Member Since: 03 Apr 2010
Location: Surrey
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Over the sea to the tidal island of Vallay, Outer Hebrides
We were visiting North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, and just 2.9 miles off its Northerly coast lies the tidal island of Vallay which is uninhabited. Unless you have a boat, you can only reach it on a low tide in a 4x4...
We head over most years when we are up here... on this occasion it was a bit of a grey and gloomy day, but what the heck, there's nothing quite like driving through the sea if you have the means 8)
On Vallay lies the former mansion house of Erskine Beveridge (27 December 1851- 10 August 1920), who was a Scottish textile manufacturer and historian.
He commissioned the building of this amazing house on the island around 1901-02 to provide a more permanent base for his trips to the 'edge of the world'. Named Vallay House, it was a baronial style mansion with a cement rendered exterior. Being on a tidal island with no fresh water supply, Beveridge had water piped across the strand. Following the construction of the house, Beveridge spent may summers on the island before his death in 1920, leaving the property to his son, who moved to nearby North Uist until his death in 1944.
After this the contents of the house were auctioned off and it has been abandoned ever since. Compared to just about every other property up here, this place is HUGE too.
It used to be really well boarded up (and had been for years). The gale force winds have seemingly taken their toll though over the winters, and it's now mostly open to the elements. You cannot access the upper floors as the floorboards and mostly gone and downstairs is strewn with fallen timber preventing access to many parts.
But it's a fun spot to reach for lunch...
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Preparing to head back to North Uist:
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The great bit is when you get back onto North Uist, just 1/2 mile down the road is a freshwater loch with easy access to drive into it - a quick drive around washes the underside of the car clean of the all the salt water nicely. And then a good jet wash back at the house and the salt water is (mostly) gone. Well - as much as is possible anyway...
Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated 747_JK
"Moab is my happy place"
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9th Apr 2017 9:28 pm
Dave T
Member Since: 03 Jul 2009
Location: Glasgow
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you're a braver man than me, I could just imagine being stuck axle deep in sand and an incoming tide!! Joined the BMWX5 45e group
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10th Apr 2017 6:01 am
geoffsnook
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My thoughts as well Dave T Discovery 3 se gone
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10th Apr 2017 7:23 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
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Looked at it on Google Maps, not even a straight line, ie aim for that point!
10th Apr 2017 7:57 am
Wildrover
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Nice pictures2007 D3 HSE Artic Frost Silverish
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10th Apr 2017 9:17 am
Hairy Dan
Member Since: 19 Jan 2011
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Looks an interesting building and journey! Is the track marked or is all the sand pretty solid around there?Cheers Ian
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10th Apr 2017 11:56 am
James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
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Fair do's
I'm assuming if you got into too deep water you could just floating back on your giant b L's
I wouldn't have the bottle to do that in such a remote place.D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
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10th Apr 2017 12:20 pm
J@mes
Member Since: 10 Nov 2008
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^^
10th Apr 2017 12:46 pm
Snowman
Member Since: 06 Aug 2016
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Looks great,
need about a day with the steam cleaner to get rid of all that salt.Andy.
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10th Apr 2017 1:03 pm
747_JK
Member Since: 03 Apr 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 268
The sand is pretty firm - a farmer heads over in his 4x4 to tend the Highland Cattle on Vallay every day, and I always reckon that if something went wrong, there would be time to run and get a farmer with a tractor to come to the rescue. Provided you could offer a decent enough reward!
Anyway, the beach just around the headland acts as an occasional runway for light aircraft... Although we only found that out after we had been walking there one day and got buzzed at low level by a little plane as we were right where he wanted to land. He circled and then touched down shortly after we'd moved...
There's usually some tyre tracks in the sand from the farmer or another mad tourist, but you can also take a detour and head any which way you like as it's mostly firm.
I've been over to Vallay in my car every year - both with this one, and the 2010 D4 before it (the famous smoker). Even had a Freelander 1 and 2 over there as well, in convoy... This current car is a MY2015, and she went over in May 2015 when she was only two weeks old... Perhaps not the best thing to do with a brand new motor, but hey-ho!
She's due an eight-hour valet from the guys at Max Wax this weekend, so will be restored to a shining beauty!747_JK
"Moab is my happy place"
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10th Apr 2017 3:35 pm
747_JK
Member Since: 03 Apr 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 268
This was the trip over in 2015 with the brand new motor - a much nicer day, and a very very low tide that day, so hardly any water to drive through. We even stopped for some donut fun!
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And last year shortly after we got back, we saw this older Disco heading over:
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And this is the route over, from my previous D4 sat nav screen: start from the pin and aim for the middle of the bay on the far side as there's a landing point which makes it easy to drive ashore:
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Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated 747_JK
"Moab is my happy place"
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10th Apr 2017 3:49 pm
LT
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10th Apr 2017 4:16 pm
Buckster
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I believe this is the link if you want to wade it out!!! 2003 BMW M5- 5 Litres of V8 Optimax Slurping Goodness in Carbon Black
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10th Apr 2017 4:46 pm
Someone-Gone
Member Since: 21 Dec 2015
Location: Gone
Posts: 5117
Nice photos, but I wouldn't take the car through salt water personally. I think your asking for trouble.
10th Apr 2017 4:53 pm
ronp
Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 15263
Agree, would be wanting to have the chassis and all the underhangings washed out with fresh water asap after that.
Nice pics & write up btw ...... always on the road less travelled 🚧
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Nice pictures
L's
