Lochboisedale, South Uist
Our 13 hour passage from St Kilda ended in a real jewel of a harbour and the kindest Harbour Master Donald Currie.
North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist sound rugged and remote places - and they are! On the Atlantic side, apart a fishing boat who was laying out mile long ropes ON the surface of the sea - we had few obstacles. As we closed in on South Uist we could see clearly the long white sandy beach of Frobost (photo 5) and after sailing through to the "safe" side, we passed the 13thC Calvay Castle where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid with Flora MacDonald in 1746.
After centuries of being ruled by blood thirsty Vikings, Norsemen, MacNeils, MacDonalds, Lairds and Kings - this area of Scotland is now "Community Owned". To an English person this form of land ownership and control is quite alien - but when you read about the highland "clearances" you realise the violence by landlords is very real and very raw. As recently as 1851, 2,000 destitute islanders were forced onto boats in Lochboisdale and shipped to America. You can still see the abandonded crofts.
Lochboisdale Harbour (plus local developments of wind turbines, golf courses, sporting rights and crofts) is owned and controlled by the local community see: www.storasuibhist.com. Looking at the aerial shot of the harbour you can see the clever construction they undertook in 2015. By incorporating an existing island and after moving 1 million tons of stone, they ended up with a very sheltered harbour!
Donald Currie worked for the MOD ranges for many years, including some stints on St Kilda. He described the day there was a 180 MPH wind on the island! More recently he has helped build the new harbour and became the HM in 2020. The facilities are second to none and we can highly recommend it - including (for us) a free ride to the local shops! Thank you Donald. (PS Photo 10 is what happens when 3 boys want an "easy to eat breakfast".... just pour the milk into the cereal container!)
North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist sound rugged and remote places - and they are! On the Atlantic side, apart a fishing boat who was laying out mile long ropes ON the surface of the sea - we had few obstacles. As we closed in on South Uist we could see clearly the long white sandy beach of Frobost (photo 5) and after sailing through to the "safe" side, we passed the 13thC Calvay Castle where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid with Flora MacDonald in 1746.
After centuries of being ruled by blood thirsty Vikings, Norsemen, MacNeils, MacDonalds, Lairds and Kings - this area of Scotland is now "Community Owned". To an English person this form of land ownership and control is quite alien - but when you read about the highland "clearances" you realise the violence by landlords is very real and very raw. As recently as 1851, 2,000 destitute islanders were forced onto boats in Lochboisdale and shipped to America. You can still see the abandonded crofts.
Lochboisdale Harbour (plus local developments of wind turbines, golf courses, sporting rights and crofts) is owned and controlled by the local community see: www.storasuibhist.com. Looking at the aerial shot of the harbour you can see the clever construction they undertook in 2015. By incorporating an existing island and after moving 1 million tons of stone, they ended up with a very sheltered harbour!
Donald Currie worked for the MOD ranges for many years, including some stints on St Kilda. He described the day there was a 180 MPH wind on the island! More recently he has helped build the new harbour and became the HM in 2020. The facilities are second to none and we can highly recommend it - including (for us) a free ride to the local shops! Thank you Donald. (PS Photo 10 is what happens when 3 boys want an "easy to eat breakfast".... just pour the milk into the cereal container!)