Big boy Lewis

 12 September 2020

Why big boy? Apparently at 600 square miles it's the 3rd largest island in the British Isles after the mainland and Ireland, though I think you have to tag Harris on to Lewis to get that as physically they're not actually two separate islands.

A second helping this morning of quite honestly the best poached eggs EVER before leaving the lovely Woodbine House and Skye for the ferry. Having taken a Kwell to ward off any seasickness I dozed off for a while sitting in the lounge - at least with this big ferry we didn't have to stay in our cars, so I also got to see the beauty of Harris as we went into dock, where the sun welcomed us though I didn't manage to get a pic of the rainbow that was part of the greeting.

However, on arrival I drove north straight away as my Saturday night accommodation was in Stornaway and I'm back down to Harris tomorrow. The scenery was amazing - winding roads up and down in Harris around the sea lochs, then an immediate contrast as you drive over the barely perceptible border into Lewis, which is still spectacular but less mountainous - lots of rocky outcrops. The sun shone, the rain came down, the sun came out again - very blustery. I headed for the Callanish stones - a Hebridean version of Stonehenge. There are two small sites with a few upright stones of similar dimensions, and surrounded by sheep and highland cattle

and one large site, where a burial chamber was found. The usual questions - why and how? but would appear to have developed over hundreds of years and as you might expect, connected with ancient rituals and religious worship. As you can see, they're pretty big on the main site, with a couple around 12' tall. 

The visitors' centre exhibition was closed and the site was a bit light on info, but interesting to see nevertheless and I got a decent couple of miles' walk in. Again, sunshine and showers alternated. I am calling myself Mrs Two Jackets - a lightweight puffa is topped off with a folding kagoule as necessary.

After the stones I drove on to Garennin blackhouses which I knew were closed, but went for a look anyway again the route is always so picturesque, even if the road is a dead end!

This was a township only abandoned in 1973 - it was restored and several of the thatched buildings are now holiday lets - kind of the Hebridean equivalent of Trulli houses in Puglia. I don't know much more! I then headed to Stornaway across windswept moorland, arriving to find that my accommodation couldn't have been much different to the last; a huge, featureless hotel with a really bleak outlook. On the plus side, my room has a trouser press 😕

After dumping my stuff I had a walk around Stornaway and was not inspired. The art gallery and most shops were already closed, and those that weren't were tired and old-fashioned - it seems a place that time has forgotten and the grey weather only served to make it even bleaker. Ever the optimist though, I bought next year's calendar and diary from a little bookshop, anticipating that there will be a 2021. However, when I asked if they had a free map, they told me that the town hadn't produced any, obviously not anticipating any visitors this year.

I had fish and chips in the hotel restaurant and have come to bed early to blog and watch TV, feeling a wee bit down and concerned about the weather tomorrow which, combined with Sunday closures, I think will make for rather a dull day. I'll try and get a look at the castle from the grounds, but it would've been nice to see the Lewis chessmen which are in the museum. Can't be helped. Onwards and upwards...

Over the sea to Skye

I'm very glad to be here as the day didn't start well! After a good basic breakfast at my very utilitarian hotel, I drove the couple of hundred yards for the ferry and sat in the line with the engine just switched on a tick to allow the radio to play. After about 15 minutes the Calmac crew started waving us on, and I turned the key - nothing. I put my foot on the clutch and tried again. Still nowt. I got out of the car and yelled over to the crew who immediately came to my aid with a forklift truck - that's to jump start it, not transport it. In the meantime I phoned the hire people - already not my best buds - and chewed the ear off a poor woman who assured me they certainly hadn't intended to give me a car with a faulty starter motor. The fork lift truck did its work, the car started and I drove on to the car deck last, then left the engine running most of the way. The view was not pretty as we're not allowed out of the cars, and the sea was a bit choppy, so I was feeling a bit queasy with worry that the car was going to conk out again and was relieved it was a short crossing! It's been ok the rest of the day, but I'm still concerned it may not go the distance for the coming week and I'm entirely dependent on it...

Anyhoo - safely off the ferry, I was greeted by a wet and windy Skye and decided to drive the eastern side of the island including Portree. The scenery is just stunning. Around every bend it seems there is a change in the landscape that just made me catch my breath. The colours - the purple of the profuse heather (apparently it's a very good year for heather, the greens, the greys of the slates - are just super-enhanced against steel grey skies. It's just such a pity that the higher peaks were masked today by low cloud and mist and occasionally the driving rain deterred me from stopping the car and getting out to take a closer look.

