lambs

It’s Spring…somewhere

/ Anna / Leave a comment

Processed with VSCOcam with b1 presetThe 50mph gale currently blowing and heavy rain over the past two days is trying to hide the fact that, despite Mother Nature’s best efforts otherwise, Spring has sprung on Uist. There are daffodils (bent over in the wind), lambs (cowering in whatever shelter they can find) and all the birdsong you could hope to hear.DSC00427

I was excited to hear snipe calling last week. I’ve never, to my knowledge, seen one but it was a thrill to hear, especially as the drumming was echoing against the buildings near by. They’ve a few names in Gaelic, like so many things. The name I know for them is one of my favourite Gaelic bird names: gobhar-adhair. Pronounced in English like go-er ah-er (yes, most of the consonants are silent), the literal translation is ‘sky goat’. Never let it be said that the Gaels don’t have a sense of humour. DSC00418 DSC00440  DSC00371

Saligo

/ Anna / 4 Comments

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Since arriving on Islay there have been a few places I’ve been desperate to get to. Being as I am sans vehicle, and with the buses not servicing much beyond Loch Indaal or Port Ellen, I’ve had to be patient. Happily, the milder weather is bringing with it both seasonal bird visitors to the island as well as large flocks of tourists and holidaymakers. Even more happily, some of these holidaymakers are here to see me. As a result I’ve had the chance to get out to corners of the island so far unknown to me, beyond pictures and notes of historical interest in books.

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One of my top places to visit, which seems to be high on a number of ‘must-see’ lists, was Saligo Bay. No wonder people like it, it is wild, remote and bears the full brunt of the Atlantic on its shores. I visited on a day of exceptionally strong winds and saw waves bigger than I’ve ever seen before, with spindrift as high as the waves themselves. Beautiful light, stunning rocks, lambs cavorting around behind me in the dunes. It was spectacular.

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What’s in the name? I’m not sure. Some indicate a Gaelic origin, others state simply ‘unknown’. For the military historian there’s plenty of interest in the area with significant remnants of wartime communication stations, now well embedded in the sand and providing shelter for newborn lambs. It’s a really spectacular wee corner of the island.

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A lamb very adept to listening.