Conversion Potential

Meal Church in Hamnavoe, Burra Isle, Shetland, is for sale with offers of over £45,000 considered. Planning permission for residential purposes would be required; though not for commercial activities of certain types. See the Church of Scotland Law Department for details as well as for the interior colours of the property.

Scottish Islands Explorer - also a good buy

Both Bothies

For details of a journey - ideal to read on an August Bank Holiday Weekend - consider Peter Edwards' Writes of Way and how he went from the bothy at Cruib Lodge, Jura, to An Cladach, Islay. His account and the reward of relaxation for the couple below should, at least, encourage us all to get out of the house!

Scottish Islands Explorer - for occasional bothy items

Light and Time Lapse

Turn to the Stornoway Gazette and open up a timelapse video of the Aurora Borealis taken by Karen Munro from a vantage point in Lossiemouth.

Scottish Islands Explorer - needs to explore more of the skies

Bee-eaters that Bewitch

This group of seven Little Bee-eaters were photographed in The Gambia. However, last Wednesday a flock of seven adult Bee-eaters turned up in Tingwall, Shetland, and perched on a power cable. Within minutes birdwatchers, in general, and 'twitchers', in particular, were flocking to see them. There is a full account and images in Shetland News of the 24-hour landing by avian and enthusiastic visitors.

Scottish Islands Explorer - the magazine is occasionally spotted in The Gambia

From Italy to Skye

This image of the Fairy Pools, Skye, was taken by Sergio del Rosso, a 32-year-old Italian photographer with only four years of experience. His work appears on the National Geographic website. For more shots of Scottish scenes by a range of photographers, survey the BBC website item.

Scottish Islands Explorer - always a wide range of island images

In the Running

The Sanday Archaeological Group has been short-listed for its work on preserving a number of coastal features and is in the running for the Heritage Angel Award. Dig into The Orcadian item for more details, including information about the Meur Bronze Age burn mound and well.

Scottish Islands Explorer - plays its part in preservation

Oyster Catch On

The stock market may have lost billions owing to concerns about China, but the investment in oyster production with Traigh Mhor on Barra is up. Read about in on the herladscotland website.

Scottish Islands Explorer - the new issue is selling well

Scarp in September?

Visiting Scarp, North Harris, is always special ... and this make Saturday 12 September a day to note. The Islands Book Trust is organising a visit to the island as part of the Harris Mountain Festival. Take advantage by signing up and going out.

Scottish Islands Explorer - Scarp is a favourite of many explorers

Torrential on Trotternish

There's a dark side to every mountain, especially where weather is concerned. A group of Scouts from Germany were rescued and accommodated by voluntary service organisations on the Trotternish Ridge, Skye, following torrential rain. The full story is on the BBC website.

Scottish Islands Explorer - appreciates the volunteers

Bus Roots

This Bedford bus was purchased in 1958 by John Mitchell of Stornoway and is in service here on the Stornoway Circular route.

An earlier model, new in 1948, was acquired by the same company and is pictured in Stornoway ready to go to Rodel, Harris.  Going back in time to 1921 / 22 is a Model T Ford bought by Donald and Neil Ferguson of Ness and operated for 28 years on the route from the most northerly settlement on the Isle of Lewis into Stornoway.

Far more details are available about the early days of bus travel in a book - A Fleet History of Pre-War Independent Operators in the Scottish Islands - featured in the Stornoway Gazette. There were a remarkable 114 licensed operators running services into the main town of Lewis in 1932, although this had fallen to 63 by 1939.

Scottish Islands Explorer - ready to revive the roots of routes