See Ya!

28Jun09

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Island bound at 11am tomorrow morning.
See ya in a week.

Filed under: Camping, Fishing, Living   |  1 Comment

More From The “Garden”

28Jun09

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Bit laughable calling it a garden but heck, things are growing!
I’ve got more salad than I know what to do with. The rocket, mizuna and mustard leaves are growing thick and fast and no matter how much I cut and use, there seems to be loads more a few days later. The lettuces (3 types) [...]

Filed under: Food, Living, Nature, Produce   |  2 Comments

Camping Clothing

25Jun09

It was pointed out that in a previous equipment rundown for my week on-island I didn’t appear to be wearing any clothes.
Luckily for locals, I will be.
Basically for camping and fishing at this time of year I’d wear a simple layered system of synthetic North Face gear…
NF Meridian Cargo shorts: Longish n loose, hardwearing, quick [...]

Filed under: Camping, Clothing, Reference   |  4 Comments

Midge

23Jun09

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The islands of the Outer Hebrides will now be well into Midge Season.
Culicoides Impunctatus is the dreaded Highland Midge a member of the two-winged fly family, sharing some features in common with their relatives, the mosquitoes. However, Highland midges are very small, with a wingspan of about 1.4 mm. They have characteristic dark flecks on the [...]

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Island Top Trumps #6: John MacLeod

23Jun09

John MacLeod was born in Lochaber in 1966. After graduating from Edinburgh University, he began his career at BBC Highland in Inverness and quickly established himself as a freelance writer. He won Scottish Journalist of the Year in 1991 and contributed regularly to The Scotsman and The Herald. He is presently a columnist with the [...]

Filed under: Reference, Writing   |  9 Comments

Island Camping

22Jun09

Last year’s kit.
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A week today I’ll be headed Lewisward and hopefully the weather will be decent enough to get a fair few nights under canvas under my belt.
Despite having a 4×4 to drive about in I plan to get off the beaten track and far from the madding crowds and to this end I like [...]

Filed under: Camping, Fishing, Living, Reference   |  5 Comments

dotjr

21Jun09

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dotjr is a folkish solo project from 20 year old Lewisman, James Reeves.
James began writing songs in 2006 and in 2007 officially formed dotjr and began playing gigs in his hometown of Stornoway.

A very talented young man, someone needs to get him signed toot sweet.
dotjr’s music can be found on [...]

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Home again.

16Jun09

Over Mealista, Isle of Lewis.
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Am very excited about heading home again, this time for a whole week. I’ll be travelling solo, J gets a break from me and I get to indulge a good bit of hillwalking, camping and fishing on my lonesome.
Plan is generally to drive a wee 4×4 over on the Ullapool ferry [...]

Filed under: Camping, Environment, Fishing, Living, Nature   |  8 Comments

Weaver Of Grass

07Jun09

Angus McPhee (1916 – 1997) was a Scottish outsider artist, who made his art while being admitted in the Craig Dunain Psychiatric Hospital near Inverness. He was born into a crofting family in Iochdar, South Uist. As a child on the croft, he learnt how to make ropes and netting from the abundant grass on [...]

Filed under: Art, Books, Clothing, Environment, History, Nature, Reference, Textiles, Tradition   |  5 Comments

Donald S. Murray

07Jun09

Donald S. Murray was born in Ness in the Isle of Lewis. An author and journalist, his poetry, prose and verse has been shortlisted for both the Saltire Award and Callum Macdonald Memorial Award. Published widely, his work has also appeared in a number of national anthologies and on BBC Radio 4 and Radio Scotland. [...]

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