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A Voyage Round the Coasts of Scotland and the Isles
A Voyage Round the Coasts of Scotland and the Isles Author:James Wilson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3114 CHAPTER III. THE FLANNEN ISLES, OR SEAFORTH's HUNTERS—WESTERN SHORES OF LEWIS—BAY OF UIG HARBOUR OF CAIRNISH—BUTT OF LEWIS — HARBOUR OF CALLICOTT—THE MINCB SUTHERLANDSHIRE ... more » AGAIN—CAPE WRATH—LOCH ERIBOL—RIVER HOPE—PARISH OF DURNESS—SCENERY OF THE NORTHERN COASTS—KYLE OF TONGUE THURSO BAY—THURSO AND ITS VICINITY SKYLARK BRIG CAITHNESS IN GENERAL DUNNET HEAD PENTLAND FIRTH John o' Groat's—Regulation Anent Elders Of The Kirk— EASTERN COAST OF CAITHNESS—BAY OF WICK. We ran rather northwards of our course throughout the night, that we might have a peep textit{en passant of the Flannen Isles, commonly called Seaforth's Hunters, a low grey coloured group, not deficient in pasture, and therefore maintaining a few sheep, though destitute, we believe, of human inhabitants. The ruins of some religious houses, however, attest their occupation in former times, and illustrate what has been called that " pertinacity of devotion," exercised by the Cul- dean and Romish clergy, and which induced them to settle in the remotest isles of the most barrenregions. The buildings in question were dedicated to St. Flann, a patron saint said to have flourished in the ninth century. Some regard them as Druidical, and therefore of more ancient date. These small islands are the textit{Insulce Sacrce of Buchanan. By daylight in the morning of the 4th of August we bent our course somewhat south-eastwards, to visit the harbour of Cairnish, erected by the Fishery Board, in the Bay of Uig, or Loch Balnakyle, on the western shore of the Lewis. The breeze being fresh, and blowing in shore, it was thought unadvisable to take the Cutter farther than the mouth of the bay, so we proceeded inwards in the row-boat. Though the day was clear and bright, the country around, even under that advantage, seemed very barren...« less