Uist - a united chain of islands

 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

Tomorrow is a travelling day and will probably involve hanging about and tedium. But I'm really looking forward to a weekend in Loch Lomond.

Trapped in Tarbert

 Sunday 13 September

I have no excuses. I made this trip of my own free will, knowing that the weather in Scotland and especially the Western Isles was quite likely to be wet and windy. But as an optimist, I had hoped that it might not be quite as wet and windy as the BBC forecast was making out. But it was, and it is, and as I write this the rain that started about 24 hours ago in Stornaway hasn't abated all day. And it's swirly rain, the sort that makes you extra drippy.

I couldn't face the dining room in the Stornaway hotel so ordered breakfast in my room and it was just about edible. One random thing I've noticed in Stornaway is that the water is so soft it's almost sticky, even more so than Skye.

I packed up and got in the car, hoping to be able to at least access the Lews castle grounds for a bit of a wander, but I was thwarted, so I just continued on the A859 from Lewis to Harris which was almost deserted. All three petrol stations en route were also closed as I thought I should top up before doing lots of miles today, but as the rain just blotted out so much of the horizon I realised that a day burning fuel and not wanting to venture out of the car to look at mainly obscured views was probably not the best idea. 

Plus  - most of the sheep I've seen today have been venturing perilously close to the road and I had to stop and wait for one particularly defiant black-faced ewe who just stared me out for at least half a minute before strolling from the middle to the other side. The weird thing is that sheep are not freaked out by cars at all - but if you go anywhere near them when on foot, they turn tail and leg it.

I gave in to the weather and stopped at my hotel, which is on the main road but set well back. There's a fast-running stream just beyond my window so there's a kind of white noise roar going on which I hope will send me to sleep as I've not had the most active of days. Luckily for me my room hadn't been occupied last night so I was able to check in early. I sat in the lounge on a Harris tweed chair and ordered coffee and shortbread, read a book, watched the rain (not the worst view) and listened to the Proms. After a cooked breakfast I should have skipped lunch, but they have cullen skink on the menu and I couldn't resist - very nice too. 

The rain had eased a bit so I donned waterproof trousers, walking shoes, hat and cagoule, and strode out to explore Tarbert. Of course nothing was open (I shall be at the Harris Tweed shop and the gin distillery first thing tomorrow) and so I wend my solitary way round the mean streets which took me all of 35 minutes. By the time I got back, I was dripping as the easing had only lasted a few minutes but I was determined to soldier on and at least do a circuit of the town. Waterfalls here are not so peaty, but still loads of lambretia. I think the volume and colour of wild flowers and heather here will be one of the best memories.

I returned to my room, and then remembered that of course I can watch Netflix on my Chromebook, so that's what I've been doing all afternoon and now it's nearly dinner time. It feels like a waste of a day, but there really did seem little point in risking flooded roads to try and see beautiful beaches and scenery obscured by cloud and rain.

Dinner was delicious - Harris gin, scallops (yes, fish again) followed by lemon posset. I have returned to my room to watch the new series about Singapore in the 1940s with David Morrissey and cannot figure out how to lose the subtitles that have appeared on the TV screen. On the plus side, I've caught Harry Hill's World of TV on BBC2 which is quite brilliant.

Monday 14 September

Good night's sleep but still raining 😞 After breakfast (sorry Scottish friends, but the porridge did taste like wallpaper glue compared to the Scotts Old Fashioned I make in the microwave at home - but I just felt I l should have a break from a cooked breakfast!) I walked into town (which takes all of three minutes) to visit Harris Tweed and the Harris Distillery. I bought a blue tweedy cross body bag, a fridge magnet (of course) and a bangle so have done my bit to support the local economy. The Distillery tour wasn't happening because of you know what - and I was a bit shocked that Harris Gin have really missed a trick by selling only full (yes and very beautiful) bottles. No half bottles or miniatures which would have fit happily into my suitcase - so I will be going home sans gin. Shocking, yes I know.

Waterproof trousers and cagoule at the ready, I got in the car and headed for Luskentyre beach which took about 20 minutes and the single track road went past 3 cemeteries, but I think the gravestones mark burial of ashes rather than being graves. I remember seeing a cemetery on the coast between Bondi and Coogee beaches in Australia when I visited in 2005 and thinking it would be a nice final resting place - bit warmer there though...

The beach, reached by a short walk over some white sand dunes, is vast and very beautiful. On a sunny day it must be a magical place to be There were some guys in the car park suiting up for what I think must  be sea kayaking rather than surfing as the rollers weren't that big - but I also saw a man wearing only trunks swimming in the sea. He wasn't that close but I could see he was very pink indeed.

After blowing away the cobwebs I headed back down the road in the hope of visiting a couple of places on the coast - but nothing was open, and nowhere even to stop for a coffee. I managed to fill up with petrol (I've driven about 300 miles now) at Leverburgh which I need to return to tomorrow for the ferry. I carried on to Rodahl to St Clements Church which looked very interesting through the windows but again sadly couldn't get in. 

I then embarked on a very hairy drive around the south east coast of the island on a single track road that wend its way through what I can only describe as a lunar landscape - huge dark outcrops of rock populated by moss, heather and sheep. I had to concentrate so hard on which way it was bending, with frequent blind summits,  it gave me a headache - and with considerable drops on either side of the road I didn't even dare stop in case I got out of the zone, so sorry no pics! It seemed to go on for ever, and at one point I met a lorry who wasn't going to be reversing back for anyone - but I couldn't see what was behind me, so conscious of that £950 excess, I took it so slowly even I was cursing myself.

I returned to Tarbert - again the Harris Tweed exhibition centre was closed - had some lunch in the Hebridean Hotel near the ferry port, resisted Essence of Harris smelly candles, lotions and potions (I did buy some hand sanitiser though, which was also available at Harris Distillery), bought a coffee and walked back to the hotel to do the blog and watch a bit of TV - it still hadn't stopped raining! After a very nice dinner in the old school dining room, I tuned into Zoom to join the SLT General Council meeting, but they couldn't hear me and apparently I was almost permanently frozen, so I spent a very frustrating couple of hours trying to communicate via the Chat and raising my virtual hand to say something only for no-one to notice....! Got creeped out watching David Tennant playing Dennis Nielsen in Des on ITV - it's grisly but compelling stuff. Lights out and planning tomorrow for my ferry trip to Berneray on North Uist, where I'm due to meet Simon, a friend of a friend.

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.