Harris Hills - 25/08/04

It's a sunny morning, and I head out after breakfast on the bus to Tarbert to do some walking in Harris. I'm in Tarbert at 11, and set off down the road towards Scalpay. It's getting warm, and I'm steadily getting fed up with the traffic that roars past me on the single-track road. Just past Urgha, I find a marker pointing to the path which used to be used by mailrunners between Tarbert and Stornoway. It strikes out towards the Laxadale Lochs, which are set amongst stark mountain scenery. Beyond the hills to the east lies Rhenigadale. The trail has a tendency to be boggy. Decided on this route on the way in, when I saw it snaking across the mountains. Am overtaken by mountain bikers, and meet others going in the opposite direction. At the head of the loch, a green valley opens up to the west, rising up steeply - Glen Dibidale. My trail veers to the right to gain the height of the pass, then descend towards Maraig. Have a full-on view of Clisham. I finally arrive at the bottom of Maraig hill, and am now faced with a stiff climb up to the main road, an ascent of 100m over a horizontal distance of 800m. A little way up, someone has set fire to some old pallets. A helicopter flies overhead to a point on the hillside above, beyond my view. Puffing and panting, I reach the main road and I head north. To my surprise, the old post road continues at the access road to telephony relay transmitters. As I think that my return bus is due at 2.30, I carry on through the valley, running a little way west of the main road. The view at the far end is stunning. I've come out above Loch Seaforth, but the array of mountains in front of me is breathtaking. Clisham to the left, Stulabhal ahead. I wait and wait at the road, but then find out that the bus is not due till 4.30. So I continue down the main road to Scaladale, Ardvourlie Castle and finally Bogha Glas. A track marches into the hills from here, and I join it for a little way. It's a tad boggy, and the streams that cross it are awkward. I lounge in the heather, face in the sun, until the clock tells me to rejoin the bus. I stop it in a passing place, and it duly runs me back through Lewis to Stornoway, arriving there at 5 pm. Go for supper to the Crown, where I overhear several people discussing community buy-outs and agricultural reform. The former hold my interest, so I join the convo. One lady is from HIE, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, based at Kyleakin, Skye. She will be assisting two proposed community buy-outs in Lewis. The gentleman is an agricultural consultant. Have a very animated discussion before we go our separate ways.