Harkness – MacGillivray Stories

As mentioned, I am unsure of the exact dates. But I remember I visited the island two or three times with my son around 2006-2007. I will discuss these visits, one post at a time, beginning with my camping trip with Alan in 2006.

The July 2006 Camping trip with my son Alan (7 yrs)

This is eighteen years ago from the time of writing (2024), so it is difficult to remember all the details, but if I begin with some photos, this might jog my memory. Visitors to Eigg are not allowed to take their cars to Eigg – after all there is only one road on Eigg, and what a road! But free parking is available near the ferry terminal at Mallaig on the mainland.

I had packed a small tent in my rucksack, and some basic utensils, as I planned to camp on Eigg. At this time there was no campsite on Eigg, so camping was free. We were told that we could camp on the farmer’s field near Galmisdale Bay. It was quite a nice place to camp. There was only one more camper in the field, Stuart, his partner and their son Fion! This meant that Alan had someone to play with!

Apart from the sheep droppings and drizzly weather everything was okay. Washing facilities were not that far away at the Galmisdale Bay Café. However, we didn’t stay too long on Eigg in 2006, partly due to the rainy weather. So, after two or three days we left the island, and carried on our travels elsewhere. Nevertheless, we managed to rent bikes near the Galmisdale Café, and bike over the island to the Singing Sands.

My mother always talked about the Singing Sands, as if this was some magical place that existed in Tír na nÓg. In other words, Eigg, the island paradise and supernatural realm of everlasting youth and joy. For her, Eigg was just that, as she had happy memories of her carefree childhood days running barefeet along the Singing Sands with the other children of the island. My mother believed in reincarnation. Perhaps she has returned to a replica of her childhood Eigg at some other place in the universe and is still running along the ‘singing sands’! 

Of course, when I first visited the ‘Singing Sands’ I was already in my fifties, – a somewhat ‘cynical’ individual without my mother’s romantic ideas. Yet, one can’t help be impressed by the Singing Sands, and the glorious vista of the Isle of Rhum across the sea!

Alan was sad to leave the island. Donna the bagpipe player gave us a good sending off, playing the bagpipes as the ferry left the pier.

Photos from 2006 Eigg Camping Trip