False Alarm

It was only Force 10, a slight breeze of 60 mph, that's all. So the buses were still running and the school kids still had to go to school. I made the obvious mistake of abandoning my van for the afternoon and following Becca and Ann on a bus out to the beach at Sollas (for research purposes, naturally). And no, I'm not going surfing in wind like that.

Great waves, if you don't mind 60 mph wind. It was a bit like walking on the moon. Up hill. Fortunately, we only got wet twice. All the way there, and then all the way back. With just enough of a lull to dry out in between.

Leaving Lochmaddy today to head up to Harris, now that the ferry should be working again. It's a shame, because it's a lovely place, with a really nice atmosphere, and hundreds of small fresh water and salt water lochs everywhere. But hopefully the storm will have thrown up some decent swell for this afternoon.

Hebridean Furry Dice

Barra is a small island. It only has one road.The Annual Show took place at Barra Community Hall on Saturday, when the locals show their produce, win prizes, then auction off the goods.


I was talking to the local physics teacher, Robert Ross, whose daughter Patricia gave me this die. Actually I was the only mug who would take it, after she tried to palm it off on her father and on her father's friend.
It now sits in my van, as a Hebridean tribute to furry dice. It turns out the Hebrides don't need a tribute to furry dice, as they still have plenty of real furry dice still. Photos to follow, if I see one that isn't moving.
Left Barra to drive up the Uists. Didn't see any Otters, despite the warnings.


I'm holed up in a hotel bar in Lochmaddy, North Uist, as a Force 12 gale rages outside. Even the locals are commenting on how windy it is. All the ferries have been cancelled, so I'm stuck here for the day.

Fabulous surf on the west side of North Uist yesterday, big Atlantic rollers with beautiful green walls. I know it was at least head high, as I surfed down the face of one great wave and looked up at the green wall of water looming above me.
Becca and Ann are following the same route as me by bike. They're mad.
So I shared my lobster with them. It was called Rita, after the Latvian woman who sold it to me.

Those Oyster-Catchers really know how to enjoy a meal

Stand in the middle and peck round the edges.

This is Barra, the Southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides. Utterly lovely on a sunny day like yesterday.

In spite of the dumped farm machinary

Not so lovely on a grey, wet, windy day like today. Camped here:

It was half way up the track to what the Ordnance Survey map laughably calls a museum. In a fit of enthusiasm, I thought I ought to make the trek. Perhaps I should have wondered why there is no sign to the museum. The rest of the trek is very boggy, and finally leads to this, a typical crofter's cottage. Still no sign. Perhaps I could get in for free.

Unfortunately the door is locked. But that's ok, because the window's are wide open, so you can appreciate the interior:

I knew a crofter's life was tough. But not this tough.

And by popular demand, last night's barbecued scallops in full:

Sealing wax (lyrical)

Saw my first and second seals yesterday (Thursday). The first one was disporting itself on a rock as I ate breakfast here:I suspect it was sent there by the tourist office, to look picturesque. It's that thing in the middle that looks slightly like a seal-shaped rock, sitting on a rock-shaped rock.

Yes, I know. But it was a long way away. I zoomed my camera and myself to get a better shot, but it slipped away.

Later I went for a surf here. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a big, grey blob disappear below the surface. A few minutes later, it reappeared. Another seal! I've never surfed with a seal before. I've never surfed with any wildlife, except Welshmen and discarded tampon strips in the Bristol Channel. It looked me up and down, decided I was as attractive as a discarded tampon strip (or a Welshman) and disappeared again.

After a rather disappointing session yesterday (1.5 hours in the water, 1.5 seconds standing on my board), I managed to reacquaint the soles of my feet with the top of my board. I'm hoping they'll become good friends, but for the moment they're maintaing a rather distant froideur.

Finally caught the mid-day ferry from Tiree to Barra, which is mountainous, windy and utterly beautiful. Photos later. The library has free internet access, but not wifi, so having downloaded various emails to my laptop and replied to them there, I can't send them. Apologies if you sent me a message. Also haven't worked out which phone company works here (my Spanish phone picks up Orange (or Naranja, I suppose) but I don't have an Orange SIM. So if it's urgent, text my Spanish mobile.

The library is part of the school. Break time has just finished, so there was a startling school bell, followed by a line of school kids aged 10 to 16 filing past. They're much better behaved than the school kids in South London.

And we're off!

Sailing into Oban last night (not me, obviously)


Me sailing out of Oban at 6am this morning (not awake, obviously)

Wondering what on earth I was doing in Tiree


Until I got here. And then I remembered.

Scotland Welcomes Me

So that's nice.

Waiting for waves with Anthony Gormley

and what happens if you have to wait too long...