gale-force winds blast the monach isles on about 160 days of the year. only certain plants, such as marram grass, can withstand the constant blown sand and salt spray. farther inland, there are more permanent patches of damp grassland, the wettest having rushes and moss. there are only a few tiny lochs, all rather salty and some only seasonal. the remains of the little village of ceann ear are clustered around the largest one (loch nam buadh), but the villagers used to get their freshwater from a few wells nearby.