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It's a bit like a marine version of Munrobagging (climbing all of the Scottish 3000 ft plus mountains), however it's not as hard on boot leather! Most islands can be bagged in wellies but some, like North Rona, involve risk and difficulty similar to a difficult Munro, just to get there! You'll also have to climb three Munroes to bag the highest islands: Ben Nevis on the UK Mainland, Sgurr Alisdair on Skye and Ben More on Mull. Therefore islandbagging = Munro bagging for sailors. Why do it? Well.....it will give you an excuse to explore the whole vast wilderness of maritime Scotland; a yachtsman's paradise which you can still have largely to yourself! -Visit the lonely ruins of the abandoned village on MINGULAY, being slowly swallowed by sand dunes. -Walk the 2000ft cliffs and sail round the 600ft sea stacks of ST KILDA, both being the highest in the UK. -Be swirled through the whirlpool of the CORRYVRECKAN, anchor in WEST LOCH TARBET & climb the enchanting Paps of JURA. -Visit the unique hebridean people of the LONG ISLE, learn some Gaelic, eat some bargain scallops or lobster. -Experience the spirituality of IONA. -Watch sea eagles flying over the GARVELLACHS in the Firth of Lorne. -Climb the most spectacular mountains in the UK, the Black Cuillin of SKYE. -Sample the water of life at the ISLAY distilleries. - Find out how Norse the SHETLANDS are when you see a Viking longboat burnt at UP HELLIAR! - Be swept by the Grey Men of the Minch to the magical SHIANTS as in the photo on this page. Where do you stop..........................?? | |||||
| I've been at this caper since 1989 when it started as a bit of fun and exercise - little did I know! Since I bought the superb book 'Scottish Islands' by Hamish Haswell-Smith, and saw it's island list, I had to do my own register cos Hamish's seemed incomplete - see the Livingstone's Tables page! I'm hoping to reach the half way point sometime this year! (173 islands bagged.) It's never been a lonely road! The more I do, the more people seem to want to join in! Just proves there are more mad people around than just me! This quest will take you to parts of Scotland you had no idea existed! On the way you'll see whales, eagles, otters and be dive-bombed by bonxies (Skuas), the gull equivalent to Stuka divebombers! I'd never have experienced all of these if the islands hadn't led me there! So just charter yourself a yacht and go sailing round the hebrides, you'll soon become an island bagger. If you're a Munrobagger, you've done the Munros and want a new challenge - well here you are! | |||||
| Rick Livingstone Overend House, Greysouthen Cockermouth Cumbria, U.K. CA130UA Tel:044 (0) 077 611 87016 Fax:not got one! Email:rick@islandbagger.co.uk Copyright © Rick Livingstone 2008 | |||||