Some pics and commentary about our trip around the Outer Hebrides and on to the ADV Scotland Rally at Sunart campsite, Strontian.
With heavy rain forecast for Thursday 20th we opted to leave on the 19th and head for the Youth Hostel at Inverary. I think they got the forecast wrong and Thursday's rain came early and followed us up the M6 and M74. Nevertheless it brightened up as we headed out of Glasgow and then West and was completely dry and sunny by the time we arrived. The Hostel was OK with hard beds and stupid night lights but the fish chips on the loch shore were brilliant even if the midges chased us indoors early. Oban was only 50 glorious dry miles away and got there in plenty of time for a second breakfast, loads of coffee, some whisky tastings and a great value seafood lunch on the quayside, all of which lay somewhat heavily in my stomach as the boat pitched and rolled on its rather rough 5 &1/2hour crossing to the Isle of Barra.
Dunard Hostel & Lodge in Castlebay Barra is all of 200 yards from the ferry terminal and once they had found our booking we got a lovely room with a great view of the bay.
Barra is a small Island and is linked to Vattersay with a causeway. Both have great wild beaches and a remote feel.
We had just stopped to brew up at a picnic table near the airport runway when we spotted a plane coming into land...
YUP, the runway is the beach :shock:
Ferry #2 was a short hop across to Eriskay and then over a causeway to South Uist. I had a campsite in mind on the east side and we were glad we chose it. We were the only one's there, which is just as well as there was realistically only a a couple of flat bits on the small field. http://www.southuisthostel.co.uk The site also has a small hostel - bothy would be a better word that we could also use as well as a "chalet" - a mobile home and hard standing for camper vans. It is however in a great location at the end of small winding road and with a great view. It feels like wild camping.
After a very wet night the next day dawned fine - a theme that stayed for the rest of the trip - and we set off to bimble around the Island.
Along one of the many sand and gravel tracks that run along the west coast. Sand + big GSA = close calls so ridden with care and a nervous passenger
Beach on Berneray and a prospective wild campsite if we couldn't get on the ferry which was allegedly full.
however we did get the ferry across to Harris. It takes an indirect route - this is the actually track taken from the Memory Map app on my phone. The channel must be narrow and as it was low tide the reefs and shoals were clearly visible as we went
Harris is the most picturesque of the islands with many beaches of white sand and aquamarine seas. Those along with some super houses built into the landscape maximising their sea views had Anne rapidly running out of superlatives. We had been recommended the minor road towards Hushishnis by a couple we chatted to on Barra and wow what a road - why did I not know about this before - steep, narrow, twisty, many crests and dips and just the best views of the coast and mountains. Sadly it had recently been "repaired" with loose chippings so in parts was a bloody nightmare. Nevertheless it is a must do for anyone visiting the island and it ends at a beautiful sheltered wide sand beach with semi-wild camping opportunities. So nice in fact we totted up our rations and decided we could stay two nights. And, semi-wild coz there are public toilets there that are the cleanest I have ever used. Someone came by at about 7am to clean them and restock the paper and soap.
Next day we walked about 2-3 miles around to what every told us was a must see beach. Rough country on a mostly indistinct path but well worth it. It looks warm and sunny. It was actually bloody cold and sunny with a strong northerly gale all the way from the arctic.
Scary big muckle coo on the road to Hushhishnis
After leaving paradise we got some Harris Gin at the new whisky distillery in Tarbet. Gin coz its so new they haven't got whisky made yet (needs at least 3years in the barrel, but will get 8 and is not available until 2020) and looked at Harris tweed and did other tourist stuff. The cold wind also subsided and it reached a giddy 20c. Too hot for walking around or sightseeing in bike gear so we headed for Lickisto campsite. This was a return visit for me - last time I got hit by lightning which, spooked me and I had packed up and stayed in a hostel instead. However it is a great site and I would recommend it as long as its outside Midge season. http://www.freewebs.com/vanvon/ The blackhouse is a particularly good feature and harris gin and Islay whisky taste particular good in there :-D The other good thing is that you need to ride down the "Golden Road" to get there.
Yup thats the campsite down there in the willows
Main house in the middle, Yurts to the right, blackhouse centre left with camping located in the greenery between the house and the shore
Thursday saw us off the Outer Hebrides and across to the Isle of Skye. I chatted to a guy on the boat from Colorado USA who was touring UK and Europe for a year on an imported Vespa 300cc maxi scoot, and some crazy young Canadians (2 girls one guy) from Nunavut (the very very very very far north of Canada) cycling around on those mountain bikes with huge tyres. They had been mostly on the beaches or sandy tracks of the hebrides and had planned to sleep in hammocks but were surprised to find so few trees so had just slept on the ground with a tarp over them. Their favourite type of MTBing at home is on the frozen sea in spring and autumn when it is all slushy. They were mental.
Anyway, as we have been to Skye 3 times in the past 12 months we decided just to cross Skye and head for the ADV Scotland rally site so we got the second ferry of the day to Mallaig and then the hour or so to Strontian. The last few miles of which seemed to take for ever along twisty narrow single track roads.
