Traigh Hornais and Clachan Sands.

Start. Boreray Cottage.

Route. Boreray Cottage - Machair Robach - Corran Bhalaig - Traigh Hornais - Hornais - Clachan Sands - Burial Ground - B892 - Boreray Cottage.

Notes. We walked this in the evening after a large meal washed down with several glasses of wine, it seemed a good idea at the time and as it turned out it was. Over the legal driving limit we opted to walk from our small holiday let, Boreray Cottage our home for the week on the isle of North Uist, you dear reader may prefer to start from the cemetery at Clachan Sands.

The narrow lane that passed the cottage guided us towards the coast, it terminated at a field gate, we passed through said gate stepping onto flower rich machair, peat and sand based grassland that runs the length of the west coast of the islands. Following a fence line a faint path under foot we soon reached the coast, question was how to get to the beach. The dunes were sheer, loose, stepping too close to the edge may result in getting onto the stunning strand far quicker than intended. We picked our way along the brink, careful not to get to close, at a point where a fence vanished over the edge we found a safe way down.

This beach Traigh Hornais was another stunner, a wide arch of white sand backed by high dunes, across the horizon to the north mountainous Harris, to the left the island of Orasaigh with the Aird a Mhorain Peninsula beyond, a walk for another day. We turned and wandered slowly up the beach, on reaching Hornais a rock outcrop backed by even higher dunes we turned our backs on the coast.

With a sandy track under foot we wandered in land, the sand soon gave way to gravel which in turn turned to tarmac, we passed an old walled burial ground on a knoll, then a modern cemetery, further on we passed a rather large ominous rock, Clach an t-Sagairt sits on the machair, a Latin cross etched into the top corner of it’s face. From this massive boulder it was a short walk to the main road, as main roads go this was single track with passing places, we followed this south to reach the lane we set out on.

view route map.

home.

Our home for the week, Boreray Cottage looking across Traigh Bhalaig to the hills of Crogearraidh Mor and Crogearraidh Beag.

Across the machair grassland the rocky aerie of Crogearraidh Mor and Maari.

Striding out over flower rich machair looking to what I think is Maireabal and Marrogh.

Perched above the sheer dunes at the southern end of Traigh Hornais looking to the island of Lingeigh backed by the hills of Harris.

Beinn Bhreat and Beinn Mhor seen from the stunning beach of Traigh Hornais.

Wandering along the tide line of the whispering sea.

Viewing Hornais and another arch of stunning sand, Traigh Lingeigh.

Wonderful early evening views back the way we come.

Seen from Hornais, Traigh Lingeigh and the cloud kissed hills of Harris.

Our guide back to civilisation, but do we really want to go.

Clachan Sands Burial Ground or Clachan Shannda. The cemetery is enclosed with a stone wall, many "croft stones" are found within the cemetery. "Croft Stones" are those markers brought from one's croft to indicate a burial, the graves remain nameless as there is no writing on any of these stones.

From near the Burial Ground views to Crogearraidh Mor and the shadowed face of Maari, just out of interest the small building to the right with the white washed walls and thatched roof is Boreray Cottage.

Clach an t-Sagairt rests on the machair, a large rock of some importance to some one at some time, a Latin cross eleven inches (28 cm) tall is etched on the top right hand corner of it's face.

Views towards Lingeigh from the track leading to the main road.

Looking down on Clachan Sands Burial Ground with the island of Boreray on the horizon.

Seen from the main road, dark against the sky Li a Tuath and Li a Deas, right a bit to the green slopes of Blathaisbhal, right a bit more and the slopes of Crogearraidh Beag rise out of shot.

Traigh Bhalaig at high tide.

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