#isleofskye
This small black rock,
jutting out of the ocean.
Step back in time
and slow down the clock.
Spy fisherman on boats
leaving the dock,
on turquoise waters,
tranquil and bright,
reflecting skies of endless light.
Watch the tide pull seaweed and birds battle wind.
High in the cliffs,
A cave time forgot,
Echoes still linger,
In that weather worn spot.
From mountain peaks flirting with clouds, to the trill little song of the warbling skylark - soot coloured ravens the spirits of old, what a breathtaking place this is to behold.
Apr 7
Apr 7, 2026 at 6:14 PM UTC
By LongJohn, in honour of 145 Commando Battery RA (Maiwand)
It started, as these things do,
with two officers talking *****
over a brew —
one Commando, one Gunner,
each convinced his lads
were the fittest, fastest,
and least likely to die of embarrassment.
A bet was struck.
A handshake sealed it.
And before we knew it,
we were staring at a 105 light gun
like it had personally insulted us.
“Right lads,” someone said,
“we’re dragging her across the Isle of Skye.”
A silence followed —
the kind where everyone wonders
who to blame first.
But off we went,
ropes over shoulders,
boots slipping on wet rock,
the gun bouncing behind us
like a stubborn dog
that didn’t want its walk.
45 Commando Mortar Troop
set off beside us,
all swagger and protein shakes,
giving it the big licks
about “proper infantry fitness.”
We answered with the usual:
a few choice words,
a laugh,
and the quiet confidence
of men who know
that artillerymen don’t get tired —
we just get louder.
Up hills, through bogs,
across streams cold enough
to make a grown man reconsider life,
we hauled that gun
like it was the crown jewels.
And somewhere near the finish,
when the Marines started looking
a bit less invincible,
someone shouted,
“Come on lads —
do it for Maiwand!”
And we did.
We crossed the line first,
soaked, knackered,
and grinning like idiots.
The Marines took it well —
to be fair, they had no choice.
A bet’s a bet,
and a Gunner victory
is a thing of beauty.
That night, over pints,
we raised a glass
to the 105,
to the lads,
and to the simple truth
that’s held since 1880:
Never underestimate Maiwanders.
Not on a battlefield.
Not on a mountain.
And definitely not on the Isle of Skye.
Feb 8
Feb 8, 2026 at 7:19 AM UTC