Hidden corner

Over the past three years or so, I have frequented all the island's cemeteries to photograph war (-related) graves. These can be seen on the Scottish War Graves Project's Western Isles page. The total is nearly 400. Today, I added the lone wargrave from a hidden cemetery at Galson to the collection. I had to ask around before I was able to locate it on the ground. The Explorer 460 map, which covers Galson, has the name printed right over the location in Gothic lettering. The Old Churchyard at Galson is still in current usage, judging by the recent dates on some of the graves.

Weaving loom in action

Visited the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village on Friday, and found the Hattersley loom in action. This piece of kit is used to weave Harris Tweed. Better look sharp about watching it out there or on here, as the industry appears to be in terminal decline.

Watch the video from this link.

Visit to Borve

It was a cold but still afternoon, when I jumped off the Galson Motors bus at Borve to visit the War Memorial. This encompasses the villages between Galson and Ballantrushal, and even includes a casualty from the 1899-1902 Boer War in South Africa.



When you go there, you may experience a little difficulty reading parts of the memorial, as the lettering has deteriorated somewhat under the influence of wind and rain. Hint to the local community perhaps, to also do up the lettering on the memorial after they have finished the new Glen MacQuarrie centre nextdoors.



The name Glen MacQuarrie is taken from a ship that was thrown on the shore near the village on 31 January 1953, during a hurricane. This same storm infamously sank a ferry in the Irish Sea, claimed hundreds of lives through flooding in southeastern England and 2,000 lives in southwestern Holland after the dykes broke. The ship's crew were all rescued by breeches' buoy. One of the crew even married a local girl.

Taking the pictures only took a minute or two, so I ambled down the road in the village, which presented a pretty but wintry aspect. I also went down to the seashore before I headed back to the main road to rejoin the bus back to town.


Ballagarr

Blackhouse at Borve

Croftland between the village and the sea

Sheep in croftland in the village

Sheep along the Borve River

View of the village from the river

Croftland along the river

Mealabost Borgh from the river, near the sea

Near the seashore

Anyone for a paddle?

Sunset

Graveyard

I have been going round a few of the island's cemeteries in recent times, looking for and photographing tombstones of victims of the Iolaire Disaster in 1919. On my visit to Bragar's cemetery this week, I came across the tombstone for Kenneth MacLeod of Shawbost, an important figure in the Harris Tweed industry. He died in 1949 at the age of 67.

Standing there on a cloudy, windswept day, the news came back to me about ongoing developments in the industry today. And what would he make of it now? Mr Macleod got local weavers to weave tweed for him in the first half of the 20th century.

Late in 2006, Yorkshire industrialist Brian Haggas bought over the remaining Harris Tweed mills in Lewis, of which the largest stands in Stornoway. Shortly beforehand, the closure of the mill in North Shawbost was announced, with the loss of about 30 jobs. Last week, plans were announced to shrink the range of tweeds to 5, although not directly in such words. The announcement was to the effect that single-width weavers would be laid off. Not many of them left, but it was seen as a sign on the wall. Some 20 years ago, there were hundreds if not thousands of different tweeds in circulation. It was a top of the range product. Fears are now being expressed that this prestige will be lost.

It sounds as if Harris Tweed is heading for its own graveyard in history.


On a related note, I came across streets of derelict business premises in the Newton area of Stornoway. This used to be the centre of the Harris Tweed industry in years gone by, but is now broadly in disuse. A line in the recent Budget caught my attention, as the tax on disused business premises was due to be increased, or words to that effect.

I am surprised that the non-residential side of Newton is allowed to fall into ruin like it is at the moment. I hope that following the local council elections on May 3rd someone will have the foresight to come up with a plan for a major revamp of the area. Yes, I am aware that a number of businesses are thriving there

Machair

The western seaboard of the Western Isles is world renowned for a habitat called the 'machair'. I'm no biologist and know only the very basics about it.
The bedrock of the islands is Lewisian gneiss, the oldest rock to be found on the surface of the earth. It is 3,000 million years old, and can be found open and exposed at the Butt of Lewis. It breaks down into very poor soil, where precious little will grow. Added to that the preponderance of peat, which creates an acidic environment, and you have a situation where not a lot will grow.
Until recently, the islanders would take their cattle to a shieling inland during the summer for them to gain strength. It was not unheard of for cattle to die of starvation during the winter, whilst grazing the very poor grass by the seashore.
What happens on the seashore is that sand gets blown in, to cover the soil. Sand from the sea contains calcium, more precisely calcium carbonate. This compound is found in seashells. It is also an alkaline, which will neutralise the acid from the peat. And now a very fertile environment is created. During a few short weeks in summer, the machair will come alive in a dazzling display of flowers. Orchids galore, it's a sea of yellows, whites and all colours. I've included a few images I shot during the past summer, to give an indication.


Flowers on the machair at Swainebost (Ness)

Flowers on the machair at Eoropaidh (Ness)

Machair at Barvas (Loch Street)

Machair flowers at Bostadh (Great Bernera)