Sulasgeir
NORTH RONAY AND NORTH BARRAY OR SULASGEIR
[Written in 1886]
Of the former accounts which have appeared of these Islands, we cannot do better than reproduce here the chronological record as supplied by our friend Mr. John Swinburne, the year before Harvie- Brown visited them for the first time. Mr. Swinburne, writes as follows, and by permission we quote very fully from his account.
“On Monday, June 18th [1886] , I left Stornoway, in the yacht for Ness Harbour, near the Butt of Lewis, where I wished to get a pilot, and at 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning I was awakened and told we were off Ness.
Going on deck, I found we were off the Butt of Lewis, in a dead calm, with a ground-swell rolling in from the North West, such as I have seldom seen. The boat was lowered with great difficulty, and I proceeded ashore.
Ness is a very strange place, being a large bay open to the south-east, the top of which is formed by a stretch of beautiful white sand, on which a heavy surf breaks continuously. The sides are formed by broken cliffs, and on the north side of the bay is the so-called harbour, which is merely a slip where the fishermen haul up their boats.
I had considerable difficulty at first in getting anyone to volunteer to act as pilot, as all the men were just going out to haul their lines, but at last a man of the name of Norman MacLeod came forward. I give the name in case anyone intending to visit Sula Sgeir or Rona should want a good pilot who knows the ground thoroughly. I should strongly advise any future visitor to get a pilot from Ness, AS THE STORNOWAY PILOTS ARE A TERRIBLE SET OF LAND-SHARKS.
Leaving Ness about 5 a.m. on the 19th, we steered north-north-east for Sula Sgeir.
On the way out, I got all the information I could from the pilot. He said that some years ago he had lived for some time on Rona, tending the few sheep that are on the Island, and that a great many birds bred there, and among them a bird which answered to the description of a petrel of some sort.
About 5 a.m. we sighted Sula Sgeir from aloft, a little on the weather bow and shortly after Rona appeared further to windward. About 7 p.m. we were close to Sula Sgeir, so I ordered the boat to be lowered, at the same time telling MacLeod that we did not want him ashore. He smiled rather grimly without answering, but as we shoved off he suddenly fell into the boat with a mighty crash, very nearly capsizing her.
Evidently he had not the slightest intention of letting me loose among the gannets by myself. He seemed to look upon them as his own private property.
The landing-place we made for is on the east or south-east side of the Island. I believe there is another and better one on the north west side, but there was a very heavy swell rolling in from that quarter.
The landing had to be effected on a very steep rock by watching for an opportunity and then making a wild leap...........
Sulasgeir
NORTH RONAY AND NORTH BARRAY OR SULASGEIR
[Written in 1886]
Of the former accounts which have appeared of these Islands, we cannot do better than reproduce here the chronological record as supplied by our friend Mr. John Swinburne, the year before Harvie- Brown visited them for the first time. Mr. Swinburne, writes as follows, and by permission we quote very fully from his account.
“On Monday, June 18th [1886] , I left Stornoway, in the yacht for Ness Harbour, near the Butt of Lewis, where I wished to get a pilot, and at 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning I was awakened and told we were off Ness.
Going on deck, I found we were off the Butt of Lewis, in a dead calm, with a ground-swell rolling in from the North West, such as I have seldom seen. The boat was lowered with great difficulty, and I proceeded ashore.
Ness is a very strange place, being a large bay open to the south-east, the top of which is formed by a stretch of beautiful white sand, on which a heavy surf breaks continuously. The sides are formed by broken cliffs, and on the north side of the bay is the so-called harbour, which is merely a slip where the fishermen haul up their boats.
I had considerable difficulty at first in getting anyone to volunteer to act as pilot, as all the men were just going out to haul their lines, but at last a man of the name of Norman MacLeod came forward. I give the name in case anyone intending to visit Sula Sgeir or Rona should want a good pilot who knows the ground thoroughly. I should strongly advise any future visitor to get a pilot from Ness, AS THE STORNOWAY PILOTS ARE A TERRIBLE SET OF LAND-SHARKS.
Leaving Ness about 5 a.m. on the 19th, we steered north-north-east for Sula Sgeir.
On the way out, I got all the information I could from the pilot. He said that some years ago he had lived for some time on Rona, tending the few sheep that are on the Island, and that a great many birds bred there, and among them a bird which answered to the description of a petrel of some sort.
About 5 a.m. we sighted Sula Sgeir from aloft, a little on the weather bow and shortly after Rona appeared further to windward. About 7 p.m. we were close to Sula Sgeir, so I ordered the boat to be lowered, at the same time telling MacLeod that we did not want him ashore. He smiled rather grimly without answering, but as we shoved off he suddenly fell into the boat with a mighty crash, very nearly capsizing her.
Evidently he had not the slightest intention of letting me loose among the gannets by myself. He seemed to look upon them as his own private property.
The landing-place we made for is on the east or south-east side of the Island. I believe there is another and better one on the north west side, but there was a very heavy swell rolling in from that quarter.
The landing had to be effected on a very steep rock by watching for an opportunity and then making a wild leap...........