I have found myself increasingly drawn to hobbies that not just get me out but also make me wonder if I will make it back safe and sound. This surprises me a little because I don’t feel particularly ‘extreme’ and I have plenty of plans that I would like to see come to fruition. That being said no matter what the ‘main event’ of the day is I still find myself brought to a standstill by the ‘walk in’. Since arriving here a month ago I have found myself wanting just to walk among the heather and the hills and have set aside Sunday as a walking day.
Looking out over the harbour at Cromor
The walk described below is taken from the Cicerone Guide ‘Walking in Harris and Lewis
It is quite short (2:30) and about 40 minutes from Stornoway.
The only real complication is timing the start of your walk so you can get across the tidal path to Eilean Chalium Chille and also to the cairn at Crois Eilean (the orange arrows on the map below).
I had such perfect weather for the walk and the clarity of the water at Cromor harbour where the walk starts made me wish I’d brought my snorkelling gear.
Hopefully as you make your way from the harbour towards Eilean Chalium Chille you are met with the reassuring sight of the tidal path you will need to take.
Once you are on the Island you are able to visit an old ruined church by turning left once off the path. I wanted to take some photos to give a sense of the hardship those living on the Island must have faced but photographing the faded tombstones felt quite wrong.
The views looking out to Loch Eireasort were absolutely stunning and with the wind carrying the scent of heather blossom it made for a wonderful afternoon.
If you do choose to do this walk I would definitely recommend the scramble round the headland to Crois Eilean as the views from the cairn are some of the most beautiful I have seen so far on the island.
Judging by the remains of crabs, sea urchins and numerous shellfish at the cairn I was not the only one who appreciated the view! It did make me wonder if Nicholas Steno’s contributions would have been so insightful had he grown up here.
Leaving the cairn there is a 10 minute period of tidal uncertainty before you can see whether your hike has turned into in impromptu bivvy or not…thankfully I made it back safe and sound…
At home in the Hebrides 