Geo-Trips :: Returning to Lochmaddy
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
A boat trip from Vatersay, Thu, 10 Aug 2023 by Anne Burgess
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I had the good fortune to be able to join a week-long botanical recording field trip to the uninhabited islands south of Barra. This was the seventh leg of the journey.
We left Vatersay in threatening-looking weather, with strong winds and low cloud over Barra, and made our way northwards along the coasts of the Uists and Benbecula to Lochmaddy, where the boat was able to tie up alongside a pontoon in the marina.
There were still a few hours of daylight left, so some of the party went to record in some grid squares close to Lochmaddy, and the rest of us went to Benbecula for a botanical 'twitch' - to see some unusual plants known to be there.
Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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'Elizabeth G' in Vatersay Bay
This cruise and charter boat is operated by Hebridean Cruises. See... more
Yacht 'Galena' at Vatersay
'Galena' is a charter yacht. See... more
Orographic Cloud
There's a strong wind from the west (left in this view) driving moist air up the... more
Orographic Cloud
There's a strong wind from the west (left in this view) driving moist air up the... more
Cloud Formations
There's a strong wind from the west (left in this view) driving moist air up the... more
Lochmaddy Marina and Ferry Terminal
MV 'Hebrides' at the ferry pier, from the pontoon giving access to the marina.
Culla Bay
One of the many fine sandy beaches on the west side of na h-Eileanan an Iar.
Machair at Quirnish
Machair is fertile land that is formed by sand blown in from the sea.
Oyster Plant (Mertensia maritima)
This is a plant of northern latitudes, commoner on the east coast than here on the... more
Geodha Bàn
A geo is a sea inlet, and Gaelic bàn means white or pale.
Storm Beach
The berm of shingle and pebbles is a storm beach thrown up during westerly storms.
Looking towards Aird
The foreground field is in this square, but the houses are in the next square. On... more
Storm Beach
The berm of shingle and pebbles is a storm beach thrown up during westerly storms.
Storm Beach
The berm of shingle and pebbles is a storm beach thrown up during westerly storms.
Rocky Shore
No storm beach has formed on this stretch of the coast because the rocks of the... more
Marestail (Hippuris vulgaris)
A plant that always grows in water, for once conveniently close enough to the land... more
Irish Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana)
A member of the orchid family, with a very western distribution.
Dùn Buidhe
The 'yellow fort' is on a peninsula, almost an islet, in Loch Dùn Mhurchaidh.
Boulder Dyke
On a peninsula in Loch Dùn Mhurchaidh.
Ragged Robin (Silene flos-cuculi)
Previously known as Lychnis flos-cuculi.
All images © Anne Burgess and available under a
Creative Commons licence 
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