West Word - December 2024

December was a quiet month in Canna. We had quite a few residents decamp to the mainland early on in the month and others were away enjoying holidays abroad. Those that remained made the most of the few daylight hours available to us but there was a definitive sense of hunkering down and a steadfastness against the seemingly relentless rain storms. 

It was strangely mild considering the time of year but as always this can change on a sixpence with many conversations veering towards how warm it was in the morning to how cold it was in the afternoon. There was a shift in the wind, says I! 

The dead stag had disappeared beneath the sands on Sanday Beach but boy, could you still smell it. The wind wafted the decaying scent around the beach while dogs frantically searched for the source. 

As I walked my dog one evening along the road, my attention was drawn to the side of the road because there was a large rock there that wasn’t there before. The “rock” started to move and it wasn’t a rock at all! It was a seal pup! It had shed the last of its white fur and now had its beautiful, grey, mottled appearance but it was still very tiny. My dog was most interested and I had to drag him away. The seal pup certainly let us know to back off by rising up and hissing loudly at us, bearing its teeth! It looked tired and it had likely taken shelter from the coming storm. By morning it had gone. 

For those of you making New Year resolutions to get fit, why not sign up to our Canna 10K Trail Run which takes place on Saturday 24th May 2025? Details and registration can be found on the Isle of Canna website www.theisleofcanna.com/canna10ktrailrun-2025 

Happy New Year to all from the Isle of Canna!