Loch na Cille

A plant that always grows in water, for once conveniently close enough to the land to be photographed.

A member of the orchid family, with a very western distribution.

The 'yellow fort' is on a peninsula, almost an islet, in Loch Dùn Mhurchaidh.

On a peninsula in Loch Dùn Mhurchaidh.

Previously known as Lychnis flos-cuculi.

Dry stone walling events have been held at Airdbheag and there is evidence in the walls and stone buildings of the skills of dry-stone wallers.

On the western edge of the village.

Looking east towards the main part of the village and airfield.

A well-stocked store in Benbecula.

Looking to the rocks of An Ceòthan.

Right beside Benbecula Airport. The runways are on top of the visible sand dunes on the right.

The dun is situated on the further island, and although there's a lot of stones around it, one would be hard pressed to identify anything of a built nature.

An attractive mosaic in a small park near the school in Baile a' Mhanaich. This is not, however, one of the 'Roadends' sculptures (as I first thought it might be). That is in the grounds of the adjacent school. I now think that I did see the sculpture from a distance without realising that that was 'it'. In these enlightened times, lone males entering school grounds are regarded with extreme suspicion: if they have a camera then that is almost a confession of guilt. What nonsense! But it is, perhaps, a pity that those who located these 'Roadends' sculptures did not have regard to this issue. There are many anglicised versions of the name Baile a' Mhanaich, including Balivanich, Ballivanich, and Bailivanish (the former name of the RAF airfield here). My 'Balavanich' comes from the 'Roadends' plaque in NF8963, which I assumed to be reasonably authoritative. I have been told that 'Balavanich' is a good indication to an English speaker of the pronunciation of Baile a' Mhanaich, and so I have used that version here.