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| Beinn Bragar |
Beinn Bragar isn't
much of a hill, less than a thousand feet, but on the flat Lewis
moorland it, and its two companions, Beinn Rahacleit and Beinn
Choinnich, stand out as a mini-massif on the peat bogs. The ramparts
of ancient stone promised some energetic scrambling with the prospect
of some decent views of the coastline to the north and west.
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| A good scramble! |
The path in from
Shawbost took me over abandoned peat hags and squelchy mosses to the
base of the ben then a stiff but relatively quick, even for an old
guy, climb to the upper stony redoubt.
The entire climb
was accompanied by the call of cuckoos, perhaps voicing an opinion of the sensibility of the blogger,
and the warbling wheep of curlew. The approach slopes were steep
enough to keep my face parallel to the ground and gave me a passing
inventory of the flora and fauna of the hill - the insectiverous butterworts, spotted hebridean orchids, busy burying beetles, marsh violets and
delicate sedges.
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The scramble to the
top was quite exhilarating and the views, as expected, were beautiful.
To the north, I saw a
good track which looked a lot easier than the peat moor that I
tramped across and seemed the best way out but, as I discovered,
everything has its price. The descent was not as easy on the northern
slopes.
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| No easy way down |
Somewhat bruised but intact, I made my way back to have look
at the remains of an Iron age fort – a dun,on the edge of the appropriately named
Loch an Duna, in the village of Bragar.
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| Dun Bragar |
Built in the first
millenium B.C., it was occupied up until the middle ages when
defensive sructures were still essential in the habitual clan
battles between Morrisons, Macalays, and Macleods.
Now, the only
occupants of the loch are grey lags and mallards, raising their
broods in peace.
Down by the sea, I came across the somewhat grandly named Port Mhor Bragar, translating as the big port of Bragar which only consists of a slipway but, like so many of the spots on the Hebrides, has an a view round every corner.
Another relic of the middle ages is the pre-reformation chapel, Teampull Eoin, at Port Mhor Bragar. Like so many of these charming little early churches along the coastline of Lewis, it has been allowed to fall into ruin, despoiled by modern graves dug in its interior.
Strange that islanders so famed for their religiosity should treat the places of worship of their forefathers in such a cavalier fashion.
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| Teampull Eoin - St John's chapel |
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