Tuesday 15 September
My ferry to Berneray, one of the islands that make up Uist, wasn't til mid morning so I didn't have to rush. At last the rain had stopped and I had a relaxed drive down to Leverburgh on the tip of south Harris. I cannot explain why there is an office chair in this Information booth en route, but it would've been a rather damp sit...oh and there are lots of weird scarecrows on the south of the island - no idea what they're supposed to be scaring off as most of them are at the entrance to properties - quite bizarre. Maybe they're there to frighten the sheep off approaching the property.
I visited the community shop, where they're kind enough to let you use their loo and they sell an amazing range of everything, including DIY, groceries, upmarket smellies and Harris Tweed souvenirs (there's even a little Harris Tweed exhibition there).
I bought wine, since I had detected that there was no restaurant within walking distance of my next accommodation, and I am so weak-willed I couldn't face the thought of a a night on holiday without alcohol.
The CalMac ferry monopoly in the Hebrides works very efficiently, but sadly with the smaller ones you have to stay in your car these days so you don't get to see the arrival. I drove through Berneray and on to North Uist. Yet again a dramatic, mountainous landscape, and I drove to Lochmaddy where a friend of a friend is running the small cultural and exhibition centre (which includes a post office) called Taigh Chearsabagh. Simon said "Welcome to Taigh Chearsabagh" as I arrived, but I have no idea how he pronounced it. Gaelic is very prevalent on signs and legends here (and throughout the Hebrides), but I've yet to hear any locals speaking it. The accent is very soft and easy to understand, and you can definitely hear a touch of Norse with the Viking influences.
We had a good old chinwag about culture and the like over lunch - he's only been here for a couple of months and it's a 2-year secondment, so too early to say how he's settling in - but having come from Edinburgh, I do wonder whether it'll feel a bit too quiet, without live theatre and so on. Really nice guy though and was nice to have a cultural chat.
I drove on mid afternoon through North Uist, again with an ever-changing and dramatic landscape, but again with not much to visit en route. I drove up a couple of tracks in search of promised walks only for signs to disappear so that the route was unclear. Even some of the beaches appear to be inaccessible - tantalisingly close, but with farmland appearing to bar the way to the casual visitor. I arrived on Benbecula (which is very flat and somewhat featureless, hence that's why the airport's there) and at my accommodation, which is basically a large house divided up into a number of large bedrooms, and tonight it's just me occupying the whole place.
I meet Marion the owner (she's in a Range Rover, so obviously not doing too badly), and my room is spacious and well equipped. In fact, the shower also doubles as a mini steam room - a nice diversion, (apparently very popular among the many cyclists braving the Hebridean Way). Covid has put paid to a decent buffet breakfast, so there's a well-stocked tray of long-life products which reminds me of my Interrail trip 5 years ago, but there's also a fridge with fresh milk and a place to stash my wine - hurrah!
I call a local restaurant and order takeaway scampi and chips, and then have to drive 6 miles there and back to collect (having had to call them because I couldn't find them, but bless the chef's heart he came out to wave me down!). Sadly it is a very unremarkable takeaway, although generous on both scampi and chips, but the room is comfortable, there is a loveluy sunset, at the back of the house
I have chosen decent wine, and I have the pleasure of listening to one of Barry's auditions for The Bet, the first play in our short play season. I watch Des (blimey Tennant and Mays are good) and have a very early night as I need to leave here at 0815 to catch the ferry from Eriskay to Barra, which is promised to be the Hebrides in miniature. I have slept well for most of this holiday.
Wednesday 16 September
This part of the trip is basically a series of islands from Berenay in the north to Eriskay in the south. An early start today and a really lovely drive south to Eriskay, and crossing at various points via beautiful causeways with lochs on either side. The sunrise was rather lovely
The sun glints off the water, the blue skies make those lochs even bluer - it really is gorgeous. Many of the roads here and on the other islands are single track with gazillions of passing places - everyone acknowledges the giving of way. I arrive in Eriskay and am gobsmacked by the causeway (no stopping for a pic allowed - bah!) and the views.
I am early for the ferry, so make a phone call and walk around a bit. The crossing is only around 40 minutes, but sadly by the time I arrive the sun has gone and Barra is covered by cloud. I drive the winding road to Castlebay, where of course you can't get over to the castle because the ferry isn't running,
you can't visit the Heritage Centre, and although you can buy the newly-launched Barra gin you can't watch it being made. The local shops have some sad and overpriced, poorly presented souvenirs. And it starts raining, again that very gentle and quiet rain that soaks you through within minutes. I visit the local Co-op to buy my dinner for tonight - and where would the Hebrides be without the Co-op? Respect! I have come to greatly value the sight of a Co-op.
I drive west and north and come across loads of cars parked by the cemetery
and after a short distance I give way to the hearse carrying the dearly departed. But they sure have chosen stunning locations for their cemeteries, and if the number of waiting cars is anything to go by, the late Barran was a very popular person.
I carry on, bound for the airport where you can watch small aircraft land on the extensive beach. Sadly you can only buy takeaway from the nice ladies in the little cafe, so I purchased a toastie, went back to my car and watched a private plane make a very hairy and noisy landing on the beach. The rain eased a bit so I went for a walk on the headland on the other side of the landing beach.
With little more to do, I drove a bit further north past the very average-looking house that had belonged to Compton Mackenzie, the author of Whisky Galore which was filmed on Barra. I went to the ferry terminal early, bought supplies from the very nice coffee shop, and read for a while before bording the ferry for the crossing back to Eriskay and South Uist. En route to Benbecula I stopped off at the memorial to Flora McDonald
whose house was originally here - she was the famed escort of Bonnie Prince Charlie (over the sea to Skye) during the Jacobite Rebellion. She was quite a girl - after being imprisoned for her part in attempting to get the son of James II on the throne, she married and tried to make her fortune in the US with her husband, but eventually returned to her homeland and died on Skye. I also stopped off at this rather unexpected Catholic tribute to Our Lady of the Isles - a 20' column of the madonna and child that's in the middle of nowhere.
Back to the Hebrides House to pack, eat and sleep and have a steam and a shower before a start at stupid o'clock tomorrow to go back to the mainland. Some reflections about the Hebrides:
- Lots of sheep and hairy cows - you feel less stressed just watching them
- Passing places make single track roads much less scary and encourage you into 5th gear, but my right wrist probably has RSI from the constant acknowledgement of those who have given way to me
- So many lochs, big and small - and the causeways made me feel happy as I crossed them
- Where on earth do they buy ordinary clothes that aren't Harris tweed or woolly? Not even any of the independent chichi boutiques I favour...where so they buy pants ffs?
- Bees and wasps hitch rides on the ferries (and fleas if there are sheep on board)
- Virtually nothing has been open for business - no castles, no heritage centres, no museums, no boat trips - I should have researched better as these are essential diversions when the weather is against you
- No face covering, no entry and use the sanitiser - the Hebrideans have been very strict about anti-Covid measures
- The gentle rain swirls and soaks you - am glad I brought 2 cagoules
- The landscape and the colours are amazing and have made the trip worthwhile
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