Castlebay and The Vatersay Boys

The two very windy days camped on our ‘nae midges’ knoll on the NE tip of Eriskay made us very appreciative of our sturdy, seemingly bombproof, little tent. 

Eventually the wind dropped and veered NW so in theory an easy 25km downwind run to Castlebay. We left mid afternoon and shot down the Eastern shore of Eriskay but crossing the Sound of Barra even though only a couple of kilometres was full on with the wind and a steep choppy sea right on the beam. There was no way we were tackling that wind all the way to Castlebay so ducked into the channel between Gighay and Hellisay to find a camp for the night.

Another plod into a fierce headwind the next morning and we finally reached Castlebay. A scenic little sheltered harbour dominated by Kisimul Castle standing proudly on a skerrie smack bang in the middle of the bay. It was busy too with the daily Cal Mac ferry from Oban, the tall ship ‘Lady of Avenor’ running evening cruises and visiting yachts of all shapes and sizes. 

Between the late 1800s and the early 1900s Castlebay was at the centre of the herring boom. At it’s height the shoreline was a hive of activity with thousands of men working on the boats, the herring girls in the gutting sheds as well as coopers and other associated trades. 

We tied up to a pontoon in the marina and found a lovely sheltered grassy spot for the tent nearby, just above the high tide mark. With the marina showers and washing machines just metres away we rapidly sorted our smelly and salt encrusted bodies and clothing and wandered in to Castlebay. Within a matter of hours we were warned that the harbour master was a grumpy bas.…erh, shall we say, person and that he may object to us camping on the foreshore near the marina. Later, back at the tent sure enough there he was, busying himself around the marina and the incoming yachts. Inevitability he came over with a “helloo”.  His only concern was our kayak tied up at a quiet end of one of the pontoons. Once we explained we were moving it ashore at high tide he was cool even mentioning what a sheltered spot we had for the tent. 

A little while later the tide app told me there was another 1.2m of water to come in. Mmmm, that’s extremely close, if not above groundsheet level. We looked with concern at the seaweed tangled through the grassy patch we were camped on. Perhaps it wasn’t storm tossed seaweed, perhaps it was the springs high tide mark and the grumpy harbour master didn’t have to move us on as he knew the tide would do it in a hour or so. 

There was some discussion about membership of the Underwater Camping Club, of which I’m a full member. Ask me how to join, it’s quite easy.

We’re going to be here a couple of days and the tides are getting bigger so membership of the UWCC seemed a certainty, until I rechecked the tide app. This time it had updated to the correct time and told me there was only further 30cm of water to the tide height of 4.2m. The next couple of days the tide is 4.4m, but still heaps of freeboard.

Given the forecast for the next few days we were uncertain whether to stock up on food and carry on knowing we’d probably not make much progress up the West Coast of Barra and beyond or rest up and hope for the predominant Westerlies to abate. This decision was made for us having spotted an unassuming little poster advertising a gig by The Vatersay Boys at Vatersay Hall on Friday. Decision made! Tickets bought! 

Some boat maintenance, a walk up Heabhal at 383m the highest point on Barra, Castlebay Heritage Centre, wifi at the Community Hub, reading, eating and shopping for a weeks food filled Weds and Thursday.

Friday and all stocked up with food, we set off into the low cloud, drizzle and stiff Westerly aiming to camp on the West Coast of Vatersay. It was a bit of a plod across then straight into the wind so the first beach on the south Coast was too tempting to pass by. 

With the tent out of the wind in the lee of the gable end of a ruined house we were within walking distance of the Hall for The Vatersay Boys gig in the evening. 

An impressive drum kit, a piano accordion, a button accordion and bagpipes make a lot of noise, more than enough to fill the Hall. It was a sell out evening and obviously very popular with the locals whose ages ranged across four generations. The young teenage girls dressed in night club finery were first on the dance floor, the teenage boys weren’t far behind. For the best part of three hours the teenagers dominated the floor as the Boys pumped out one tune after another.

What a fantastic night!