A bike ride out to the headland at Àird Mhòr Mhangarstaidh was the plan. On the map, it looked unremarkable—a bleak stretch of land with some decaying post-war military leftovers and, presumably, sea cliffs worth seeing.
On the way, we met a farmer just back from taking his “dry” sheep onto the moor. I assumed he meant sheep without lambs, confirmed when he explained the ewes with lambs were kept closer to the croft.
Then he asked if we were heading to the bothy. The bothy? He told us about the Mangersta Bothy and Linda Norgrove, who had grown up in the area. She was kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2010 and died during a failed rescue by US special forces. I was left with a sense of quiet embarrassment. If I had heard her story before, I had clearly let it slip from memory.
Linda was a humanitarian aid worker born in Altnaharra in 1974. Raised on a croft here on the Isle of Lewis, she pursued studies in environmental science, earning degrees from the University of Aberdeen, the University of London, and a PhD from the University of Manchester. Her academic focus was on development policy and management .
Professionally, she worked on various aid and development projects in Peru and Afghanistan. She was employed by Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) in Afghanistan, where she served as a regional director. Her work involved supporting local communities and promoting sustainable development initiatives .
In 2010, Linda was kidnapped by insurgents in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Despite efforts to secure her release, she died the following month during a US-led rescue attempt. An investigation concluded that her death was caused by a grenade thrown by one of the rescuers .
Following her death, her parents established the Linda Norgrove Foundation to continue her humanitarian efforts. The foundation supports education, health, and childcare projects for women and children in Afghanistan, aiming to improve their lives and uphold Linda’s legacy .
The farmer explained that her parents had built the bothy some 30 years ago, long before their daughter’s death. It now serves as a quiet tribute, promoting the Foundation they set up in their daughter’s name, which supports women and children in Afghanistan. Though unlocked and exceptionally well maintained, the Bothy is popular enough to require a booking system. More than three people inside would be a squeeze.
The sea cliffs adjacent draw climbers. Two pairs were already preparing to abseil, ropes ready, eager to spend the day clinging to the rock.
The Foundation’s website gives no exact location, so neither shall I. Let me drop the pin say at the highest point of the headland. Or you could ask a farmer with time to talk.
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