UKC

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Lovely, except that it's St Kilda not Kilder. I think it was named after the popular AFL team.

In reply to kajsurfer:

And indeed skua rather than skewa. Nice article though.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:
Well spotted. How about we offer J+K Global Proofreading Services? You take the north, I'll have the much easier and sparsely populated south. Easier because Aussies shy away from big words, e.g. "I'm off for a surf this arvo!".

In reply to John & Kaj:

Thanks, now changed.

Never been there myself - it's a glaring gap in my UK rock CV. Looks lovely and it is very high on my list of must visit spots.

Great article - big thanks to Neil.

Jack

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Col should be Coll.

In reply to Colin Moody: If we're having a spelling bee, "saver" should be "savour".

In reply to Lemony: And finally, third line, first word, second paragraph should be "past" as in "by" not "passed" which is a verb. And I'm a krap spellor two.

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Some more info and pictures here:

http://www.climbonline.co.uk/south_barra_isles.htm

In reply to Steve Crowe: I'm surprised they didn't get more climbing done, we were 3 miles away on Pabbay the same week and got climbing every day bar one, in between the showers!

In reply to Alasdair Fulton:

We were very lucky with the weather on our trip. It was very windy so any showers passed quickly. We climbed every day except one when we couldn't get the ab rope to go down the cliff! Every time I threw the rope it ended up above and behind me!

In reply to Steve Crowe: Ha ha, that riminds me of a time me and a mate from Skye went to do Grey Panther, tried to throw the ropes off the cliff and they just came straight back in our faces and sometimes clean over our heads. We just gave up and went and did a horrific new route under the kilt rock viewpoint!

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Good article. Isn't bonxey the name for that type of skua?

We had a similar experience on Mingulay a few years ago. High winds, rough seas and rain. We did end up climbing on Dun Mingulay in some bad conditions. When you've spent 2 days in a tent and you've 4 days before the boat arrives then you'll climb in any weather. Leaving the island was quite an ordeal getting 16 climbers and kit off in high seas. It was a very slow process and by the time we got moving the weather had worsened. I recall asking the fisher man (the only folk with lifejackets on) if they would have come out knowing it would be this bad - No was the answer. THEY even looked worried. At least half the team were vomiting over the side of the boat - that was when you could manage to get near the side! It was tipping side to side 45 degrees to the see - tossing gear and climbers about. The waves were so big at times all you could see were walls of water. That night in the pub at Castle Bay was ace - beer and "glad to be alive" glares and grins.

I can honestly say I've never been so scared!!!!

Prior to this trip I'd been twice before and had perfect weather. They remain the most memorable climbing trips I've had...........

I need to go back.

In reply to richard kirby: Wow, glad the weather died down at the end of the week as that's probably the experience we would have had! Donald didn't come for our midweek Island swap as it was too rough, and he came for us a day early as the weather on the saturday looked rubbish!

I'm going to keep going every year until I get a full week of sun!

In reply to Colin Moody:

And Rhum is now considered a bit old hat, with Rum being the current favoured spelling.

Sounds like a grand adventure. Mind you, all the trips I've ever heard about on Pabbay and Mingulay always sound like a grand adventure. The Outer Hebrides really are special places.

In reply to Steve Crowe:

>We were very lucky with the weather on our trip. It was very windy so any showers passed quickly.

Love it! There's an attitude some of my climbing partners could do with emulating - although mind you the same could be said about me on occasion.

jcm

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Some fine tentage there!

GM