L2L Day 86 Liniclate to Gramasdail - 12 miles

Over breakfast, we met Caroline and Wendy.


They'd first met while studying at INSEAD in Fontainbleu and have been friends ever since. Caroline lives in Bloomsbury and works in television. Wendy resides in Glasgow and they'd both flown in to Benbecula to enjoy a few days on the islands.

With it being only possible to book 2 nights' accommodation at Liniclate, the logistics of our walk took some thinking through. We decided to walk this section from North to South so we caught the 8:40 bus to Gramisdail so that we could enjoy the walk over Ruabhal - about 400 ft, the highest point on Benbecula without having to walk against the clock and meet a deadline of a return bus.

The walk to Ruabhal was definitely bog hopping again over some pretty wet ground though at least we were able to pick out the way-marker posts.






The breeze was blowing quite strongly as we climbed up but the views in every direction were fantastic - to the North, the mountains of North Uist, clouds forming in the distance over the mountains of Barra to the South, Skye in the distance to the East, and to the West, the open Atlantic.


Having reached the top, we tried looking for some shelter and found some lying low on the heather just on the lee of the summit.


We'd only been there a few minutes when we heard voices. Rebekah and David had climbed up from a different direction. 

We fell into conversation. They explained that they were having a few weeks on the islands having driven up from Rutland - known by 'those in the know' as the 'Notswolds' 


David works with Digital Science in the scientific research field. Rebekah retired from early years teaching and is now  - as happy as she could imagine - employed to look after a large garden.

After a long chat, with us all sitting sheltered in the heather, we parted company and Sally and I walked down the hill, into the wind on a much drier path and then back on the long straight road watching out for the flora and fauna 

Bird vetch....


Honeysuckle


(another one we've never heard of before) Tutson




...the flora so far, being prettier than the fauna...apart of course, from this rather proud example


and the occasional rusty tractor which we passed en route.....



to Aird where we sat in the graveyard of the ruined chapel of Baille nan Cailleach 


to eat our sandwiches with at least some shelter from the strong breeze.

Needless to say, it was another good drying day.


Just across the road we popped into the North Uist Distillery hopeful of a tasting and met Gina and Liz 


who were standing in for the usual staff - though official tours aren't available on a Saturday, with some smooth talking, and assuring the ladies of Sheila Burtles' continuing influence in the industry, we squeezed in a tasting of Downpour and Coast. The botanical they use here include heather and seaweed and  for a lunchtime tasting, I thought the Coast was particularly good.

Having had a career in retail banking, on retirement Gina decided to study fine art and while studying at the University of Highlands and Islands, met Liz who was studying part time.
Gina works in wool and textiles and finished her Honours course a few years ago. Liz works in fused glass. We had a great chat but the open road was beckoning......

On the wall outside the Distillery there was a plaque commemorating all those men (returning WW1 servicemen), frustrated by the lack of Government action to follow through on the promise to provide land for veterans had taken part in the Nunton Farm Land Raid to repossess land that had been taken from them during the Highland Clearances. 


Their action led to the large Nunton estate being broken into manageable crofts and Nunton House being subdivided into homes for three separate families.
Power to the people!!!

We set off for Culla beach





Kidney vetch

Gosh!! Has anyone told you, you do look like your mum??


....then the remaining 5 miles along the amazing Borve beach.









My chosen charity this year is Medecins sans Frontieres, here's a link to my JustGiving page which should take you straight there




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