Coronavirus - 15 April

Life in Lewis is on hold. The shops are closed; those that are open are an exercise in patience and social distancing. After a few frantic weeks of panic buying, the supermarkets have geared up to the new norm and it seems to be running well. People have turned to on-line shopping even more than before - we have few of the big brand name stores in the town; Boots, Superdrug, Co-op and Tesco are the notable exceptions. Most businesses are not operating either; the construction of the marina on Goat Island is suspended. Stornoway feels like it's Sunday - every day of the week.

The ferry does two crossings a day; the first one, in the morning, takes freight back and forth. The second one takes passengers, with or without cars. I am told that the numbers, across the Calmac network, are down 90 to 99% on what they were a year ago. At time of posting, six people are known to have contracted the virus, but have been discharged from hospital to recover at home - in self-isolation. Of the five that were known in Orkney, one has sadly passed away.

Here in the Outer Hebrides, people are used to adversity, and they adapt to it with little grumbling. Particularly when the need for the lockdown is patently obvious, and splashed across whatever screen we see fit to use. It's not very pleasant, but support mechanisms are springing up all over. We'll get through it. Lewis survived the Iolaire tragedy, 101 years ago. It will survive Covid-19 too.