CHAPTER XVII 



CLISHAM : A CLIMB IN HARRIS 



ON the Island of Harris are many hills, and the highest 

 of them all is Clisham, which reaches an altitude of 

 2,622 feet. No great height is this, as compared with 

 the big hills of the Cairngorm range — Ben MacDhui, Brae- 

 riach, and Cairn Toul — yet it is nevertheless the highest hill 

 in all the Outer Hebrides, and from its summit in clear 

 weather a view unsurpassed may be had across hill and sea. 

 Much weather of a very wet and misty character was ex- 

 perienced in the Hebrides throughout the second week of a 

 recent July, and I do not think that during this period the 

 summit of Clisham was once free of cloud. The morning on 

 which I made the ascent opened promisingly enough, and 

 when, accompanied by a companion, I left Tarbert, Harris, 

 the sun was shining. But before we had made much progress 

 along the northern shore of West Loch Tarbert, a freshening 

 southerly breeze brought with it heavy clouds, and rain com- 

 menced to fall. 



Our way for the first four miles led along the margin of 

 the sea loch, but near the whaling station of Bunavon Eader 

 — where, owing to the heavy sea running outside, the past 

 few days had been unproductive — the road winds up a steep 

 hill face to where, at a height of 600 feet above sea level, a 

 chain of three lochs lie, surrounded by big hills. It was here 

 that we left the Stornoway road, and struck up the face of 

 Clisham, the upper reaches of the hill being shrouded by 

 hurrying mists, but the sky southward giving promise of 

 better things to come. As compared with the Cairngorms, 

 these high hills of the Outer Hebrides are singularly devoid 



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