Hello from the Isle of Eigg. My battery is low, what do I tell you?! We’re playing our show on power from the tide, wind, sun — one or all of the above — tonight.
We borrowed better shoes and walked around some crazy cliffs, muds, ferns, swooping swamping incredible views, up to massacre cave where the entire population of Eigg was smoked to death, all in one go, in the 1600s. We turned off all the lights and didn’t say anything for a while.
On the cliffs at Esheness.
At the falconry on the way west to Eigg.
Muddy red deer and eagle owl.
Thom’s favourite movie ever.
All by Paul.
We’ve been lost in a world of mist for days! Everyone in Shetland said it was a shame but that’s probably just their habit. I think we all thought it was beautiful and mysterious.
Saw airplaney Fulmars all over the super-shrouded Eshaness cliffs today. Giant pointy Ganets above the wake of the ferry earlier this evening — especially cool after reading about them in the St Kilda book….
Arrived to Shetland! highlights of the 12-hour ferry trip over included:
Playing games w/ Robin, Thom, Matt, and Paul w/ pints of Simmer Dim, reading Oscar & Lucinda, pretty comfy bunks, dancing on the deck (see video), being picked up by Neil Riddell (Ragged Wood Promotions), and taken back to scones and cats at his house…
Argyll Hotel, Ullapool — I couldn’t hear the rain over the hubbub in the bar downstairs but now that we’re up in the room, it’s such a nice going-to-bed sound. When P and I were talking earlier, the view out the window behind him was insane: the weirdest round mountains totally smothered in mist, one in front of the other, all slightly different greys, and the water of the lake even another one. Now that it’s total day, the green is emerging a bit.
Finally got some wifi! What else have we gotten?
– Slobbered on by highland cows
– Flew over by various martins
– Compared rooks (here) with grackles (home)
– Played Letham Village Hall and Carmunnock Recreational Center, both terrific
– Hot opening sets by young first-time giggers Joanne, Rowan, Paul, and Amber
– Ate a lot of cupcakes…
Slept under a poster of whales and dolphins in Edinburgh last night.
Didn’t partake in the post-show whiskey but you wouldn’t know it from the post-show photos!
We tried the new song Jana and got near enough…
Devon Sproule is blogging for FFS from her tour of the Highlands and Islands in support of new album Colours.