16th May to 24th June 2021, Scotland - Part One

Having left Glasgow mid-afternoon, we made our way north and ended up in Glen Quaich, a stopover we had used before, and settled down for our first night of our latest road trip.

We found a good spot for our overnight stop near Inverary beside woodland and slightly off the main road.

Our next stopover spot, on the shores of Port an Ceardaich, near Tarbert.

We stopped at this little cemetery near Kilberry as we headed south towards Kennacraig.

We set off from Kennacraig at 9:45 am and stopped at Port Askaig en route to the Isle of Colonsay. On arrival at Colonsay, the captain was unable to get the ferry to the pier due to weather, and so we headed back to Kennacraig via Port Askaig again! Once back on the mainland, we headed up to Oban (55 miles) as the next ferry to Colonsay was due to depart from there the next day. Once in Oban, we had a pleasant curry and walked around the town in the evening before driving out of town to park overnight in a layby nearby.

Approaching Colonsay pier.

The day started very wet and windy, and we walked up to headland to blow the cobwebs away! Then the sun came out again, and we enjoyed another bike ride before heading into the hotel for dinner.

And so we said fair well to Colonsay, having stayed an extra night due to our original ferry being cancelled and returned to Oban! After a pleasant lunch, we set off to Fort William, where we bought a charger for one of the bike batteries and then drove on to the Isle of Skye.

For our first day on Skye, we headed to the west coast and had a cycle ride, although it was very hilly and so we only did about five miles! We then parked up at Loch Ghabhsgabhaig near Tarskavaig.

We cycled to Tarskavaig and had a lovely walk along a coastal path to see the views to the west of Skye.

Once we had sorted the van for the night, we walked for about twenty minutes to the Ardvasar Hotel, where we enjoyed a beer while watching dusk gather and then had a pleasant dinner in the restaurant before strolling back to Iona for the night.

Our next port of call was over on the east of Skye at Balmeanach overlooking the Sound of Raasay and the Isle of Raasay. It was such a pleasant spot that we decided to stay for a couple of days.

And the sun comes up again, casting its glorious glow over the Sound of Raasay.

Moving further north, we ventured into Staffin and took a look down by the beach and harbour to see if there was an overnight location. However, the place was “hochin” (as we say around these parts), and so we moved on, but not before taking this wee fella’s photo down on the harbour slipway.

We took a few photos of the early morning sunset before going to bed and rose early in anticipation of an incredible sunrise. Sadly, it did not turn out that way; hey ho! However, we were rewarded with a whirlpool when we walked up onto the adjacent cliff-top after breakfast!

We took a walk in the hills and saw some local wildlife. We also found that part of the route was down a cliff face and back up! However, we gave it a go and were really chuffed that we managed to do it! All-in-all, we walked 4.3 miles, climbed down 591 feet and climbed up 577 feet, all in 2 hours and 14 minutes.

We now made a ‘schoolboy error’! We turned up at our prebooked campsite and discovered that we were a day early! To make matters worse, the site was fully booked, and so we had to leave with our tails between our legs! However, as a consolation, we found a pleasant spot by the ‘Fairy Bridge’.

After our bicycle trip, we packed up Iona and headed back to Dunvegan and our campsite at Kinloch. As we were just a short walk from town, we decided to stroll in to see what we could get for dinner and found a small restaurant serving fish suppers or pizza. Fish and chips for two it was! Once back at the campsite, we were once again to bear witness to a spectacular sunset before we turned in for the night.

Once back at our base, we showered and set off into Dunvegan for a couple of drinks before going to the Dunvegan Restaurant, where we had a table booked for dinner. The staff were friendly, and the meal was very good with an interesting Argentine twist/fusion due to family connections! On the way back to the campsite, we witnessed an incredible sky as we headed ‘home’.

As we headed east towards the Skye Bridge, we were stopped at a set of temporary traffic lights and we took our last photo on our visit to Skye while awaiting the green light!

After a reasonably quiet night, given that we were on the NC500 route, we had a morning coffee and then took a 3.6 mile walk into the hills. Once back in Iona, we had a small lunch and then moved on north.

Time for another walk! This time we walked over the hills to a loch high up on the top of the mountain! And boy, was it windy but worth it!

The ferry journey to the Isle of Lewis was uneventful, and after a couple of hours, we were disembarking in Stornaway, the island’s capital. As it was mid-evening, and so we had phoned ahead to the local Indian restaurant and ordered a curry (our other national dish here in Scotland!) which we collected and headed west to our campsite in Shawbost.

We woke on our first morning, and I pulled up the blind and lay watching the clouds scudding past high above. I then suddenly realised that something was odd about the sun, and it was then that I realised that I was witnessing a partial solar eclipse!

After our coffee, we drove up to the Ness Lighthouse located at the very top of Lewis and had a bracing walk along the cliff tops.

Our next port of call was the fabulous beach at Eoropie, and it was deserted except for a few local sea birds!

Today we explored some of the west of the island and found more stunning views. The interior of Lewis is generally flat and rugged, and by contrast, the shoreline throws up fabulously colourful stunning vistas.

We visited the Blackhouse at Arnol, but unfortunately, it was closed due to Covid-19. These traditional houses were called Blackhouses due to the smoke from the centrally located fire that burnt all day, every day. The inhabitants shared the house with their animals and it made for an intimate, cosy environment!

Today started out wet and windy. Actually, every day so far has been windy; however, by late afternoon, the skies cleared, and so we took a walk around the small town of Shawbost and found a few interesting sights.

Some more images as we toured up the west side of Harris.

Our final drop in on the route home, a Blackhouse village near Carloway. This conservation site was very impressive, and it looked as though one could hire one of the Blackhouses to stay in. Several appeared to be occupied.