At last, 35 years since I was last on St Kilda (as a soldier) I made it back.
Last Monday, the missus and I took a cruise across the 50 odd miles, from Harris to the island on the edge of the world. It was a perfect day, the sea was flat calm and the sun shone all day. All the horror stories that she had heard, about the storms, the wind and the dangers, the bleakness and the inhospitible nature of the place were forgotten. We got the one good day in the year.
We landed in village bay at about 11 am. Nothing had changed.
After we had looked up and down the village, we had a picnic near some cleits and the missus said she could hear bagpipes. We looked up the hill and there was a lone piper playing. Later on he appeared on the central hill and then on the most easterly. No one knew who he was , and he didnt let on. I reckon he was an 'extreme piper' playing in all the most out of the way spots in the world.
We took some shots from the top of the hill, then I showed the missus the cliffs. 600 feet, the highest sea cliffs in Britain, then the lovers stone. I wangled my way into the radar station and showed the missus around the kit, then showed her where I used to sit, looking out over the stacs..
Back down on terra firma, I wangled my way into the bar (strictly off limits, heh heh) and saw the old coffin that had my beard in it, all those years ago.
Then at 15:30 back into the dinghy and a quick whiz around the stacs then back to Harris.
The most beautiful day imaginable
Lowering the dinghy in Village bay
The piper
A typical cleit on St Kilda
Stack Lee and Boreray on the right
The lovers stone
The village on St Kilda
The bar on St Kilda. The PuffInn
Last Monday, the missus and I took a cruise across the 50 odd miles, from Harris to the island on the edge of the world. It was a perfect day, the sea was flat calm and the sun shone all day. All the horror stories that she had heard, about the storms, the wind and the dangers, the bleakness and the inhospitible nature of the place were forgotten. We got the one good day in the year.
We landed in village bay at about 11 am. Nothing had changed.
After we had looked up and down the village, we had a picnic near some cleits and the missus said she could hear bagpipes. We looked up the hill and there was a lone piper playing. Later on he appeared on the central hill and then on the most easterly. No one knew who he was , and he didnt let on. I reckon he was an 'extreme piper' playing in all the most out of the way spots in the world.
We took some shots from the top of the hill, then I showed the missus the cliffs. 600 feet, the highest sea cliffs in Britain, then the lovers stone. I wangled my way into the radar station and showed the missus around the kit, then showed her where I used to sit, looking out over the stacs..
Back down on terra firma, I wangled my way into the bar (strictly off limits, heh heh) and saw the old coffin that had my beard in it, all those years ago.
Then at 15:30 back into the dinghy and a quick whiz around the stacs then back to Harris.
The most beautiful day imaginable
Lowering the dinghy in Village bay
The piper
A typical cleit on St Kilda
Stack Lee and Boreray on the right
The lovers stone
The village on St Kilda
The bar on St Kilda. The PuffInn
Comment