On 26th and 27th July 2013 Deirdre Nelson and Murray Robertson accompanied Anne Campbell and her sister Catriona on a trip to their family shieling. This was a unique opportunity to experience the environment as the shieling lies at the very heart of the blanket bog.
Outward journey. Natural erosion of peat haggs by the Bragar river.
The Shieling on the Hill of Bog Cotton by Loch nan Leac without protective tarpaulin roof.
Kettle toils on a recently lit peat fire within the sheiling.
Anne Campbell within the shieling after the walk-in. The skill and strength of the stone construction is evident in the building’s walls.
The Shieling on the Hill of Bog Cotton with the peak of Stacaiseal (the Lewisian ‘Mount Fuji’) visible to the left.
Loch an Òis (loch of the mouth or 'outlet')
Return journey. Gleann Bhradhagair (Bragar river).
Aig àirigh Beinn a' Chanaich
At the Shieling on the Hill of Bog Cotton - Aig àirigh Beinn a' Chanaich
Anne Cambell’s family shieling lies approximately 8 miles across a virtually trackless moor from the main road that runs through the West Lewis settlement of Bragar. Whilst traditional annual summer grazing no longer takes place in the area, Anne and her friends and family members endeavour to maintain the building and keep it in good repair.
