The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands

RIEVERS AND CATERANS TALES
Eventually they came to the door of a lonely black-house
near Port Scolpaig, occupied by a solitary cratur named
Neil, who evidently was unaccustomed even to the meagrest
necessities of life, and whom they were very chary about
carrying off to their boat.
However, since there was no other abode within sight,
it was decided to make the best of things with the pilot on
whom they had set their minds, if only the wretched Neil
could be expected to continue in life until he had guided
their galley in by Stockay and the Eel to Port Roy, the
only harbour of the Monach Isles where it is possible to
effect a landing with any degree of safety, except under the
calmest conditions.
To Neil's insisting that he was unfamiliar with the
recognised route to Port Roy, they replied that, for his own
personal safety, he had better do his best to keep the boat
off the sunken skerries fringing these islands : to his
pleading that the voyage would be the death of him, the
Lewismen retorted : " You will not die till we reach
Heiskeir anyway." And so they dragged him aboard,
raised anchor, and spread sail for Port Roy. The wind was
at the canvas in a trice, and Neil on the look-out at the
bow, keen-eyed as a scart, his teeth chattering with the cold,
and his mind devising a scheme for the destruction of the
vessel and crew, and the saving of himself.
When halfway across the Sound, there came a heavy fall
of snow. Soon Neil detected the noise of the sea breaking
on the rocky islet of Stockay, off the east coast of Ceann
Ear, and passed by those navigating between North Uist
and the harbour of Port Roy :
soon the boat was steered
past the tortuous reef known as the Eel. Every one aboard
now had the idea that the boat was within close proximity
to the cattle-folds of Heiskeir ; but Neil deceived the Lewismen
into believing that they were still some considerable
way off the actual channel to Port Roy. Suddenly there
was a terrific crash ! Having taken advantage of the falling
snow that made it impossible for any stranger in the boat
to recognise his whereabouts, Neil steered the galley on to
some wild rocks a little to the south of the harbour; but,
before she actuallv struck, the unfaithful pilot was already
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