Stac Lee

Approaching Stac Lee, every ledge appears to have a thick layer of snow and the sky above seems to be full of swirling snow flakes.


As you get closer, you are confronted by one of the natural wonders of the World. The island is completely covered in noisy gannets. A fifth of the World's northern gannets breed on these isolated blades of rock.


Gannets are large birds with forward facing eyes. They dive from about 50m above the water and can plunge deep under the surface with folded wings in search of fish.


From the side, Stac Lee can be seen to be a thin blade of rock, 172m high. It is remarkable that a party of St Kildans survived here for 9 months (through a winter). They were marooned because a small pox outbreak on Hirta prevented their fellow islanders from picking them up after a bird hunting expedition. Soay is on the horizon.


Looking from the far side of Stac Lee, back towards Dun and Hirta.

03/06/2009

The sea cliffs of Hirta

On board the MV Cuma again, we were soon rounding the eastern ramparts of Oisebhal on Hirta. We were bound for Boreray and the stacs and thence to Harris.


The NE coast of Hirta has the highest sea cliffs in the British Isles. Behind the low lying Sgeirnan Sgarbh in the fore ground, rise the cliffs of Conachair 430m.


Looking back, the notched ridge of Dun shelters the Village Bay.


This is the Gap between Oisebhal and Conachair, down which the St Kildans lowered themselves in the hunt for fulmars.


As the Cuma pulled away from Hirta, Soay came into sight behind Mina Stac. Like the St Kildans 78 years previously we were now leaving Hirta. Our acquaintance had been short but nonetheless we knew we were now leaving a very special place in our wake.

03/06/2008 pm

The west coast of Hirta in the St. Kilda Archipelago

We emerged from the threatening darkness of the Hirta/Soay gap and made our way south down the west coast of Hirta.


Looking back to the north, Soay was still wreathed in its cap of cloud.


The cliffs on this side of Hirta were no less impressive than on its north side.


From the summit of Mullach Bi (358m) the great headland of Carn Mor plunges into the sea.As we approached we thought we could see light coming through what appeared to be a cave.


It turned out to be a long tunnel which made its way right through the headland from the west to the south coast of Hirta. It is called Geo Creag an Arpaid and we were lucky enough to be there when it was calm enough to paddle right through!

02/06/2008

Sea Kayaking through the gates of Hell!

The Cuma reported a force 4 to 5 SW wind on the far side of the Hirta / Soay gap.


As we went down the west side of Stac Soay, the gap between it and Stac Biorach looked like the gates of Hell!


Fortunately we did not need to pass through to Hades as a tunnel appeared leading right through to the other side of Stac Soay.

02/06/2008

Unfortunately there will now be a short intermission. The staff of seakayakphoto come are headed for the fair isle of Islay. We have heard tales of many shore side distilleries, with magical names like Bruichladdich, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain.

We may be gone for some time.......

The approach to Soay

As arranged, Cuma made rendezvous in Glen Bay, Hirta. Murty and Murdani conferred.


Then the Cuma made off for the Hirta Soay gap as a probe!


As she returned, Soay had gathered a wreath of cloud about her upper slopes and a freshening wind was blasting through the gap.

02/06/2008

Sea Kayaking St Kilda: Na Cleitean Stac

Leaving Bradastac, we passed under further huge cliffs below Glacan Mor. We saw another stack ahead, Na Cleitean stac, and in the distance the headland of Gob na h-Airde with a cloud capped Soay behind.


Na Cleitean stac with kayakers behind. Photo Jennifer Wilcox.


As we approached the headland of Gob na h-Airde we realized we would not be paddling round it, there was a tunnel right through it!


Several people have emailed about my source of the names of the geological features that are not on the OS 1:50,000 map. I have used the Mathieson map from 1928.