Monty Halls Great Hebridean Escape

Imagine living in a picture perfect thatched cottage near it’s own white sand bay on a string of islands packed with some of the most remarkable wildlife in the British Isles. Monty is acting as a volunteer wildlife ranger in the Outer Hebrides with his trusty companion Reuben.

After a winter back in Bristol, Monty is restless for the freedom he and his dog Reuben enjoyed last summer on the beach in Applecross in the first series of Monty Halls’ Great Escape. The West Coast of Scotland changed his outlook on life and he has a genuine longing to go back. So Monty and Reuben head north again to the Hebridean Islands of the Uists and Barra. And this time he has a job to do, resurrecting a wildlife ranger post that disappeared due to lack of funding six years earlier.

`The wildlife is outstanding – 11 species of whale and dolphin, 20,000 gray seals, countless pairs of wading birds, as well as rare habitats like the machair – the sandy coastal grasslands. Being a nature ranger for such an extraordinary place is just a dream job for me.’

But will the dream job live up to expectations? Monty is working for a group of islanders who will want to see results, and he will be staying into the winter. Living on a group of islands anchored in the North Atlantic, he can expect conditions quite unlike anything he has experiences in the south!

One of Monty's tasks when working as a voluntary ranger in the Uists - for his Great Hebridean Escape - was to restore a number of trails which had fallen into disrepair. These became Monty and Reubs' favourite walks in the islands - there's one in each island - Barra, Eriskay, South Uist, Benbecula, North Uist and Berneray. Monty's 16-page full-colour booklet detailing these walks is a must for anyone who enjoys walking in the islands - and is also a very entertaining read. Monty and Reubs have clearly enjoyed all these walks as much as you will.

The booklets cost £4 each. All the proceeds from copies bought directly from the Hebridean Ranger Forum go to support ranger projects in Uist and Barra. To obtain your copy please email: hebrideanrangerforum@googlemail.com. 

For more information on Uist: www.visit-uist.co.uk

For more information on Berneray: www.isleofberneray.com

 

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