Thursday 24/08/06

Today dawned fairly bright, but the showers arrive after lunch. Mrs B's nephew calls in for a cuppa, and he hangs on for some sausage rolls. Mrs B and I head off on the bus, this time to Ballantrushal, some 14 miles north of Stornoway. This small hamlet boasts of the largest monolith in the Western Isles, standing some 19 ft / 5.7 m tall. In legend it was once a man, who was turned to stone. A passer-by once heard it proclaim in sepulchral tones:

A Truisealach am I after the Fiann
Long is my journey behind the others
My elbow points towards the West
And I am embedded to my oxters

Its closest neighbours to the south, at Callanish, never spoke, but are locally referred to as the Deceitful Men.

We arrive at Ballantrushal [Baile an Truseil] at 2.55, in slight rain. A man is hammering fenceposts into the ground with a mallet. A house stands alone, delapidated and obviously derelict. Many houses in this part of Lewis have a blackhouse standing nearby, where people used to live until the 1950s. Ballantrushal stands on the northern slope of the moor, running down to a small river just below Shader, the next village. The hill of Muirneag frowns over it from 6 miles to the east. We amble to the Stone and shelter in its shadow as a shower passes. Having a look round for a minute, then continue down to the shoreline, 400 yards away. Pity about the wrecked cars along the way. The weather clears, but the frontal passage leaves showers behind. Slow return to the main road. Chat to the man at work and wait in the busshelter for the 4.16 bus, which is 5 minutes late. It takes schoolkids back to Stornoway from Lionel School, 11 miles to the north. Hazy views over the West Side to Old Hill, 15 miles to the west. Return to SY at 16.45, only to find half the shops shut with the communion holidays. Wasn't aware of that, but do manage to get the papers in. The papershop still had yesterday's paper on the shelves, something I don't spot until it's too late. Naughty. Supper consists of rice, canned chili con carne and canned sliced peaches. Nice though.