Hebridean Gurkha: walking the Outer Isles

Gurkhas are not often seen in the Western Isles; perhaps these were the first. Hebridean Gurkha tells the tale of what was to be much more than a walking holiday for Neil and five Gurkhas. As the boys set off in heavy rain across the low peat bogs of Lewis, they were to encounter the rocky hills of Harris before striding along the sweeping white beaches of the Uists under blue skies. Then on to the sand-ringed Isle of Barra where a boatman took them to their journey's end, Barra Head in the far south. The wee men from Nepal called it 'Barra Heaven'. great Highland pipe a constant accompaniment. It involves the search for penguins, haggis and the perfect pool table, Compton MacKenzie and Bonnie Prince Charlie, on the isles where the sea meets the sky, and the Hebrides meet the Himalayas. It is about marching through some of the most dazzling scenery in the world, hearing about its folklore and history, while all the time acquiring more and more islander friends. The Gurkha penchant for laughter, singing, dancing, whisky and tartan all came together in a land that couldn't be much further from their home.