Eilean Mor MacCormaig

Wed, Feb 28th 2024 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

Anne Tait is a sailor with exciting tales to tell

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Guest speaker Anne Tait spoke to the club about the Hebridean island, Eilan Mhor MacCormaig and her times sailing there with her husband ‘the Ancient Mariner’ Hamish. The uninhabited island, the biggest in its inner-Hebridean group, is popular with sea-birds and kayakers, is owned by the SNP and offers very challenging sailing conditions. It is small (landmass .07 of a square mile) and unimposing. A charitable trust has built a jetty, and visitor centre, and volunteers have made paths, built steps and planted trees. As well as a chapel and cross dedicated to the 7th century St Cormack (he is buried at the chapel) and his hermit’s cave, each year the island hosts a traditional music and poetry festival. Well-known visitors to the island include Winnie Ewing and John Swinney, and, years before during the American War of Independence, John Paul Jones. Anne described times she and Hamish sailed together (she is a reluctant sailor and once, in extremis, she remembers mutinying with a firm ‘NO!’ when at the helm trying to avoid a nearby gin-palace!). Finally setting off in stoney silence in the cold and wind, Anne and Hamish eventually resumed normal relations over coffee and cake (with the helm on auto-pilot!) followed by a lunch stop on Eilam Mor MacCormaig. A reluctant sailor, yes, but what is it that she loves about sailing? - the moments of sheer beauty and isolation. This entertaining talk with lots of gentle humour was greatly enjoyed by all members present. Jimmy MacGregor gave the vote of thanks.