A Hebridean summer
Life’s a beach at Husinish, west Harris
GOT home after a week of rain and gales on the Outer Hebrides. Despite the weather we managed to complete the rather loose itinerary we had prepared which included walking to Reinigeadal and climbing Clisham as a recce for a BBC programme we’re filming this summer. Also managed to squeeze in a visit to the excellent Hebridean Celtic Music Festival and saw Runrig, along with about 4000 others in the Big Blue Tent in the Lews Castle grounds in Stornoway. Runrig were superb, it was just a pity about the Hebridean weather the rest of the time.
Back across to Harris later this week to start filming our Hebridean Journey, which should be broadcast round about Christmas. It looks like being a combo cycle/walking journey. I tried walking the length of the Hebrides a few years ago but there was just too much road walking involved in connecting up the good bits. Makes sense to use a bike for the long road sections. Despite that, we’ll still have some good walks, including the 26 mile Harris Walkway which I had the pleasure of officially opening away back in 2001. We’ll also take a long trek north of Clisham through the hills of North Harris and visit the old village of Kinlochresort.
But in between all of that I’ll be helping present a big rock climbing outside broadcast from Stron Ulladale. Put it in your diary now - Saturday August 28, BBC 2 Scotland and Sky Channel 990. Tim Emmett and Dave MacLeod will be attempting a new route on the extravagantly overhanging cliffs of Stron Ulladale and there will be lots of pieces about the Hebrides in general, including film of the two lads climbing five new routes on five different islands on five consecutive days. I haven’t seen the films of that yet but I’m told it’s brilliant.
Standing stones at Callanish, and below, a dour day on An Clisham
