6am, light streaming through the windows, not easy to sleep. So, off to look for deer, just to see where they are hanging out. The stalking season is coming soon (1st July) and with a healthy herd of Red Deer to look after we have a cull figure to achieve.

The deer were re-introduced to Rona in 2003 and have been very important in the regeneration of the trees on the Island and now we have a very easy Island to walk on, if you keep to the deer paths, more of that later. First thing it was very warm which was a bit wierd and the deer won this morning, I saw a few stags and hinds but the Black Back seagulls are good sentries and the deer were very alert. I went right to An Tempuil to have a look at the bracken growth because it is time to strim it again, it wasn’t bad but I see that the rain has eroded the repair work carried out ten years ago. This chapel is very old and similar to the one on North Rona and one I visited at Leverburgh (Northton) I don’t know much of it’s history apart from the fact that it has the only grave on the Island, the Graham family and my good friend Julia MacKenzie born and brought up on Eilean Tighe tells me that it was because they belonged to Lewis rather than Raasay, most Rona rsidents had Raasay connections and their remains were taken home. Julia clearly remembers quite a few funeral processions from Rona across the water to Raasay.

An Tempuil

I got back at 10am, had breakfast and got Mike to help with the exhaust of the pot hauler. This is a home made job because I can’t get to see Simon at Raasay Engineering, but hope to call in soon for a chat about our hauler.

Pipe Fitter/Dry Stane Waller No Problem!

We tried it out an hour later when the lads in our ‘Escape’ cottage came over looking for the three crabs I promised them. We lifted the crab pots and there wasn’t a lot but enough to satisfy their dinner. There has not been a lot of big crabs lately maybe it is the time of the year. We had a wee tour but no wildlife to report, we are hearing about Dolphins and Whales but not around Rona. Finished off by shooting the creels at Dhu Chamas.

We got back about lunch time and set about the ruin again, hoping to finish it. All was going well until we tried to push back a corner that had been touched previously by the JCB. We took photos just in case it fell down AND…..

The Corner Before The Push.

Just as well, the corner nearly popped out so Mike decided to take it down to sort it properly, which is what we should have done in the first place.

I was going to take Mike out stalking (looking) tonight, hence the very first early blog but it is raining, not forecast but it’s here and I guess welcome, I shouldn’t have watered the plants. So stalking/looking is not so good in the rain so we’ll leave the deer alone for tonight.