Ten days on Zuza - 14th June - a trip around Mingulay

After a good night on the quay in Castlebay we had some time in the morning to explore. Grosia was delighted that there was a supermarket available as she had not been able to buy any provisions for a few days. We were delighted too that she could maintain the standard of her galley wizardry. We spotted this chip van which was obviously named after our daughter Mairi!

The moorings in Castlebay. Zuza is parked at the back on the right with the tallest mast.

Neil had planned a trip for us around the islands south of Barra. Vatersay is attached to Barra, just, and after Vatersay is a whole collection of differing sized islands and stacks called the Barra Isles. Our main destination was Mingulay on the far south of the chain. We were to travel down the east side of Barra and Vatersay to the south coat of Mingulay and then turn north and look at the more exciting western coast of Mingulay. Here there is an impressive array of tall sea cliffs, 213 metres high, once thought to be the tallest in Britain. These house many colonies of sea birds including kittiwakes, fulmars, guillemots and puffins.

There was a breeze when we left and so the sails were hoisted again, after a temporary snag in the main sail which was sorted by Erin and Neil.

We sailed for about an hour passing a couple of skuas in the water until we came to the eastern side of Mingulay. 

Mingulay has a history similar to St Kilda, although the inhabitants, living in a rather more clement climate, seemed to have had a better diet with more crofting and fishing as well as sea birds and their eggs. Barra and half of South Uist belonged to Clan McNeil of Barra and the islanders would have paid rent to him. But in 1840 Mingulay was sold and thereafter had a series of harsh absentee landlords. During the clearances people evicted from Barra had come to Mingulay swelling the population to 150 in 1881. The reformation never reached the southern Hebrides and the people of Mingulay were Roman Catholics. There is a large Roman Catholic Church in Castlebay built in 1888.

Although Mingulay is closer to civilisation than St Kilda it lacks a sheltered landing site and was far more prone to being cut off for extended periods during bad weather. At the beginning of the 1900's inhabitants started to leave for a kinder life elsewhere. The island had become over populated for its resources and people had started to illegally graze their sheep on Vatersay and Pabbay. In 1910 there were only six families and the school shut down and in 1912 those six left the island to the birds and the wind. In 2000 Mingulay was acquired by the National Trust for Scotland.

The wind dropped again and so we motored down the eastern side of Mingulay, passing the sandy bay,  which was the main landing point for the villagers. There was a party of kayakers camped on the hill behind the beach and we could see the remains of the chapel.

We carried on passing the bottom of Mingulay where we could see the lighthouse on Barra Head, through the Berneray Channel and then up the dramatic west coast of Mingulay.

Gearum More on the left and Geirum Beag

These waters are treacherous as strong currents surge from the Atlantic between the scattered rocks and islands.

We came to the impressive high cliffs and Neil took Zuza close to the line where they dropped vertically into the sea.

Arnamuil sea stack. Separated from Mingulay by a very narrow channel

The channel

The natural arch through Gunamuil.

Going north up the coast we passed the islet of Lianamul and its caves.

Lianamul in the middle of the frame

Lianamul

The cliffs on Mingulay have become popular with climbers and we spotted some on the ledges.

Here are a some pictures of the seabirds who were nesting on the cliffs, bobbing on the water and swirling in the air.

Cormorants

Razorbills

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes on nests

The normal retreating view of a puffin

Kittiwakes around a cave

Razorbill with sand eels

More guillemots

Guillemots and kittiwakes

Leaving Mingulay we retraced our steps north until we came to a pretty beach on the east side of Vatersay, Bày Bhatarsaigh. Here we anchored offshore. There were a few people on it but they had disappeared before we were set up. 

It had been a beautifully warm and sunny day and it was an ideal place for a barbecue. There had been an attempt to swim off of St Kilda but the water was too cold. On this gentle sandy beach however it was very inviting and everyone had a dip, even me! Some brave people even dived off the boat. Grosia had prepared some wonderful food and it was a fitting end to a great day.