Visit remote and unique places in Scotland “the easy way”
By Donald Macdonald
Ruth enjoying a Laphroaig dram on Islay. Credit - Ruth Aisling YouTube
Maybe some of you have been lucky enough to visit Scotland and have seen some of the major cities, heritage sites, buildings, festivals and tattoos. Maybe you have followed the Road to the Isles, hiked the West Highland Way or visited the Speyside or Islay distilleries. If you have explored the Highlands and the Islands, you know how much time and effort it takes to get to the most special and isolated areas. Take it easy this winter and do some surf-travelling to the most undiscovered corners of Scotland from the comfort of your TV or laptop.
One enterprising and intrepid young lady has put together a very popular YouTube and Instagram series about her explorations of these hard to get to corners of Scotland. Ruth Aisling was born and raised in southern Scotland and after 12 years of work and foreign travel, Ruth decided to dedicate herself to showing the world the wonders of her home country. Outfitting a campervan named “Ernie” along with some good photographic equipment allowed her to display the beauty in these special spots. Ruth’s cheery personality and honest observations come out in every scene with practical advice on times and costs of ferries, cozy cottages, and what Scottish delicacies to eat and drink.
The Fascinating Story of St Kilda
A great example of a place Ruth Aisling visited but most tourists never get to, is the island archipelago of St Kilda’s, a world heritage site and bird sanctuary, which is four hours by boat from Uig on the north shore of the Isle of Skye. (Before power boats, the inhabitants had to row 44 miles of open sea).
Historically owned at least since the 16th century by the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, it was always sparsely settled with a few hundred inhabitants who harvested seabirds and their eggs by belaying (dangling) over cliffs, supplemented by small farming. With isolation from the mainland and food shortages, the population dwindled until in 1930 - when the island inhabitants requested evacuation to the mainland
St Kilda Village Hirta Island image. Credit - https://scotislands.com/st-kilda/
St Kilda Village Inhabitants circa 1878. Encouraged by an upturn in public interest in St Kilda, in the middle of the 19th century, and having just returned from delivering a public lecture on the islands, George Seton gathered together and published a comprehensive collection of writings and articles on the subject, written by a number of authors, entitled St Kilda, Past And Present (1878) - Credit West Highland Museum
The remains of houses, bothies (or cleits – stone shelters for storing bird meat for the winter) can be seen all over the island. The storied Lady Grange (Rachel Chiesley) was imprisoned on HIrta the main island in such a cleit in 1732 after being kidnapped by Highland clansmen at the behest of her estranged husband James Erskine, out of fear she would expose him as a Jacobite. Rachel died at Waternish, Skye in 1746 - still a prisoner.
NTS Hirta cleit. Credit - https://scotislands.com/st-kilda/
Sea stacks and island cliffs make stunning views from this island in the North Atlantic. Except for a military observation station, St Kilda is no longer inhabited year round. Seasonal visitors are those working for the National Trust and visitors - who are required, like Ruth was last August, to tent next to gale winds and unique species of invasive mice and bleeting Soay sheep, considered one of the most primitive sheep breeds in Europe. The sea is often so violent that its Scottish inhabitants eschewed fishing in favour of harvesting birds, even to the point of dangling off the cliffs to capture them.
St Kilda Soay sheep. Credit - Ruth Aisling Instagram
An historic link to the remote island archipelago of St Kilda has also been restored with the launch of a new boat service from Uig in the Isle of Skye. Even if most of us may never get to these places, we can still can enjoy them through videos such as these. Or, if such places are on your list, check them out to whet your appetite and get some great travel advice.
Some Other Ruth Aisling Destinations
Some other examples of Ruth Aisling’s well produced videos include Holy Isle with its Eriskay ponies, Soay Sheep and Saanen goats; the northernmost town of Thurso and its surfing beaches; Corrian Castle and Compass Hill on the Isle of Canna; and the Isle of Arran. For mainland trips join her for episodes at the Glenfinnan Aqueduct of Harry Potter fame; Glencoe; Dumfries and Galloway.