meet up with the Cuma there for lunch. The weather was calm, northerly Force 2-3. We made our way round, passing huge sheer dark cliffs, their tops covered in mist, really atmospheric and maybe a wee bit scary? Amazing to think what the islanders had to do, lowering one another down these cliffs, just a rope tied to the waist of the man on top, to collect eggs and gannets for food to survive. A tough life. All their basic needs provided by the sea birds, the product of their lazy beds and some livestock. Unbelievably, rent actually had to be paid in the form of produce such as tweed, wool, feathers or fulmar oil to MacLeod of Harris, collected once a year by his steward.
When the sun did break through there were patches of bright green grass on top of the cliffs. Some sea birds, some gannets, some puffins — but not masses, maybe the effect of Avian flu? We went in every cave exploring all the time until we reached Glen Bay. Amazing colours in caves, just beautiful. The MV Cuma came into the bay but then left? We were all a bit puzzled until Murdo radioed he wanted to go round the headland to get a better place to anchor, so we followed, exploring the caves in Glen Bay on the way, going through the arch as we rounded the headland. All our boats were tied up to the Cuma on the water while we went on board for lunch.
A decision to be made: would we go round Soay too? That was the most challenging kayaking of the day, because as we rounded the west and north of Soay, there was swell and tide against us and clapotis to cope with, Danny and Geoff following Misha close along the coastline, enjoying it all. Soon we were round to the calmer sea between Soay and Hirta, paddling all the way down to the gap between Hirta and Dun. Then playing, going through tunnels and arches on Dun until we decided enough and headed back to Village Bay and the Cuma.
It takes a wee while to get kayaks on, tied to the sides, all of us on and drysuits off, but tea and scones and jam after taste brilliant. Soon we were all heading for the Monach Isles. No chance to land on Hirta – Murdo was concerned that the weather was changing for the worse.
But then a shout went up from Barnaby, one of the crew — Dolphins! Imagine getting to kayak round St Kilda, then watching dolphins playing in the bow wave! We watched them for at least fifteen minutes, playing, turning, twisting, looking up at us with one eye. You felt you wanted to wave at them. They went away but came back again and gave another display! It was wonderful.
Monday 15th August 15 km Force 4 gusting 5
Anchored at the bay on the southside of Ceann Iar, one of the Monach Isles. We launched and crossed over to paddle along the south coast to the end of the island, seals following us all the way. Masses of them on rocks too. The Monachs are home to the largest colony of grey seals in Europe – 35,000 in the autumn as they gather to pup and around 9,000 are born here annually.
Then we crossed over to Eilean Siolaigh and a huge 1864 red brick-built lighthouse used until 1948 when it was thought not to be needed any more. However, in 2008 a new light was established again in the old tower which had been left unused for sixty years, a testament to the workmanship of those legendary Stevensons that so little needed done to re-establish it.
From Eilean Siolaigh looking out west we could see the faint grey shape of St Kilda on the horizon.
We were in two groups, and ours was last to leave. There was a buoyancy aid left behind though. Angus’s? We radioed Misha and set off to join the other group and give it to him. It will be a wee while till he lives that down.
We planned to go round the headland of Ceann Iar but it was hard paddling across wind. It was Force 4 gusting 5 and a choppy sea. I couldn’t do it, so Graham radioed Misha and said we were turning back along the south of the island. I was bit disappointed, but we then discovered my skeg wasn’t working. So we had a leisurely paddle (with the seals) back to the beach and the bay where the Cuma was anchored. We pulled the boats up and Graham climbed up to see if we could see the others arriving round the headland. No sign. We kept walking along to the end of the bay until Graham got a message to say the others had turned back too.
That afternoon we set off to the other big Monach Isle of Ceann Ear. A nice paddle but sticking close into the shore for shelter from that northerly wind. We landed at Heamorabhagh, a beautiful white sandy beach untouched till we landed. We made our way to the ruined settlement. No one has stayed there permanently since 1931, though there is a bothy for lobster fishermen. Someone was there in the bothy and he welcomed us in to a simple house with a bed, a fire and a cooker. He told us that he used to be a lobster fisherman for twenty years, had come there for a couple of nights but was waiting for a boat from Uist to pick him up that afternoon. We thanked him and left to explore the ruined settlement. One building had been restored – the former Mission House. Inside there was a truly wonderful exhibition with all the history of the island, old photographs and some recent ones showing a celebratory dinner there in the now restored Mission House. Thank you, Pat, for reading ‘The Scottish Islands’ and suggesting we visit it.
