skye and the north westspecial mention. Lying some 40 miles
to the west of the Outer Hebrides they
are for many sailors their ultimate aim.
They may be approached through the
Sound of Harris (between South Harris
and North Uist), the Sound of Barra
(between Barra and South Uist) or the
Sounds of Sandray, Mingulay or
Pabbay (all to the south of Barra). The
southern three sounds offer the most
straightforward route but the longest
offshore passage to St Kilda, whilst the
northern duo offer a more complex (but
well marked) route followed by a shorter
passage, with the option to call in at the
Monarch Isles en route. Settled weather
is needed to venture beyond the shelter
of the Outer Hebrides but, as with the
whole of this area, the potential rewards
are well worth the effort - the highest
cliffs in Britain, truly spectacular birdlife
(over one million birds in total) and the
Castle Bay, Barra © Scottish Viewpoint. for birdlife and each has its own particular museum on the main island of Hirta. story to tell in the ruins that are to be seen The island is a Dual World Heritage Site,
the novel ‘Whisky Galore’ (although the (www.barraheritage.com). Many of the and is managed by the National Trust
film of the same name was actually based charter skippers rank these amongst their for Scotland, SNH and the Ministry of
on Barra!). favourite destinations and for good reason. Defence, all of which have a presence on
However, they do require settled weather HIrta during the summer months
Barra is the southernmost of the major in order to make a safe visit. (www.kilda.org.uk).
islands which form the Outer Hebrides,
and is perhaps the most representative of ST KILDA
the whole group. The island is particularly Finally, the World Heritage Site of the Uidh beach on Vatersay, Outer Hebrides© Dennis Hardley.
well known for its ceilidh dances and islands of St Kilda are perhaps worth
legendary social gatherings. Visitors who
wish to get a sample of island life and
landscape can take a ‘round the island’ bus
trip from the main town of Castlebay after
leaving their boat on one of the heavy duty
moorings in the bay. The trip takes an
anti-clockwise direction around the island,
stopping at the island airport which, due 47
to its beach location, can only operate at
low tide.
To the south of Barra lies Vatersay,
whose beaches provide a wonderful
backdrop to sheltered anchorages on
either side of the island. This is the last
of the ‘connected islands’; although the
island chain continues further to the
south with Sandray, Pabbay(s), Mingulay
and Berneray (s). Although previously
populated, these islands are now a haven
remote archipelagoes
Amongst the many hundreds of islands which provide the rich
diversity of Scottish cruising waters there are three groups
which stand out as being worth of special mention. All are
remote, and are really only suitable for visiting during settled
weather as their anchorages tend to be susceptible to swell.
The most westerly of the trio is St Kilda which is described
in detail elsewhere in this magazine and is Europe’s most
important bird breeding site. If conditions are suitable for a
trip out to St Kilda then it is probable that they will also favour
a stop at The Monarch Islands on either the outward or
return passage, best known for their seal populations. The
final group are The Shiants, which lie off the south east
coast of Lewis. Like St Kilda, they also have an internationally
important bird population.
www.sailscotland.co.uk
Skye & North West.indd 11 11/12/09 12:59:35
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