Seasonal Opening

The Mission House Studio, Finsbay, has opened its doors for the new season. This Harris gallery houses the photographic and ceramic products of its owners and is well worth a visit. The opening hours are simple: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 18.00 and a warm welcome is assured.

Scottish Islands Explorer - mission accomplished every other month

It Started With A Kiss!

The numbers of Northern Gannets are up this year - according to surveys of breeding colonies such as Bass Rock, St Kilda, Sule Skerry and Sule Stack. Read the Stornoway Gazette report and consider the source of this photograph - It Started With a Kiss! - by Jamie MacArthur.

Scottish Islands Explorer - it all started with an idea

Yell Waves

Yesterday it was Eday, Orkney, producing energy from new turbines; today it's Yell, Shetland. A new direct-drive tidal turbine will be harnessing power from Bluemell Sound. Edinburgh-based Nova Innovation claim that the device will be revolutionary. Details are to be found in Shetland News.

Scottish Islands Explorer - powered by ideas about locations

Eday Surf 'n' Turf

Eday, Orkney, will soon be pioneering the production of electricity and exporting excess. at least as far as Kirkwall. The so-called Surf 'n' Turf approach will combine the sources of tidal and wind turbines. The Orcadian carries the first part of the story; the rest follows there next week.

Scottish Islands Explorer - so interested in the innovative

Junction for Tagon

Tagon Stores, Shetland, is on a significant junction where you take, if heading north, the left route for Brae and beyond or the right for ferries to Yell, Fetlar and Unst. The successful shop itself is at a commercial junction with new owners about to acquire it. The story is in Shetland News.

Scottish Islands Explorer - crosses a new junction every eight weeks

Depicting Light

An image by Eve Graham, from Lewis, has been selected from over 21,000 to be in the top ten of the Velux 'Lovers of Light' competition. Look at her Lewis Black House and an account of the event in the Stornoway Gazette.

Scottish Islands Explorer - its readers tend to love light

Church to Community Centre

Investment in vessels has obviously taken place in Grimsay Harbour. Now plans are afoot to raise funds to convert the former Free Church building into a community centre. The Stornoway Gazette has the details.

Scottish Islands Explorer - some change of use here

Shared Journeys

It's now six years since these pupils from Papa Westray were photographed using the world's shortest scheduled flight that serves the neighbouring island of Westray and their school. However, they may have memories of the four times a week experience of the two-minute crossing undertaken while the ferry-boat was out-of-action. If so, there could be a suitable account for a project being run by the Scottish Book Trust which features Journeys. It's all a matter of 'inspiring readers and writers'.

Scottish Islands Explorer - shares the same trade

... or Chapel Going?

There was an opportunity yesterday to take a look into a primitive, natural church on South Rona. Today the focus is on North Rona and its Chapel - said to be the third oldest existing place of worship in Britain.

Take a look at the gallery of North Rona images presented by Charles Tait and at his website featuring his publications about the Northern Islands.

Scottish Islands Explorer - takes you places ... in comfort

Going to Church ... Cave?

When South Rona was fully inhabited there was a demand by congregations for places of worship. Until the 1930s there were services in the Church Cave where the stone pews were certainly hard-wearing. An account of a visit is towards the end of a finely-illustrated account of a journey in walkhighlands and the photograph here was taken by Marc Calhoun, with his wife, Shawna, anticipating, perhaps, a sermon! Marc has visited the island some five times and his blog focuses on many of its features.

Scottish Islands Explorer - supports the Church of Congregational Comforts