The Rocks Remain –
But Rarely Unmoved
Water Features
Water is as much a feature of Mackay Country as are its rocks. The rivers were once famed for the beautiful pearls fished there. Today they are protected and traditional pearl fishing families like the Davies have a license but no longer make their living in this way. In lochs, burns and rivers close to the sea otters are common and the water vole, now no longer found in most of the British Isles, still thrives in west coast burns. On the coast are another set of distinctive habitats and landscapes. The deep water mud of sea lochs like Eriboll, Inchard, Laxford and Eddrachilles Bay itself are home to starfish, sea urchins, sea pen, several species of crabs, prawns and burrowing shrimps – and an amazing density and variety of seaweeds. At sea the rich feeding off the coast attracts not only seabirds but also porpoise, dolphins and whales during the summer months. Seals breed on the shoreline annually and every now and again a loan leatherback turtle, swept here along with the Gulf Stream, makes an unexpected appearance. The salt marshes at Kyle of Durness and Laxford Bridge are another a rich habitat.
Islands in the (Gulf) Stream
The Foreland of Lewissian gneiss – Handa, Fiondle and Fanagmore. Loch Laxford in the foreground.
The Coast
The cliffs provide nesting sites for fulmar, kittewake, gannets, terns and gulls. Clò Mòr – Great Cloth or Web – is the highest vertical sea cliff in mainland Britain. Handa Island, cleared of people by Evander Maciver in the 19th century, is an internationally known bird reserve where puffins can also be seen. In the last century local people collected birds and birds eggs for food by climbing down the cliffs on ropes. At times parties from Lewis arrived with the same aim.
At Sandwood Bay and Torrisdale Bay are impressive dune systems. Each year a great volume of sand is blown inland, enriching the soils in their path and creating unique habitat more usually found on limestone. The huge amount of sand comes from off-shore deposits created by past glaciers, mixed with shell sand.
