Stroma trip evokes memories
A GROUP enjoyed a memorable trip to the uninhabited Pentland Firth island of Stroma on Saturday, organised by staff from Caithness Horizons visitor centre in Thurso.
The last resident family left Caithness’s only island in 1962, leaving it to an uncertain future. In 2011 the Lewis-based Islands Book Trust added Stroma to its catalogue of publications, presenting interviews with ex-islanders, stunning photography by Highland photographer Roddie Ritchie, an evocative poem by George Gunn, and an introductory essay by Alistair Murray – all adding a fresh perspective on a story that was in danger of being forgotten.
Last year, Caithness Horizons and the Islands Book Trust ran summer trips to Stroma to celebrate the launch of the new volume. Such was the demand that it opted to repeat the outings this year. One scheduled trip earlier this month fell foul of the Pentland Firth’s stormy conditions and had to be cancelled. The lucky band who crossed last Saturday encountered the island in its full summer glory, and did not even miss the display of orcas that drew last year’s trip to such a memorable close.
John Randall is chair of the trust, which has visited many of Scotland’s less well known islands. He and fellow trustee, Professor Donald Meek – himself a native of Tiree – were members of the party this year, along with several people who were amongst the last to live there.
As visitors chatted to members of the Simpson family who now own the island and work the land, it was almost possible to believe that the continuity of life on the island remained unbroken, and that the summer haze, the robust stone houses and the fertile green of the land still sustained a population.
t Caithness Horizons will be planning similar trips next summer. If interested, please contact e-mail christinegunn@caithnesshorizons.co.uk or phone 01847 896508.