 

I stopped off in Portree for a sandwich and a coffee and a little wander round the shops and harbour, and bought Kim some local gin. 

I then headed off further up the road to drive through Trotternish - more spectacular purple and some incredible rock formations, including the Old Man of Storr, most of which was sadly masked by mist. But yes, I know it looks rude. 

There are beautiful falls too

The road was generally in good nick with passing places - not stressful to drive at all - and it took me on an anticlockwise loop around the island taking in beautiful coastline at the northern tip and the journey back down the west side to Uig and my B&B, run by the lovely Steve and Cassandra, originally from St Andrews and now living the dream on the west side. Spot the difference in the view between last night and tonight!

Btw there are no vacancies anywhere - though slight porky by Steve and Cass as I'm the only guest tonight but they're up to capacity of 3 rooms tomorrow. Tonight they made me dinner though I had to pop down to the local post office and general emporium to buy myself a bottle of wine as they're not licensed. We sat and nattered for a very pleasant couple of hours - really nice people who after years of Steve working on the oil rigs have found a way to earn a living and spend time together. Covid has spoiled their season, normally populated by lots of foreign travellers, but they're open for business again and making the best of it - good luck to them.

And en route for the bottle of wine, I was also directed to the secret falls in the woods

West side of the island beckons tomorrow, including Dunvegan castle and the Fairy Falls.

Friday 11 September

A very wet and windy night over Uig but the sun was putting his hat on to start the day. Had a delicious cooked breakfast and headed off to Dunvegan Castle - the castle was closed but the gardens more than compensated, full of beautiful colour (which I was surprised at for the time of year), including fragrant lilies, lambretia (an orange wild flower that looks a bit like a fuchsia) and hydrangea - some varieties of which I had never seen before. There were a few short sharp showers but I managed to shelter.

I got back in the car and drove quite some distance down a single track road (though they always have loads of passing places, so you don't get stuck) hoping to see and walk on Coral Beach - but it turns out that lots of other people had had the same idea as there were no parking spaces at the end of the road and the land around was private with lots of stern no parking notices. I had to reverse up a pot-holey road (terrified that I'd damage the car and have to cop for that massive excess), turn around and come back the way I'd come. At least it was a pretty route. 

I carried on around the coastal road, heading for the Fairy Pools. Again the route was spectacularly pretty, and although I spent way more time in the car than I intended on Skye (doing 180 miles in 2 days), it was a great way to appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the colours. On arrival I was warned that some of the walking route was quite deeply under water, but I thought I'd at least walk part of the way. and duly paid my £5 for the car park. I had misunderstood the warning and I walked 200 yards to reach a fast-running stream where the stepping stones were well under water and people were taking off shoes and socks to cross. Guess who didn't have the right footwear she could afford to get wet and had left her waterproof trousers back at the B&B? I could also see that it was about to chuck it down (it can change from sunshine to torrential rain in a heartbeat here) so I chickened out and went back to the car, giving my parking ticket away to a young couple and then diving into the car as the heavens opened. Epic fail. But I did have a visit from this little chap, who briefly flew around my car with his mates:

Of course I should have better anticipated that lots of attractions, including museums, heritage centres and so on, which you could visit when it pours with rain, would be closed because of Covid. It's still nice to be away and in such a very different environment - but travelling solo means you're that bit more dependent on finding things to do as you have no-one else to entertain you!

So I made my way back to Uig, visited a couple of shops at the Pier and bought a ceramic puffin fridge magnet from the Uig Pottery but resisted beer from the Island Brewing Company. I had a little walk to the falls near the B&B and discovered they were bigger and brasher than I first thought...

Went back to the B&B, got showered and walked up the road for the best part of a mile to the Uig Hotel for dinner for a change of scenery. It was completely atmosphereless - no-one wants music to dominate the room when you're trying to eat, but it's amazing how a complete lack of any background music owing to Covid regs (especially when solo dining) completely transforms it in a negative way, especially when it's big room with diners spread out for social distancing. As so often happens, I was stuck in a corner, and was asked to order my entire meal and pay for it straight away via an app. I don't mind looking at a menu on an app, but I missed the human touch of discussing it with wait staff and to be honest as the food and drink were still brought out and put in front of me, rather than being asked to take it from a trolley or tray, I'm not sure what the point was of ordering via the app! 

