Rodel Harbour, Harris

The Hand Crane at Rodel Harbour in Harris is a notable structure linked to a historic landing place associated with St Clements. In 1786, it was reported that Captain MacLeod of Harris had formed "an excellent graving bank" and two quays at Rodel. One quay allows ships to load or discharge at any tide, while the other is located on the graving bank. These features are represented by the existing quays on the east and west sides of the harbour, along with the curved piers that enclose it, all of which are depicted in Daniell's view from 1819. The quays are constructed of rubble, and the head of the bay is also quayed, leading to the Rodel Hotel. The eastern pier includes a narrow slipway, likely used for cattle landing, while the western pier features a hand-crank wood-jib post crane from the 19th century, which remains functional as of 1991.