Eriskay, Barra and Vatersay

Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st August 2017

I woke at the start of this day, on the Isle of Eriskay, to blue skies, but it wasn’t long before it started raining and so once again I had to pack up a wet tent. Therefore I was in full waterproofs when I walked from the end of the causeway into the town, Am Baile, on Eriskay, past the Am Politician Inn, named after the ship that wrecked just off this island laden with whisky galore, and onto Coilleag a’ Phrionnsa, the Prince’s Strand, where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on British soil. By the time I reached this small beach the rain had stopped and the sun came out affording me with glorious views across the sea that reminded me of the excellent weather I had enjoyed when I was last on Eriskay two years ago. That day I had spent all afternoon on the island, but this time I didn’t linger and instead caught the ferry across to Barra while several rain showers passed overhead. One last shower came and went while I walked along the road from the ferry terminal to Barra Airport, which is actually just a beach: the only airfield where scheduled flights use a beach as the runway. There was a plane waiting to take off so I deliberately hung around to see it do so, while looking for the route of the Hebridean Way.

This was nowhere to be seen and to add to my annoyance I did not have the GPS waypoints for this section. For the rest of the trail I had used waypoints gathered from the visitouterhebrides.co.uk website, but was lacking this point. I picked what I thought was the best place to start and soon after the tiny aeroplane taxied along the beach to the water’s edge, turned around, headed into the wind and was soon in the air on its way to Glasgow. I turned around and continued to climb the boggy hillside where I was soon rewarded by the sight of a Hebridean Way signpost that directed me over the hill, around the eastern slopes of Beinn Eireabhal and down the other side. These posts were relatively clear, nicely spaced apart and with a faint path in between took me on an interesting route in the improving weather and with great views over the hills of Barra I was happy to be walking in amongst hills again. This was an enjoyable walk that was reminiscent of walks in the Lake District, and it is a pity that elsewhere on the Hebridean Way, except for in Harris, there isn’t scenery like this. I was enjoying the good weather as I crossed a road and followed a muddy track past Loch an Dùin and Loch na Cartach before coming off the track I headed uphill.

The posts took me up the grassy slopes until I came to the top of the pass between Beinn Bhirisig and Grianan where I had walked two years ago heading north. Now I went through the pass and turned south onto a well-constructed path that keeps to the western edge of Grianan. This path was severely eroded by the heavy rains of the previous week and required some precarious footwork from me to negotiate the severe damage to the Hebridean Way. Eventually the problems were all passed and the path slowly descended into the valley of Borve where I joined a track that took me to the main road near the west coast of Barra. A walk along this road beside the stunning coastline brought me to the beautiful beach of Bàgh Halamain where a signposted path took me up onto a craggy landscape decorated with magnificently crafted cairns. I don’t know the reason for these cairns, but the posts took me past them eventually leading me to the site of an ancient fort, Dùn Bàn, though just before reaching there a Hebridean Way post directed me away from the fort and up the steep hillside inland. With hindsight I should have camped at that point near to the fort, but instead I started the steep climb that soon wore me out and prompted me to stop as soon as the terrain levelled slightly and make camp.

The weather during the evening was stunning with amazing views out to sea, as I had enjoyed for most of the day on the fabulous islands of Eriskay and Barra, and I had really enjoyed the hill walking. The following morning I had a tortuous time as midges plagued me under overcast skies with no wind while I broke camp and throughout my climb up, so that it was a relief when I finally reached the top of the pass and blessedly get some fresh air. I had now reached the highest point on the whole Hebridean Way and a faint path linked by the familiar posts took me steeply down saturated ground all the way to the sea. The road at the bottom of the path took me over the causeway onto the final island of my Hebridean trek, Vatersay, and a frustratingly prolonged walk along this road brought me to the Vatersay village hall where the Hebridean Way ends at a metal memorial. It is a pity that the Hebridean Way could not come up with a better way to end, or more usually start the trail, as I had tried to do two years ago when I did my own Hebridean walk.

From the end of the Hebridean Way I started the Vatersay Circular Walk that I did two years ago, then as a prelude to my trek, but now as a sort of victory lap. From the west beach, poorly sighted posts took me over an ancient fort and through tricky terrain until I reached the delightful south beach. Two years ago I had tried to reach the southernmost point on the island, but there was no such silliness this time and after a quiet lunch on the tranquil beach I made my way through Vatersay township, along the stunning east beach and back to the start (or finish as in my case) of the Hebridean Way. Slowly I made my way along the road all the way onto Barra until finally I reached Castlebay where a ferry the following morning would take me back to the mainland. I found the Hebridean Way surprisingly physically demanding leaving me with aches from head to toe having gained loads of insect bites and blisters, and with a rucksack that never seemed to be comfortable. I had expected well-made footpaths so I was frustrated to discover long sections of the Hebridean Way has no path whatsoever and West Harris was the worst offender.

It takes a lot more effort when there is no path and you are wading through knee deep heather on unstable ground. However I’m sure that the Hebridean Way will mature into a very good trail once everything is bedded in and established with clear paths beaten underfoot, but until then it is a strenuous trail that will try the stamina of any walker who attempts it. I was unfortunate to do the trail just as it received tremendous amounts of rain and to be wild camping in midge-loving weather. At a drier and colder time of the year I may have found the Hebridean Way easier, and especially if I had done the walk in the opposite direction with the prevailing wind behind me.