Loch Rumalach

Caolas an Scarp from the Stiamar, the old school path from Huisinis to the shielings at Crabhadail. The island to the left is Scarp and the white sands of Meilin are on the right.

Apparently it rains in the Hebrides.

The beach of Traigh Mheilein with the hills of west Lewis dusted with snow in the distance and the island of Fladaigh at left.

Taken from the coastal path near Huisinis.

Several of the houses on Scarp are obviously habitable, and they are apparently still occupied in the summer.

The island of Scarp lies off the western coast of North Harris across the Caolas an Scarp from Huisinis. Scarp no longer has any permanent residents, but there are a few privately owned holiday homes here. However, Scarp was (permanently) inhabited as recently as 1971, the census of that year recording 12 people living there. Scarp was the setting for one of the more extraordinary experiments in communications, when in July 1934 the German rocket pioneer Gerhard Zucker attempted to set up a "rocket mail" service between Scarp and Harris. Sadly his two attempts both failed and the idea was abandoned. The mail rockets exploded and the singed letters within scattered over a large area. Some were retrieved however and feature in the Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway. See also NA9813 : Mission House, Scarp & NA9812 : Jetty, Port a' Tuath

There are several houses and cottages on Scarp which retain their roofs and are used as holiday homes, though there have been no permanent residents here since the early 1970s. I think I've correctly identified this building as the Mission House. All the remaining habitable properties seem to be in this south-eastern corner of the island. See also NA9813 : Buildings on Scarp & NA9812 : Jetty, Port a' Tuath

Drop off by Seamus and John of Sea Harris. Wet and windy on this rugged little hill with Jim Bloomer, Mat Webster and Michael Earnshaw. Name: Beinn fo Thuath Hill number: 4964 Height: 179m / 587ft Area: 24B: Harris and Nearby Islands Class: Hu Grid ref: NA 98174 14207 Summit feature: cairn Drop: 113m Col: 66m NA979149

Drop off by Seamus and John of Sea Harris. Wet and windy with Jim Bloomer, Mat Webster and Michael Earnshaw, just about catching Jonathan de Ferranti who missed out the HuMP. Name: Sron Romul Hill number: 1603 Height: 308m / 1010ft Area: 24B: Harris and Nearby Islands Class: Ma Grid ref: NA 96868 15811 Summit feature: rock 6m E of trig point Drop: 308m Col: Sea

The lazy beds beside the remains suggest farming but another submission suggests it's associated with fishing. A real croft in fact!

Presumably these lazy beds once continued down to the beach but they now hang suspended above the bouldery shore as the waves have carried away their seaward end.

View across the water to Fladaigh and some hills towards the north on the Isle of Lewis.

Old lazybeds lead down to the north end of the superb beach at Traigh Mheilein, with the island of Scarp just across the water.

Probably the most beautiful beach that I have seen anywhere in the world, Stunning!

A low-lying island off Scarp

North-east coastline of Scarp