202 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



serious difficulty on the E. side of Eilean Tigh, and the weather 

 could hardly have been designated moderate. Imry's "Directions," 

 however, which profess to be copied or compiled "from recent 

 Admiralty Surveys," as stated on the title page (1875), mention 

 Eilean Tigh "possibly of 50 acres." They also recommend the 

 south-west side of Eilean Mor as a landing-place. 



Approaching the Flannan Islands from the E.N.E. their first 

 appearance strikingly reminded me of Haskeir, but a little later 

 this view quickly changed, and it was seen that the group was of 

 more circular or triangular shape, unlike the long single strait ridge 

 which the Haskeir island and rocks present. 



Gealtir M6r, translated the big white {bright or dear) land, 

 and Gealtir Beg, the lesser white land, are only small spray- 

 washed rocks, not a cable's length from the larger masses of Eilean 

 M6r, and Eilean Tigh, which latter is nearer to them than the 

 former.* 



Eilean Mor — the big island — is the highest and largest of the 

 group, and has a fine precipice facing E.S.E. and a deep goe from 

 top to bottom, with what appears at a distance a feasible but 

 difficult landing-place on the left or S. side of the goe, and another 

 equally difficult, still more to the S., and beside a small triangular- 

 shaped cave. These, however, are not landing-places, though they 

 appear possible from the sea, and the recognised landing-place is 

 on the N. side. 



Eilean-an-Tigh — the island of the house — is the second largest; 

 and is next to the two Gealtirs in position from the Lewis. 

 Upon it are the remains of an old house, standing at the inner 

 extremity of a large goe, which cuts into the full height of the 

 cliffs — about 120 feet? — from the west side, and of which we 

 could see the further dark cliff-top above the top of the nearer 

 and somewhat lower cliff facing it. 



The island is a roundish "lump" with a fine green sloping top 

 facing E.S.E. I am now describing the aspect from the sea, but 

 will say more of it later after landing. One more point, however, 

 should be noted now, and that is, the long peninsula which juts 

 out towards the E.S.E. and which, however, is better seen to 

 be a peninsula when approached from a more southerly direction. 



As we kept on along the N. side of Eilean Mor, passing two 



* The best map I have seen of the group is a very careful one in Muir's 

 "Characteristics of old Church Architecture of Scotland," p. 178. 



