Stornoway to Tarbert then ferry to Uig, Skye

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windy Uig, Skye

Andy and I decided we should have a proper full day off the bikes, none of this just nipping out for a quick 10 mile ride malarkey so we caught the bus from Stornoway back to Tarbert, Harris, from where we would catch the ferry to Uig on the west coast of Skye.

We actually nearly reached Uig in November 2004 after driving up from Portree. We stopped a couple of miles south and looked across the bay and Andy thought it looked really boring so we turned back!

In Tarbert we went back to the same tearoom place as we had visited a few days ago where we consumed another stodgy pasta bake thing while we waited for the ferry.

The ferry trip took 1 and a half hours. Was very seasick as the weather was very stormy, gale force 9 and heavy rain.

We pushed the bikes 5 minutes up a road to Uig bay camping & caravanning park. The owner thought we were completely bonkers for camping in this weather and bizarrely thought it was strange that we did not want an electric hookup! We think Skye doesn't like us as last time we camped here (at Sliganach in 2004) the weather was pretty much the same - enough to make us decide to hostel it in Portree for a couple of days.

To give an idea of the evil weather, I made a video clip which should be played with the sound up for full effect. We were camped next to the block for shelter but the tent is still flapping about a bit. As I take the camera past the block the full force of the weather becomes apparent. You can also see next to the tent the prescence of an enlarging puddle.

We went for a quick drink in the pub just down the road then headed back to cook dinner. Due to the weather we had to take our camping stoves into the laundry room, the owner said he wasn't surprised.

We had expected to be flooded by the puddle overnight however we remained dry, the tent held up and we managed to get a bit of sleep during the night.

Skye looked so amazingly green and lush compared to the much more barren Outer Hebrides. We had planned to do a short 12 miles-ish trip around the northerly Trotternish peninsular but didn't due to the weather conditions and my knee.

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Photos

Tarbert, Harris
leaving Tarbert on the ferry to Uig, Skye

the bridge connecting Harris and Scalpay
from the Tarbert to Uig ferry

Tarbert to Uig ferry
Andy on the deck with the bikes, a blur of colour really!