Isle of Harris

After 5 days on South and North Uist with intermittent gales we have now moved on via the ferry between Berneray and Leverburgh to the Isle of Harris. Whilst the rest of the country seems to be enjoying a heat wave the weather here, particularly on Saturday, was foul with pouring rain and high winds.

The Coffin Path

Anyway, we decided to go for a walk with the expectation that the weather would clear so we set off to walk the Coffin Path. The path is so named as following the Clearances those islanders who did not leave the island were forced to leave the fertile West coast for the barren East coast. The land here was too rocky to dig graves so the dead were carried along the Coffin Path back to the West Coast for burial. It was a great walk if a little boggy in places and yes the sun came out and the temperature climbed to a balmy 17^oC!

Listening to Wimbledon Semi whilst rest of country enjoys 30 C

Sunset at Lickisto Campsite, Harris

Path along Loch Lacasdail

The weather was much better on Sunday so we decided to do a ride that we had had our eye on for a few years after reading about it in one of the Scotland route guides we had. The route incorporates the Postman’s

The Postman’s Path

Path to Reinigeadal, so named because up until 1987 the only way to the village (I use the term loosely as there are approx. two houses) was via this path (6.5 km) which the Postman used to walk (there and back) 3 times a week. The route is reputed to contain some of the best natural single track in the UK and it’s difficult to argue otherwise, and whilst short at 20 km it did contain 1000m of climbing which included the 290 m hike-a-bike up the near vertical hill from the bay near Reinigeadal by the end of which I was expecting to be carried along the Coffin Path!

The climb up from Loch Trolamaraig

The end of Postman’s Path down to carpark

When we returned to where we parked the van we thought that it had been vandalised as there was a series of dents running along the whole of the offside and around the tail gate. We found this strange as there had been no evidence of anything like this since we had been in the islands, however we thought we’d better report it to at least get a crime number for insurance purposes. As we left the car park to go and find a Police Station, as luck would have it a patrol car passed so we flagged it down. On looking at the damage the Policeman informed us that it wasn’t vandalism but sheep attack! Apparently if they can see their reflection in a shiny surface they treat it as a challenge and head butt it with their horns. I wonder how many insurance claims are made for sheep attack (although I have watched the film “Black Sheep” so know they can be dangerous critters!).

Sheep attack – 60 dents! lamb curry for tea eaten with relish

Isle of Lewis

Moving on to Lewis from Harris – no need for a ferry as the two ‘islands’ are a single landmass. Lewis is much less mountainous but is equally as dramatic. We spent most of our time over on the West coast near Uig.

Beach at Uig Sands Campsite

Sunset Uig Sands

Once again we camped adjacent to the beach, I don’t think we have seen so many great beaches in such a relatively small area as we have in the Outer Hebrides. Once again we took to our bikes to explore the local area, within a couple of miles we came across a small and unlikely looking whiskey distillery, which turned out to be the most westerly distillery in the UK. A few samples later we were back on our bikes commenting on how good the “rides were to road”. We returned on the way back to purchase “products of the region”.

Unlikely Distillery

We are currently camped by another beach just outside Stornoway  in preparation for catching the ferry across to the mainland tomorrow and a weekend of mountain biking in Aviemore.

Beach-side campsite Stornoway

With inspiration from Vida’s calendar we set off for Traigh Iar beach and this is what we found.

After Barra we caught the ferry for the 40 min crossing from Barra to Eriskay and onto South Uist via the causeway. The sun did come out for 5 minutes during the crossing but not consecutively.

Once again we have found a campsite located next to the beach and have used this as a base to explore the local area. The moorland around here is bleak and the tracks faint – this in combination with the detours required to avoid ending up to your arm pits in peat bog can make progress slow!

Apart from forming a bog it does have some other uses.

Somewhere relatively dry for lunch

Plenty of wildlife

The weather has been mixed however this seems to add to the drama of the scenery (or so we keep telling ourselves!)

Could have been worse we could have been in a tent. Probably not the best time to float my cycle touring idea!

After a 9 hour drive, an overnight stop in Oban, and a 5 hour ferry crossing, we eventually arrived in Barra. We are staying in what is said to be the most Westerly campsite in the UK and are set up 3 m from the sea, 1 m at high tide!

Passage to Barra

Pitch with a view

When we arrived at the campsite we were greeted by Donald the guy that runs the site who had turned up to meet the 3 vans, 2 bikes and 1 caravan that came off the ferry. When we originally booked the site he could only guarantee 2 nights as at the weekend it is the Barrathon! (a half marathon around Barra). At the time Donald said he would try and fit us in and he was good to his word.

It’s a bit of a cliché that everyone does everything in the islands and it’s like those old horror films where the same guy appears running the pub, shop, bus … etc. So it was no surprise when the postman turned up this morning and it was Donald!

The weather is … or shall we say there is weather! Awoke this morning to light rain which then became fog. Decided to head out on the bikes anyway – fog – that means no wind doesn’t it? Must have been low cloud rather than fog because the wind was certainly blowing into our faces not matter what direction we seemed to be heading.

Anyway it cleared / moved to a ceiling of a couple of hundred metres which made our ride to Vatersay, a small island, to the South, joined to Barra by a causeway, enjoyable.

Wreckage of flying boat which crashed on Vatersay during WW2

Our next project?

(Pictures now included)

The following day we again took to our bikes and circumnavigated the island, including a stop at the airport which operates on the beach at the Northern end of the island subject to tides! We also spotted a school of dolphins from the campsite, no pictures I’m afraid as my reflexes were slightly dulled from a visit to the local hotel bar!

Barra “International” Airport

I bet you don’t have to wait like Heathrow!