We wandered back to the boats for the paddle back to the Cuma. Misha said to stay in close to shore again and that worked well. We stopped at the edge of the bay to stagger our arrival at the Cuma. Once on board, Graham and Geoff tried to fix my Hydro-skeg, but no luck. Thank you lots though for trying guys…
Tuesday 16th August 9km/ 16km Force 4-5
We set off for our next island, Taransay, after breakfast. It was Force 4-5, north westerly. Fine at first, lots of us standing out at the stern watching the horizon going up and down. But it didn’t last. That horizon didn’t stop going up and down for two hours. And I was sick again.
Eventually we arrived at Taransay. How beautiful! I had a brief glimpse of that golden beach and went to bed, recovering. Everyone else had lunch and got taken over in the rib to Taransay for a walk and an explore of the island. Over dinner we planned our night paddle.
We were in two groups. Ours stuck close to shore, paddling along the coast while the others were further out. It was comfortable paddling, enjoying the waves, easy going into them. When we reached Bagha Chaigeall, Graham went with Joe and Bev to let them join the others to make their way round Taransay in more challenging conditions to the beach at Traigh a Siar. Hannah and I waited till both Graham and Joe came back and then the four of us went round in between the skerry and the island trying out the harder conditions and then back towards the Cuma. There were caves to explore. There was a fair bit of swell, and Joe went in first with Hannah shouting ‘Wave. Wave. Wave.’ We could see Joe in the cave, managing well in the washing machine! Graham then went in backwards to the same cave. Hannah and I just watched.
There were more caves to explore as the light faded though. We went in all of them. One had a blowhole. One had a light to the sky. Lovely colours, just beautiful, pink, purple, then grey then black. And behind us on Harris a beautiful purple sunset…
We continued as light faded and called out our numbers again. We’ve decided Joe can’t count to four! From behind suddenly there was a shout of ‘Attack! Attack! Attack!’ It was Danny shouting. He and the others had caught up with us having been all the way round. Alan was already on board the Cuma – he had portaged across the beach and sand dunes and got back first.
Wednesday17th August 30 km Force 4, gusting 5
Today we were going from Taransay to Scarp. In two groups again. Ours set off anti-clockwise to the sand spit between Taransay and Harris, with beautiful views of mountains on Harris as we paddled, crossing over to Amhuinnsuidhe where the others joined us for lunch. Graham found a pipe there on the beach and had us all trying to hit a stone he dropped through it. Danny had the best reaction time.
Our group set off first after lunch heading to Huisinis near the entrance to the Sound of Scarp. There we split into yet different groups again, some braving the outside west coast and swell and the rest of us going up the inside and Sound of Scarp. How turquoise was that sea! We stopped at Rubha na Glaodbaidh to explore the old village and met someone repairing a fence. Calum was happy to talk, especially when he found out we were on the Cuma, told us he was Murdo’s cousin.
There’s a story from 1934 of a Christina McLennan, a woman from Scarp who gave birth to a baby on the island. She was still suffering the next day, so it was decided she needed to see a doctor. The sea was rough, so she was tied to a stretcher laid across an open boat across to Huisinis, then travelled 17 miles of bumpy road on the floor of a bus to Tarbet, where the doctor immediately saw she should be in hospital, so she was then driven by car to Stornoway. Once there the cause of her distress was quickly discovered and she gave birth to a second healthy baby. Twins born days apart and in different counties! Calum told us he was the grandson of Christina, and his mother that first twin that had been born on Scarp.
We then went on to explore the deserted village before paddling on, exploring more wonderful caves on the way to Cearstaigh, and the Cuma waiting for us.
That night after dinner we had a film show. Misha had his screen and his projector again and we watched an unusual documentary film called ‘My Octopus Teacher’ all about a man and his relationship with an octopus, how he managed to communicate incredibly closely.
Thursday 18th August 14km Force 5, gusting 6
The Cuma was headed back towards Miavaig but we stopped a wee distance away from it, had lunch on the boat before we set off to travel eastwards to Callanish and the Standing Stones. Nine of us did that trip while Graham, Alan and Danny followed the route of the Cuma back to Miavaig with more challenging conditions. They would get back to the Cuma and then come with cars to pick us and the kayaks up at Callanish.
It took us a long time to get there. It wasn’t easy paddling with my skeg not working and travelling downwind was slow too with a stern rudder. But we got there. And it was impressive. Fitting somehow to end our trip at those absolutely amazing standing stones.
Friday 19th August
We had to be off the Cuma by 9.30 this morning but the ferry wasn’t until 2pm.
I had thought our wonderful holiday had ended with Callanish but, no, off we went to be tourists again. Dun Carloway, an amazing broch, and we explored there, clambering all over it. Then to Na Gearrannan, the restored blackhouse village. Incredible. What a trip!
I can’t really believe we got to St Kilda and got round it. I absolutely loved it. I want to go back, get to some of those stunning white beaches we saw on Harris, go to other parts of the Outer Hebrides. Thank you, Misha and Graham. Thank you to All for making it such a memorable trip.
PS Check out wonderful photos on Smugmug.
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