Wanderings of a Naturalist 



all showing clearly. Even the houses of Ballemartine and 

 Scarinish could be identified, and the hotel at the latter village. 

 To the south-west no land lay between me and Ireland, but, 

 showing with wonderful clearness, the lighthouse of Skerry- 

 vore was dazzling white in the sunlight. Several trawlers 

 were at work in the neighbourhood of Skerryvore, and not 

 the slightest heave of the Atlantic waters disturbed them, 

 for to-day no swell came in from the south-west, and only 

 a faint northerly breeze ruffled the waters at certain places; 

 at others the ocean lay mirror-like. Bearing more to the 

 southward, many small islands a little off Ulva met the eye. 

 On these islands terns nest, but these had already taken 

 their departure, and the islands seemed deserted save for a 

 flock of curlew which flew in from the sea. A mile or two 

 beyond them, from the one and only house on the island of 

 Little Colonsay, blue peat smoke was rising in the still air. 



Some half a dozen miles into the Atlantic the grassy 

 plateau of Staffa was emerald green after the recent heavy 

 rains. Concerning the origin of this famous island, local 

 tradition has it that Torquil MacLeod, a giant, was doing 

 some work in the neighbourhood of the Giant's Causeway, 

 in the north of Ireland, and decided to remove a piece of the 

 Causeway to his home, which was in the neighbourhood of 

 Eigg. So slinging a portion — Staffa — over his back he set 

 out for home. Lying just off Staffa is a small, black rock, 

 known, apparently ironically, as Staffa Mor, or Big Staffa, 

 and it is said that this portion was the first to fall from 

 Torquil's back. Frantically he strove to reach land with his 

 burden, making for Gometra or Ulva, but, alas! the rope 

 gave way and Staffa splashed into the sea ! A quaint origin 

 for one of the most famous islands in existence. 



Some twelve miles south of the slopes of Beinn Eolosary, 

 lona lay in bright sunshine, its white sands shining bril- 

 liantly, and away behind the highest point of the island — 

 Dun L— could plainly be seen the dark rock of Dubh Hirteach, 

 with the lighthouse surmounting it. During heavy weather 



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