Wednesday 5th July
Uist

We have reached heaven
Absolutely bliss. Sunshine, blue shy, wispy clouds, long white coral sandy beach and a BIG sea!! Only the sound of the sea to be heard. Peaceful. Amazing. Can’t put into words. We’re sitting here with big sunny smiles! We have been looking forward to and hoping for this moment. Good weather with the amazingly beautiful setting.


Thank you, thank you, thank you!


We can see the hills of Barra over the turquoise sea. Dramatic and very pleasing to the soul. I think this journey has fed our souls which we so needed as we are deprived of beauty being in Brighton. Brighton has a lot to offer but beauty is not one of them. The West is so much more lush, wet, green and beautiful.
It is so nice to be here.

This morning, we had a lovely calm sailing through the mists and sunlight and saw a basking shark very close to the ferry. Once we had arrived at Uist, we set off for Langass stone circle. Driving out of Lochmaddy, we were soon faced with a distressing scenario. They are building a massive road straight across to the West to replace the old one. Lots of diggers, a helicopter, lots of rubble, desecration, mass Mother Earth violation. After walking with her and connecting as one with her, seeing the mass digging and holes and noise on such a large scale was quite distressing. I understand that we need roads but when they have no thought. Instead of enlarging the present road which goes with the curve of the land, they are levelling so you get a road like a motorway that cuts straight through.

What was also distressing was that the most amazing stone circle was nearby. Would we be able to access it and how would it be if we found it? Eventually, we arrived at a hotel car park and got chatting to an old couple about their experiences of the island. They were heading home after being on the road in their campervan for 2 months! They gave us lots of useful information. Thank you.



We then set off on foot over moorland until we soon reached a beautiful stone circle – Pobull Fhinn. It’s on a hillside of bracken and heather over looking Langass Loch. Luckily, the hill kept the noise of the road building at bay so we were in quiet apart from the helicopter transporting stuff from and two the road building site!! It is known as the white or holy people. The setting was beautiful with a large pregnant goddess mountain lying on her back as a dramatic backdrop. It felt untouched. Visited by walkers but left quite wild. The heather has grown up around the stones making them quite difficult to touch. We looked down onto many little lochs all around us. You can understand why they call it “the sunken isle”. There were lots of seals and birds including a large buzzard. We walked up into the hills and again fell in love with the land and felt at one with her. The ground is bouncy underfoot, which makes it easy to walk as it’s so wet, even so high up!


Then onward we went to find a beach. We drove and drove, some single track, some double. It all felt quite bleak but then the weather didn’t help as this was also cloudy and bleak. There was lots of building gong on, flat land, telephone pylons, grey buildings but also lots of water all around. The place must light up fantastic with the Sun as there is so much water to reflect upon.

Anyway, we eventually reached where we are in South Uist – nearly right at the bottom. And it’s gorgeous. Perfect. And no midges! The (light) wind is our friend as it keeps them away. It’s 8pm and the sun is still strong and nowhere near the horizon. There are loads of Oyster Catchers on the shore side pecking away at the sand with their long orange beaks. Their call is very distinctive.
If we have a glorious sunset, it may be a late night…….