4 IN JULY 1914, ULA WAS HOME TO A THRIVING COMMUNITY BASED ON THE MAIN SETTLEMENT OF PORT TORRIN AND ITS FINE NATURAL HARBOUR. FOR TWELVE-YEAR-OLD DERMID MCEWAN AND HIS ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD COUSIN CUDDY MACREA IT WAS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR AS SCHOOL HAD BROKEN UP FOR THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS. LET’S ASK MUM FOR PACKED LUNCHES AND GO UP TO THE OLD RUINS.
THAT’D BE GREAT.
ONE SIDE OF THE BAY WAS LINED WITH SMOKING AND SALTING SHEDS. THEY PRODUCED THE ISLAND‘S FAMOUS KIPPERS AND SALT COD FROM THE FRESHLY-LANDED CATCHES OF ITS TRAWLERS. THERE WAS ALWAYS SOME TO SPARE. DERMID, GIVE THESE KIPPERS TO YOUR MUM. THEY’LL MAKE A RIGHT TASTY SUPPER.
THANKS, MISTER MCFINNAN.
5 CUDDY’S MOTHER HAD DIED SOME YEARS BEFORE AND HIS FATHER WAS A MERCHANT SEAMAN WHO WAS AWAY A LOT OF THE TIME, SO HE LIVED WITH DERMID. HIS MOTHER WAS THE ISLAND NURSE AND HIS FATHER A FISHERMAN. A COUPLE OF PACKED LUNCHES IS CHEAP AT THE PRICE IF IT KEEPS YOU TWO OUT OF MY HAIR ALL DAY. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
TO THE OLD RUINS. THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO EXPLORE UP THERE.
THEY CLIMBED THE STEEP PATH OUT OF TOWN PAST THE LIGHTHOUSE BUILT IN VICTORIAN TIMES AND THE MUCH MORE RECENT RADIO TELEGRAPH STATION. IT GAVE THE ISLAND A DIRECT MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE MAINLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT’S FUNNY TO THINK THEY CAN TAP OUT A MESSAGE HERE AND IT’S HEARD STRAIGHT AWAY BY SOMEBODY HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY. IT’S MAGIC.
IT’S SCIENCE, THICKHEAD. IT’S THE FUTURE.
6 THE UNINHABITED NORTH OF THE ISLAND ENDED IN SPECTACULAR CLIFFS. IT WAS ALSO WHERE ANCIENT RUINS HAD LAIN VIRTUALLY UNDISTURBED FOR CENTURIES. FOR THE COUSINS IT WAS A FAVOURITE PLAYGROUND.
LET’S EAT. I’M STARVED.
YOU’RE ALWAYS STARVED, DERMID.
ONCE THEY HAD EATEN THEIR SANDWICHES, CUDDY MADE HIS WAY PAST THE LAST OLD BIT OF WALL THAT WAS CLOSEST TO THE EDGE OF THE CLIFFS. MIND WHERE YOU GO, CUDDY. IF YOU FALL MUM‘LL BLAME ME.
IT’S FINE. DERMID. I’M NAE STUPID!
7
THE WORDS WERE BARELY OUT OF THE LAD’S MOUTH WHEN THE TURF BENEATH HIS FOOT GAVE WAY. MOMENTS LATER HE PLUNGED DOWNWARDS WITH A TERRIFIED SHRIEK.
DERMID THOUGHT HIS COUSIN HAD GONE OVER THE EDGE, BUT HE NEEDN’T HAVE WORRIED. THE HOLE WAS NO MORE THAN SEVEN OR EIGHT FEET DEEP, BUT THE BOTTOM WAS A STONE FLOOR. EVEN MORE ASTONISHINGLY A PASSAGE LED FROM IT.
YOU’VE FOUND A SECRET PASSAGE! MAKE WAY, I’M COMING TO JOIN YOU!
LOOK AT THIS!
AAIIEE!
8 THE PASSAGE WAS JUST A FEW YARDS LONG AND EMERGED INTO A LARGE DRY CAVE THAT SHOWED CLEAR SIGNS OF ANCIENT HABITATION.
LOOK AT THIS PLACE, CUDDY. MAYBE THE OLD CELTS USED IT AS A HIDING PLACE IF DANGER THREATENED. IT DOESN’T MATTER, BECAUSE NOW IT’S OUR VERY OWN HIDEAWAY.
OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THEY SCAVENGED WHATEVER THEY COULD TO MAKE THE CAVE MORE HOMELY AND COMFORTABLE. WE NEED TO FIND A BUCKET AND SOME OLD GUTTERING SO WE CATCH THE RAIN WATER THAT RUNS OVER THE CAVE MOUTH.
WHAT ABOUT THE HOLE UP TOP, DERMID? SOMEONE MIGHT SEE IT.
9 ANOTHER SCAVENGING TRIP BROUGHT THEM AN OLD WOODEN HATCH THAT FITTED OVER THE HOLE PERFECTLY.
RETURNING HOME ONE EVENING IN EARLY AUGUST THEY WERE EXCITED TO SEE A ROYAL NAVY DESTROYER IN THE HARBOUR.
WE’LL BE ABLE TO PUSH IT OPEN FROM BELOW AND IF WE COVER IT WITH TURF IT’LL BE ALMOST INVISIBLE. NO ONE BUT US WILL KNOW IT’S HERE.
MAYBE SHE’S ON AN EXERCISE. LET’S FIND OUT.
EVENTS IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD RARELY AFFECTED ULA, BUT THAT AUGUST IT MADE ITSELF KNOW WITH A VENGEANCE. LOOKING MORE SERIOUS THAN THEY HAD EVER SEEN HER, DERMID’S MOTHER EXPLAINED. WE’RE AT WAR WITH GERMANY AND NO-ONE KNOWS HOW LONG IT MIGHT LAST. THE NAVY WANTS A DESTROYER BASE HERE AND WE’RE ALL BEING EVACUATED TO THE MAINLAND. YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO LEAVE THE ISLAND?
10 THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT HIS MOTHER MEANT. WORSE, THE BOYS WOULD BE GOING ALONE. DERMID’S FATHER HAD VOLUNTEERED FOR THE ROYAL NAVY AND HIS MOTHER HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY QUEEN ALEXANDRIA’S NAVAL NURSING SERVICE. THEY WOULD BE ENTRUSTED TO THE CARE OF A DISTANT RELATIVE IN GLASGOW. HERE’S MONEY FOR THE TRAIN FROM GREENOCK TO GLASGOW. YOUR GREAT-AUNT MORAG LIVES JUST ROUND THE CORNER FROM THE STATION AND SHE’S EXPECTING YOU. DON’T LOOK SO GLUM. EVERYONE SAYS THE WAR WILL BE OVER BY CHRISTMAS. I SUPPOSE SO.
NEXT DAY, AFTER THE STEAMER FROM ULA REACHED GREENOCK, THE TWO LADS CAUGHT A TRAIN INTO GLASGOW. GAZING OUT AT THE INDUSTRIAL METROPOLIS THEY FELT THEY HAD LANDED ON ANOTHER PLANET.
I NEVER KNEW THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
AYE, IT’S NOT LIKE ULA AT ALL.