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It was a beautiful sunny day when we booked the boat trip from Arisaig to Eigg. Shame the weather changed, as it was cold and misty with a steady drizzle of rain when we set out.
So what is there to do in Eigg in the rain, after you've warmed up in the café by the harbour? Truth to tell; not a lot. Still, mad dogs and Englishmen and all that, a small group of us climbed into the local minibus and set out to find the Singing Sands.
The driver deposited us in a field in the middle of nowhere and pointed into the mists. "It's three fields away over there. If you head round to the left you should find some shelter under the overhang. I'll be back in three hours." he said, as he disappeared back up the track. He clearly thought we were quite mad. He wasn't wrong.
The beach at the Singing Sands is made of pure quartz sand grains which emit a shrill squeak when they are crushed underfoot in dry weather.
After half an hour's diligent searching we found a small patch that was dry enough to emit a reluctant squeak, and then had to find some way to fill the remaining two hours. Boy were we glad of that overhang.
The whole point of visiting an island is to stand on the top and feel surrounded by sea. Unfortunately, when visibility is down to a few hundred metres it is impossible to tell that you are on an island. Must go back there one day. Perhaps in May when the weather tends to be more reliable.