Death on Eriskay

Eriskay is the Southern most island in the connected chain of island of Berneray, North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay.  From the house in Clachan to Eriskay is 65 Km, or 1 hours driving according to google. 
Saturday morning on call for me started with 3 calls down the islands ending with a call on Eriskay.  The call was to put down an unwell cat that had been deteriorating over the last month.  The cat was the only companion of an unmarried man, but a man who did know death well.  He had lived with the cat for the last 10 years and was very upset but could see it was what needed to happen.  So we put the cat to sleep and he cried, and I felt like shit, but it needed to be done.

At the end of the same day I was called to Eriskay again.  This time it was a 14 year old cow that could no longer get up.  She had crawled out of the shed that day for a drink, rubbing her knees raw.  Now she was sitting on a concrete yard and there was no way to lift her, or to treat her,  that would make a difference.  The crofter had bought her as a calf, she had given him 12 calves.  He was upset, in a farmer's way.  Not demonstrably, no tears.  But if you know farmers he was upset, and we put his cow down, as it needed to be done, and I felt bad again.
I have only been to Eriskay as a vet twice, and neither time has been good.  Hopefully the next visit will be better. 

The bay by the ferry slip - Eriskay

On a more positive note Eriskay is know for its ponies that wander around the village, along with some sheep.  Apparently the ponies are very partial to chocolate digestive biscuits (I don't know about the sheep)  It is also know for being the site of the wreck of the MV Politician with the subsequent "rescue" of 20,000 cases of malt whiskey by the locals.