Practical Boat Owner – June 2019

more than going to look for them, though
I’d be disappointed to visit the Western
Isles without seeing one.

Southernmost island
Getting the weather to visit Mingulay is
rare enough, but amazingly, the fi ne
settled conditions continued, so next to
Berneray, the southernmost island. The
only possible anchorage, off the landing
place for the lighthouse, feels dreadfully
exposed. Despite the name, Shelter Rock
doesn’t appear to provide much
protection as it covers at high tide, but it
does defl ect the strong current that
sweeps through the sound. I’d be too
anxious to leave the boat unattended here
in any but the calmest conditions. Here we
could enjoy a whole island to ourselves.
We walked up to Barra Head lighthouse
and found the perfect lunch spot atop the

200m cliffs with a view over Sloc na Beiste
(Ravine of the Monster). From a
comfortable seat in soft grass we watched
the puffi ns, razorbills and kittiwakes
coming and going all around.
It was hot ashore, so I was glad of a
refreshing swim when we got back, but
couldn’t persuade Aleko to join me.
Preferring a more sheltered anchorage for
the night, we motored back past Mingulay
to Pabbay.
Aleko was keen to try fi shing for
mackerel so we stopped and drifted near
the island. Not having any luck and about to
give up, he let the line out to the bottom and
immediately hooked a fair-sized pollack,
quickly followed by three saithe. These are
unfamiliar fi sh to a Mediterranean sailor so
he was well pleased.

Knowing my aversion to fi sh guts in the

cockpit, once we were anchored in Bagh

Ban the fi sherman rowed ashore to deal

with his catch on the beach. I was

surprised when he returned after just a

few minutes, more so when I noticed his

hair and clothes were wet. With a

sheepish grin, he explained that the

dinghy had pitchpoled in the surf,

spinning end over end so fast that the

bucket, fi sh and knife all stayed in place;

only the rower fell out. So Aleko went for a

swim in Scotland after all and we still got

our fi sh dinner. Oh, how I wish I’d been

watching! I chose my landing place very

carefully when I rowed ashore later.

Fishing was important to the people who

lived here and lead to real tragedy in May

1897 when all the able-bodied men were

lost at sea in a storm. Life must have been

incredibly hard for the remaining islanders

but they didn’t leave till 1912.

Beside the ruined house, there are signs

of much older occupation – three

mediaeval cross-marked gravestones and

a more ancient stone with Pictish symbols.

The Dunan Ruadh Broch overlooking the

Sound of Pabbay dates from the Iron Age.

By morning the wind had come in from

the south, the boat bouncing

Kalessin crossing

the Sea of the

Hebrides under

spinnoa

‘As if the view wasn’t

dramatic enough, the

fi nishing touch was a

sea eagle soaring

above the cliffs’

ABOVE A sea eagle

at home in the

Western Isles

LEFT Barra Head

lighthouse, built in

1833 on Berneray

CRUISING