I seem to have forgotten to take pics of the rally itself but did take a few from our rideout on Saturday
Scottish Castle
Marked on the map as "AustinsBothy" I was a little disappointed
Final shot off the Corran Ferry (6th of 7 ferries for this trip - last one Dunoon to Gourock later in the day)
With heavy rain forecast for Thursday 20th we opted to leave on the 19th and head for the Youth Hostel at Inverary. I think they got the forecast wrong and Thursday's rain came early and followed us up the M6 and M74. Nevertheless it brightened up as we headed out of Glasgow and then West and was completely dry and sunny by the time we arrived. The Hostel was OK with hard beds and stupid night lights but the fish chips on the loch shore were brilliant even if the midges chased us indoors early. Oban was only 50 glorious dry miles away and got there in plenty of time for a second breakfast, loads of coffee, some whisky tastings and a great value seafood lunch on the quayside, all of which lay somewhat heavily in my stomach as the boat pitched and rolled on its rather rough 5 &1/2hour crossing to the Isle of Barra.
Dunard Hostel & Lodge in Castlebay Barra is all of 200 yards from the ferry terminal and once they had found our booking we got a lovely room with a great view of the bay.
Barra is a small Island and is linked to Vattersay with a causeway. Both have great wild beaches and a remote feel.
We had just stopped to brew up at a picnic table near the airport runway when we spotted a plane coming into land...
YUP, the runway is the beach :shock:
Ferry #2 was a short hop across to Eriskay and then over a causeway to South Uist. I had a campsite in mind on the east side and we were glad we chose it. We were the only one's there, which is just as well as there was realistically only a a couple of flat bits on the small field. http://www.southuisthostel.co.uk The site also has a small hostel - bothy would be a better word that we could also use as well as a "chalet" - a mobile home and hard standing for camper vans. It is however in a great location at the end of small winding road and with a great view. It feels like wild camping.
After a very wet night the next day dawned fine - a theme that stayed for the rest of the trip - and we set off to bimble around the Island.
Along one of the many sand and gravel tracks that run along the west coast. Sand + big GSA = close calls so ridden with care and a nervous passenger
Beach on Berneray and a prospective wild campsite if we couldn't get on the ferry which was allegedly full.
however we did get the ferry across to Harris. It takes an indirect route - this is the actually track taken from the Memory Map app on my phone. The channel must be narrow and as it was low tide the reefs and shoals were clearly visible as we went
Harris is the most picturesque of the islands with many beaches of white sand and aquamarine seas. Those along with some super houses built into the landscape maximising their sea views had Anne rapidly running out of superlatives. We had been recommended the minor road towards Hushishnis by a couple we chatted to on Barra and wow what a road - why did I not know about this before - steep, narrow, twisty, many crests and dips and just the best views of the coast and mountains. Sadly it had recently been "repaired" with loose chippings so in parts was a bloody nightmare. Nevertheless it is a must do for anyone visiting the island and it ends at a beautiful sheltered wide sand beach with semi-wild camping opportunities. So nice in fact we totted up our rations and decided we could stay two nights. And, semi-wild coz there are public toilets there that are the cleanest I have ever used. Someone came by at about 7am to clean them and restock the paper and soap.
Next day we walked about 2-3 miles around to what every told us was a must see beach. Rough country on a mostly indistinct path but well worth it. It looks warm and sunny. It was actually bloody cold and sunny with a strong northerly gale all the way from the arctic.
Scary big muckle coo on the road to Hushhishnis
After leaving paradise we got some Harris Gin at the new whisky distillery in Tarbet. Gin coz its so new they haven't got whisky made yet (needs at least 3years in the barrel, but will get 8 and is not available until 2020) and looked at Harris tweed and did other tourist stuff. The cold wind also subsided and it reached a giddy 20c. Too hot for walking around or sightseeing in bike gear so we headed for Lickisto campsite. This was a return visit for me - last time I got hit by lightning which, spooked me and I had packed up and stayed in a hostel instead. However it is a great site and I would recommend it as long as its outside Midge season. http://www.freewebs.com/vanvon/ The blackhouse is a particularly good feature and harris gin and Islay whisky taste particular good in there :-D The other good thing is that you need to ride down the "Golden Road" to get there.
Yup thats the campsite down there in the willows
Main house in the middle, Yurts to the right, blackhouse centre left with camping located in the greenery between the house and the shore
Thursday saw us off the Outer Hebrides and across to the Isle of Skye. I chatted to a guy on the boat from Colorado USA who was touring UK and Europe for a year on an imported Vespa 300cc maxi scoot, and some crazy young Canadians (2 girls one guy) from Nunavut (the very very very very far north of Canada) cycling around on those mountain bikes with huge tyres. They had been mostly on the beaches or sandy tracks of the hebrides and had planned to sleep in hammocks but were surprised to find so few trees so had just slept on the ground with a tarp over them. Their favourite type of MTBing at home is on the frozen sea in spring and autumn when it is all slushy. They were mental.
Anyway, as we have been to Skye 3 times in the past 12 months we decided just to cross Skye and head for the ADV Scotland rally site so we got the second ferry of the day to Mallaig and then the hour or so to Strontian. The last few miles of which seemed to take for ever along twisty narrow single track roads.
I seem to have forgotten to take pics of the rally itself but did take a few from our rideout on Saturday
Scottish Castle
Marked on the map as "AustinsBothy" I was a little disappointed
Final shot off the Corran Ferry (6th of 7 ferries for this trip - last one Dunoon to Gourock later in the day)
