Trip to Scotland 1983: Four and half months in the Highlands and Islands

[DCampbell16B]

£4.30
£1.75 map
33p lunch
34p tea
£2.30
Caught ride (South Dell) w/ Newspaper delivery man from Swainbost to roundabout Stornoway. Then a Lochs man driving to Cameron Terrace, Leurbost. Then Contractor doing road work, from Stornoway. Then a White and MacKay Scotch sales rep to Outer Islands. He speaks a little Gaelic, from Glen Shiel originally. Gave me a key chain and a little Scotch bottle sample. He said Rodel Hotel kicks everyone out at 10:00, open for locals from 10:40. Left me at Leverburgh, no luck, picked me up again and brought me back to Tarbert for ferry. Gales blowing yesterday, last night and today. Heavy rain last night, intermittent showers, some heavy today. Got soaked in Leverburgh, then sun came out and wind dried mostly before I left. Cast off Tarbert 6:17. [I have a note about a picture of the last bit of spindrift off the bow of the "Hebrides" with Skye in the background (Vaternish) and Gale winds, but the camera had failed.] Uig very nice. Twilight 9:00. Raining, not yet pulled out. Only Gaelic on board. 2 girls from Benbecula and old couple that just sat down next to me. Got to Lochmaddy after 11:00. Other Gaelic speakers my own age on board.

[I remember those crossings. The first was fine. The second was rough and in the dark, and I have to say I wasn't comfortable. It wasn't seasickness, I had just never been bounced around in the dark like that before. I really did enjoy being underway. Well except that one time. The hostel must have stayed open late due to the ferry arrival because I have the charge written down. Usually they closed before then.]

[DCampbell16B]

£2.30 hostel

https://postimg.cc/vDL4GfMT
North Uist, Harris background (morning)

Benbecula Sept 12 Monday Irish/Scotish Evening £1.25 (Mairi Ni'Ghrada) [this was from a poster advertising an evening of music. I recognized Mairi Ni'Ghrada's name as I had a recording of her playing uillean pipes]

https://postimg.cc/mzBmJ7BM
2 Taigh Geal near Sollas, N. Uist (Malaclete, Ceann a'Bhaigh)

Stone house rounded corners, fences large stones filled with smaller [stones in between] https://postimg.cc/mtjB5S43 [my rough drawing of very large stones with smaller ones filling in between as how they made their fences]

Loch Maddy (ferry nearby? right)
Very windy. Walked to Ceann a'Bhaigh, heavy shower, caught a rise back to Loch Nam Madadh with psycho doctor ----- Maclean. Told me a great deal. He was from N. Uist. Wife is a relation of Dido in Ness [I had heard of Dido when I was in Ness]. Puttered around afternoon. Evening just beautiful, very windy. Read 2 books. Hostel very nice. Warden N. Uist native.

[In spite of the notes I made I don't remember much of Loch Maddy. I do remember going into a shop to buy food. The produce (apples come to mind) was not all that great, which I completely understood due to how difficult is was to get out there.]

[DCampbell16B]

Anna once told me that Gaelic speakers from other places made fun of Leodhasachs because they..have..to stop..and..take.a..breath.. between.. every..word. (And if you read that with just the slightest Scandinavian accent you will get a pretty good sense of what she sounded like.)

Not first time in boat - Murchadh in Croir had a house by East Loch Roag. He had a small rubber row boat. Once A was over working off a rock. I was in the boat with a board or something. One end was on shore with A, while the other was on the boat with me. I was rowing to keep station in the low chop so the the end A was working would stay in place. I must have done pretty well, because An told me later the Murdo said to him "That's not the first time he was in a boat."

Little Bernera - Rowing Murchadh's boat over to Little Bernera. It was a gorgeous late afternoon, with sun and blue sky. There was a small cemetery there, and the walls of an old chapel. The ground was mostly sand. So very quiet except for the breeze.

[DCampbell16B]

Some of you may have heard of the Lewis phone book put together by the people there. It is (or was) divided up into towns. It covered from Ness to Shader. It had the phone number and address then the English name of the person and their Gaelic nickname. Here are the cover and a couple pages from the one they were using when I was there. (I suspect most of these people are long passed away. I also suspect the phone numbers are all different and maybe only cell numbers now. If anyone thinks differently I will remove the pages.)

Cover of the Lewis phone book
https://postimg.cc/NyVY5Rby

Page of numbers from Eoropie
https://postimg.cc/nXht23Pj

Page of numbers from North Dell
https://postimg.cc/gLWCZsh0

[MacKenzie]

Most interesting.

[DCampbell16B]

£1.00 bus
35p roll
£1.40 bus
£1.80 hostel

Took postbus to Airport Benbecula. Ronald Stewart driver. Had a picture of Anita and Anna-lies. Went to Locheyport and Baleshare. A number of Taighean Geala. English couple also going to Howmore. Waited at airport for White and MacKay rep. RAF and RA both have bases here at Balavanich. Some in for tea morning [I have no idea what I meant, but I think that referred to servicemen]. Hostel is thatched cottage [taigh geal]. Howmore village nice. Warden Mrs. MacSween. Old lady, Cailleach [that was 23 year old me writing. She might have been in her 70s. Now, of course, she was not that old at all]. Very quiet inside. Ceiling covered inside [what we would call breadboard here in the States]. Thatch held on with chicken wire. Rope laced through the bottom and rock twisted in.

Crude drawing of thatch hold down method, how the houses had round corners, and interior of the hostel.
https://postimg.cc/phwQZXXd

Had tea with warden. Midge here is "meanbh cuileagan" (it is "beathach beag" in Lewis) [and in Lewis "beag" is pronounced "bug" or "buck"] also Mrs. MacEachean charges £35.40/wk to stay. [If I remember correctly that was a place to stay to hear Gaelic] Don't need Uist Gaelic that badly. Plenty people in hostel. Much quieter in the wind than council house. Inside this one and Warden's WC is built on house but must go outside to use. Walked on beach. Mountains across S Uist beautiful colors. (Ben More, Haclet). No camera.

Pic Hostel at Howmore (Warden's yellow, nicer) [This was my note about a picture I took. Either it didn't turn out or I've lost it.]

Drawing in journal on house layout

[The hostel was a taigh geal. The walls were 2½ to 3 feet thick (almost a meter). The thatch must have been almost half of that. There was a full gale blowing that night, and it was absolutely quiet inside.]