All Hail Loch Sheanta 11th Feb

Vince was up early but no hope of sunrise shots due to the clouds and rain/hail. So he pottered around untilI got up at 9.00am - in truthI was only dozing in the warm bed it really sleeping.

I made us some unintentional flying saucer pancakes for breaky - because the frypan here is not level it made the mixture form some spacecraft shapes instead of the regular round you’d expect - so would you like space travel with that? They tasted yummy in any case - no leftovers for Alan’s dogs or chickens today!

Then Vince did some camera programming stuff and the went off to Duntulm to do some long exposures in this crazy wind!!! I stayed warm and snug in front of the fire and did a bit more on my family tree - including an email to the Clan McDonald centre which is closed for the Winter in the hope of gaining a private appointment - you don’t get if you don’t ask - but I’m not holding my breath! I made us pea and ham soup for lunch and the weather did look like it was on the change. Still windy and cold but the sun occasionally peeped out behind the clouds and the rain appeared to have stopped. Not wanting to waste precious time on the photographers paradise we kitted up and headed out to check out Loch Sheanta - frequented only by the locals - but our friends Gill and Ian shared the info and we were keen to see it!

On the east coast of Trotternish, just north of Digg, there is a small parking place. From there it’s through a farm gate - which boasts a warning about a bull and cows with calves ( which our crofter friend Alan has already told us are far more dangerous and cause more deaths than bulls). We decided to take our chances anyway! Fools rush in where angels fear to tread!

From there we followed a constructed path of rocks and dirt downhill, through some trees that would give GOT or Lord of the Rings a run fir their money - but after about 1km we arrived at the holy loch - Loch Sheanta. It was a bit boggy once we left the track and a few times I found myself suddenly sunk up to my knees - thank goodness for my wellies!

It is said that Loch Sheanta is quite magical, being fed by the spouting of two of the purest, clearest springs imaginable, one at each end.  It glows with an electric turquoise colour from its depths, and you can see every detail of the bottom through the almost invisible water. Just beautiful!

This is a place of legend and religion, of pagan and Christian history. It is told that the spring at the north end has holy properties and can cure a wide range of diseases. Invalids are told to circle the spring three times deosil (clockwise) after drinking from it. Having seen the Loch firsthand I have to tell you that given the steep slope, mud and trees, circling it just once would be a challenge - even for the fit and healthy! So not for me today!

We could see the sacred spring on the other side of the Loch where all the trees were.

Vince had info that there was a short cut out the other side - but all that happened was we went on a bit of a wild goose chase - ending up going through deep big to get to a cliff above the beach and a dead end! The wind was howling and fierce and knocking us about a bit. So we headed back in the direction we came from but this time hiking up over the hills (hoping not to meet any cows or the bull) and eventually getting back on the original path. As we did the biting wind brought with it a hail storm - it pounded and battered us - we were prepared with our wet weather gear but nothing could protect my face from it - not pleasant at all! Vince recons it could be marketed as a “Hail Massage”- but personally. I wouldn’t recommend it. It was all uphill on the way back - so by the time we reached the farm gate my legs didn’t feel like the could take much more and I was hugging and puffing like a steam train - I’m getting too old for this malarkey! I told Vince I think he’s trying to kill me! He says he’s just giving me an adventure! About 4.00pm - back at home I got out of my wet things and had a hot shower - to feel human again. Followed by a wee dram to warm up! It was left over Pot Luck Pie for dinner and we spent a quiet evening doing chores, computer stuff and generally just chillin'!