Benbecula, Berneray, Uist, Lewis and Harris
In Britain, the Outer Hebrides are as far west as you can go. Of all the islands on the edge, these are the most exposed to the raw power of the Atlantic. They form a long chain, and carry an ancient sense of place in their names. Berneray, Benbecula, Uist, Lewis, and Harris, with mountains made from the same rock as the moon.
There is an otherworldliness here that sets these islands apart from anywhere else in Europe.
Along this final frontier are even more remote satellites - outlying rocks and stacks, and these reveal why the Outer Hebrides are so special.
On these islands are some of the largest seabird colonies in Europe. Northern gannets alone number more than 100,000 birds… the greatest gathering on the planet.
Its mid-June and the Hebrides and seabirds have just a few short months to raise a family. Summer is brief here, even by Scottish standards, and this year the weather has been particularly cruel.
In spring, the Hebrides, including Benbecula, were hit by a devastating storm, the worst for many years. Its effect was catastrophic. Many birds lost eggs and nests, they had to put their breeding season on hold, just as it was starting. And an already brief summer is now even shorter.
Benbecula has a fairly small human population which has a sizeable Roman Catholic presence.
Great Skua (Bonxie), Arctic Tern, Puffin and Gannet
On the outlying Islands there’s a real sense of urgency in the huge puffin colonies. The torrential rain flooded many burrows, and it’s been hard work digging them out again. Deep in the back of this burrow nestles a single, three-week-old chick - a puffling. Her parents have been together for many years. They constantly re-affirm their bond with ritualised head-flicking.
Every day they fly out to sea to bring her food, each clocking up to 100 km. Because of the setbacks this year, the parents are under even greater pressure than usual. They must feed the puffling quickly and often, so she’ll be ready to leave by autumn.
And there’s another problem. Great skuas - locally known as bonxies, make a living mugging other seabirds. They can bully gannets twice their size into coughing up their catch. At a third of the skua’s weight, puffins are a pushover. The bonxies prowl the colony, seizing any opportunity that comes their way. They are quite capable dragging a puffling from its hole and devouring it… so the chick must stay well-clear of the entrance.
For thousands of years, the seas around these islands have sustained not just seabirds, but people. On the east coast of the Isle of Lewis, sheltered from the Atlantic gales, lies the town of Stornoway.
It’s easily the best harbour in the Outer Hebrides. In the days when travelling across Europe was slow and dangerous, Stornoway was an important crossroads for people using the sea. Bronze-age traders, Celts and Vikings all came here and made this a cosmopolitan place. Even the town’s name comes from the ancient tongue of the Vikings. Stornoway has always been an important fishing port and it’s still home to many boats.
A group of grey seals hangs out in the harbour waiting for the returning fleet. This mature bull has realised that the boats can supply him with a free fish supper. Living here certainly means you don’t need to work too hard to earn regular meals.
Back in the puffin colony, getting a meal is a matter of life and death. The bonxies are hunting hard. They’re hungry, too. The three-week-old puffling is keeping safe and the back of the burrow. But another youngster has made a fatal mistake. It’s a lucky escape for the puffling… but now the bonxies turn their attention to its parents. To deliver this precious catch, they have to run the gauntlet. Every time they feed their puffling, it’s a triumph! The chicks which survive can live for more than 30 years - little birds with a lot of experience.
The seas around the Outer Hebrides are rich, and despite the storms earlier in the year, it’s turning out to be an exceptionally good year for fish. There’s plenty of food here to support large shoals. But you still have to know where to find them. In the sound of Barra, a pod of 15 bottlenose dolphins know all the tricks of the trade. They can read these complex tidal waters is only true residents can. Sometimes they save energy by bow-riding fishing boats which are going the same way. After all, fishermen to read the currents and tides, too. This pod will work these waters all summer, making the most of this short time of plenty.
Now the local residents are joined by long-distance travellers. Missing the spring storms by just a few weeks, a flock of migrants arrives on the warm south wind - Arctic Terns. They’ve flown almost 19,000 km from the Antarctic to the island of Lewis. Here, just north of Stornoway town, they’re checking out a small river island, rich with blooming sea pinks.
It seems ideal - there are no ground predators here, and on the doorstep is a great source of food. Broad Bay is sheltered and the many animals already feeding here are proof of how rich it is. Otters fish the rising tide while eider ducks dive for mussels. The terns decide to settle here. They explore the river island, working out where they want to nest. Terns, like so many seabirds, mate for life. And these kind of decisions take time. After coming so far, they might as well get it right! Now that’s done, the male needs to cement their relationship. All he has to do is to head out into the bay, and find a small gift for his mate.
Shrimps are too slippery. A plump sand eel, from further out, might be better, once he’s got a good grip. Now it’s just a case of getting it back home. But once again, there are pirates waiting in the wings. This time, they’re Arctic skuas - swift, manoeuvrable and persistent. A bonxie moves in on the colony. This needs teamwork. But it’s all worth it to hand over the prize.
External Links
Benbecula - Wikipedia Page
