Rather a gusty wind in the moorings, but sea is totally flat as the wind is from North. The wind and the forecast are not very encouraging, so we had a late breakfast and did a few jobs on the boat, such as repairing the handle on the kettle.
After a late lunch we went ashore to find the day is now warm and sunny and the wind is less. We took the short boat trip to Kisimul Castle – that’s the one in the bay after which the bay is named. It had been largely rebuilt since its castle days, but still made an interesting short tour. It contains a fresh water spring, which by a quirk of geology, delivers fresh water to the castle even though it is surrounded by sea. Very handy, but I noted that there is now a blue pipe going to the castle so I presume they now use mains water.
The rest of the world has been cut off from Barra since some time yesterday. The story is that someone dredged up and cut the communications cable, thinking it might fetch a few quid as scrap copper. The result was no phone, no internet, no mobile phones. Some time today BT got the phones working again, but still no Orange connection and nobody has internet, the cash machine is not working and the Post Office is closed, so the networks do not seem very robust.
An incoming fishing boat (more of a part-timer than a proper boat) sold us a lobster. He went round several of the boats on the moorings. Pam cooked it right away and we had it for supper – delicious once we had worked out how to open it up.
Tomorrow we hope to head North. The forecast seems OK, but the tide and wind are against us, so no great ambition as to where to go, possibly Eriskay or Loch Boisdale..
 |
| Lobster – before cooking |
 |
| Lobster – cooked |
 |
| Kisimuil Castle |
 |
| Kisimuil Castle – in the hall |
 |
| Kisimuil Castle – a bit of damp in the wall |
 |
| Castlebay moorings |