The sea trout I had was really delicious (though I did have to send back the first attempt as it was still raw in the middle), and I also enjoyed a South Uist Downpour gin and lemon tonic. I managed to resist dessert, and walked back - it was very dark but the road was quiet and I had my phone torch and a footpath. When I got back I had a natter and glass of wine with Steve and Cass - turns out their son works for Pilgrim Gin so my arm was twisted to taste it (yeah, right) - very blackcurranty (weird for a clear drink) and very good!

Solo in Scotland

 

Mallaig Wednesday 9 September 2020

Travelling solo has the advantage of a bit more time to spare on recording events and thoughts - so the Fake Blonde is back as I embark on a Hebridean island-hopping tour.

Arrived here late lunchtime after an overnight in Glasgow where I stayed in a bargain price and very pleasant Ibis hotel, ate a rather good Italian meal, and walked around the corner this morning to arrive early at Glasgow Queen Street, where there is not a single coffee outlet in the station building, and where I boarded a train that takes 5 hours and 27 stops to reach its destination of Mallaig on the west coast. Thankfully my early arrival meant I could detour to a Caffe Nero so that my journey wasn't entirely beverage-bereft.

The scenery was breathtaking, as I knew it would be - it was the whole reason for doing the trip by train - and I took a few little videos through the window, including the famous Glenfinnan viaduct (the Hogwarts' Express Bridge). 

Arrived at Morar (the stop before Mallaig) in order to pick up my car hire, where a mix up (because Morar Motors is a really shit hirer and doesn't communicate) meant I walked down a hill with luggage from the station past the car I was hiring all the way to the bottom to be told where the car was and that I would have to walk all the way up again and was then slapped with a pre-authorised £950 excess if I take it back with so much as a scratch. If you're considering making this trip, be aware car hire is very very difficult and this particular company seems to delight in using Covid-19 as an excuse for shit customer service and inflexibility. I had to hire a car at home while mine was being repaired under insurance, and it still felt safe and half the trouble.

Arrived in Mallaig which is a bit of a disappointment, not least because my one night accommodation, though clean and managed by a nice young man from Barcelona, is shabby, without a lift and more expensive than the Glasgow overnight (though looks to be a better breakfast!). Here's the view from my window. And it's never a good sign when a pair of earplugs have been left on your bedside table.

I found a place for a late lunch and then had the all-too-frequent rubbish single person service (Amarone in Glasgow was a notable exception) waiting an age for cullen skink (probably the first of many over the coming 10 days!) and a fizzy water and then the bill despite holding my debit card up very pointedly for several minutes.

There's not really much to see here - most eateries closed at 3pm (despite the fact that the arrival of the steam train around 4.30pm meant lots of hungry and thirsty punters wandering around with nowhere to go, especially as the teeny shops are strictly enforcing queuing and distancing). Even finding somewhere for a takeaway coffee at 4.30pm was a challenge. I collected my ferry tickets and got blown away looking at the sea with Skye visible in the distance - tomorrow's destination. A striking mural was tucked away in the port

Had a nice dinner with friendly service at the Chlachain Inn and a good old chinwag with Martin and William from Glasgow and their dog Stan sitting at the next table (the men that is - the dog was chilled out on the floor at their feet), which made up for the lunchtime disappointment - though somewhat strange to be sitting at tables separated by perspex screens hanging from the ceiling. 

It's a strange time to be on holiday altogether. Not only are there the all-too familiar Covid-19 precautionary signs everywhere (and boy are they really keen on keeping to the rules up here), it's weird to be somewhere cold, wet and windy, which of course means a really bad hair holiday. (This time last year Kim and I were in sunny Italy, basking on beaches and imbibing on balmy terraces.) I remembered to bring a hat but not gloves, so purchased a cheap pair locally today from a shop which doubles up as a left luggage depot that I may need to use on my way back. Tomorrow on the ferry to Skye, I have to stay sitting in my car which is a bit depressing, but all to enforce social distancing without decimating capacity on the boat. 

All in all it's not been the most promising start, though the day started and ended well - but then neither was it on my big trip to Europe exactly 5 years ago when I got on the wrong train in Brussels on the first day, ended up the wrong end of Ghent in the rain, the taxi driver attempted to drop me off at the wrong hotel and I then had to lug my enormous suitcase up several twisting flights of stairs to a tiny room adjoining a smelly toilet so small I couldn't actually turn around in it. After that it was nearly all plain sailing - so let's hope for a good ferry crossing tomorrow and some sunshine on Skye. At least it's a change of scenery, and a spectacular one at that.