Words and Images By Paul Gardner
A trip to Mingulay has been on the DCKC calendar for several years, but weather has always resulted in cancellation, or moving the trip to less exposed locations. However, this time it worked: a forecast for settled weather, at least for long enough to make it worthwhile getting the ferry across to Castlebay on Barra.
On day 1, nine people made the ferry journey in three cars and a van, arriving in Castlebay in the afternoon, with plenty daylight left to drive to Vatersay, pack up and paddle a few km to a beach campsite on the south coast. Far enough to make sure you packed properly and didn’t forget anything, and near enough for one person to walk back to the car to collect their trousers.
On day 2, we followed the chain of now-uninhabited islands south: Sandray, Pabbay and at last Mingulay, landing on a perfect beach. We were greeted by the NTS warden Ben, approaching the end of his summer shift there. We had brought water, though the advice was that the streams were probably drinkable, and there was plenty water in the stream near the schoolhouse. We had no tick trouble on Mingulay, as there are no mammals larger than rabbits and otters on the island: and of course seals. Our beach is a haul-out location for seals in bad weather and for breeding, and Ben said he’d seen around 2000 seals there on occasion.
Day 3: circumnavigation of Berneray and Mingulay, passing under the huge cliffs of Barra Head, with plenty caves to explore, some the size of cathedrals. A big swell on the west coasts, but the weather continued fine. Multiple sightings of eagles: Ben told us there are both white-tailed eagles and golden eagles on these islands, and we saw enough very large birds to feel confident we’d seen both species. Back to the beach on Mingulay for a fire: not much driftwood around, but thanks to Danny, everyone was carrying a bag of coal and kindling.
Day 4 was relatively short: a crossing back to Berneray, an awkward landing, then a walk up to Barra Head lighthouse. There is a small graveyard there for the lighthouse keepers and their families, who being Protestants largely from the east coast, could not be buried in the graveyards of the local Catholic population. On the return crossing, in almost flat calm, we had an extended close encounter with a curious basking shark. Another beach fire for our last night on Mingulay, with the weather still holding.
On day 5 we headed back north via skerries and Pabbay to circumnavigate Sandray (more caves, and a short narrow channel with the tide flowing like a river the wrong way) and camped there on another perfect beach. We had a hilltop fire in an attempt to beat the midges, and eventually around sunset they gave up as the wind increased.
Day 6 was a return to civilization after 5 nights of wild camping. Civilisation in the form of the Vatersay community café and (importantly) showers and flushing toilets, while we waited for the drivers to reposition cars. Then paddling onwards up the west coast of Barra to camp at Allasdale, and car-shuttling to get us all back to Castlebay for a very good meal in Café Kisimul. The scallop pakora was popular, though there was some agreement that this was not necessarily the best thing you could do with a fresh scallop (see Day 8).
The forecast was for stronger winds, northerly, with more shelter on the east side of the Uists rather than the west side. So day 7 was for repositioning to North Uist. We paddled round the north end of Barra, past the famous beach-airport, across miles of shallow aquamarine lagoons, to the ferry slipway, then loaded the cars, crossed to Eriskay, and drove north to a basic campsite (‘a bin and a tap’) near Lochmaddy, via a Chinese meal from what looked like someone’s front room in Ballivanich.
On day 8 we set off south from Lochmaddy in greyer conditions, skerry-hopping through channels amongst the extremely complicated coastal topography of N Uist. The highlight of the day was an unplanned stop at a small harbour at Ceallan/Kallin where at the top of the slipway there was a hardware shop and café selling scallop and black-pudding rolls. We finished the day on Benbecula at yet another perfect beach at Roisinis. In calm conditions, most people went on a night paddle to see how quickly they could get lost amongst the islands and skerries.
Although the campsite at Roisinis was idyllic in the evening, in the morning of day 9 it was flat calm and midge hell. So we did an emergency breakfast-less packup and got on the water to escape. Heading south there was more complex route-finding amongst islands, then higher ground with cliffs and caves, to a bothy above the beach at Uisinis. The bothy was big enough for four to sleep in, others opting to camp rather than put up with snoring. However it was big enough for us all to fit in for socializing round the stove, and (amazingly) a Film Night with a projector and screen brought by Misha.
Day 10 was the last paddling day, with appropriately greyer and wetter weather, to Lochboisdale, with some additional paddling challenges due to adding to Graham’s collection of ‘lost buoys’. After shuttling cars from Lochmaddy, we were back in civilization in a campsite with showers; though nowhere in S Uist was civilized enough to have a restaurant with enough space for us all on a Saturday night.
An early ferry the next day got us to Mallaig and then Fort William for lunch, before splitting up and heading home. Total distance paddled about 220 km; no major problems, though unfortunately Paul R had to leave us from Barra half-way through, due to a sudden eye problem that needed specialist care. Luckily he was able to extract himself, boat and car by ferry back to Glasgow quickly.
Thanks to all the planners, organisers and leaders, especially Misha, Graham, Bev and Pat.
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