Island Hopping with the Glebe-Day 6

N.B This and the following and the previous blogs on this trip may appear quite disjointed...well tough,you get what you get.

Day 6
I'm writing this on South Uist.

After finishing day 5's blog i headed for my bunk.
The two Canadian lassies have transformed into two hairy swiss bikers(road bikers to be truthful),and the two Australian lassies have morped into a couple of Frenchmen.
My alarm goes off at 6am,and a much better nights sleep means i'm more on the ball today.
After my porridge i'm down to the terminal in plenty time for the ferry.
It's the 'Lord of the Isles' today,and todays's trip will take 5 hours and 20 minutes.

There's dolphins in Oban Harbour this morning,and although i coudn't get any photo's i managed a couple of small video clips.(Guess what though-I didn't load my video camera software onto my laptop,so i'll have to follow up when my trip is finished).
I got into a conversation with a policeman from Lincoln who's releasing his stress by going on a sea kayaking course.

Once we get underway,i'm on the top deck with my walkman listening to Sounds of the Sixties.
Todays route initially is the same as the Mull route,we go past Craignure.










The mums and kids are watching further up the Mull sound.They're looking out for Balamory.


It's quite cloudy today,but that doesn't detract from the Island views along the route.
We pass Muck,Eigg and Rhum to the north,and Coll and Tiree to the south.Then Skye looms larger
I decide to eat on the boat,and have a lovely dinner of Creamed Chicken,boiled potatoes and fresh veg.
Closing in on the Outer Hebrides we're treated to a magnificent display of leaping dolphins.They were jumping clean out of the water.Again no pictures,it was over all too quick as they were heading in the opposite direction to us.One whale showed itself,but only fleetingly.I hadn't imagined it,and others confirmed it had been a whale.


Now off the boat at Lochboisedale and i'm on South Uist.
Luckily the Tourist Information Office is close by and i call in for directions to Howmore.The young lady writes down the Gaelic translation since not all signs are in both.
What a brilliant place South Uist looks-it reminds me so much of Donegal.


A walk on the Atlantic shore,and i get lucky with this picture-my camera is on a sports setting,and as i click the sandbank collapses and the goose takes off.Heading down to the beach,the oyster catchers sound really carries,as the flies totally ignore the spray i've put on and try to eat me alive.
There's greylag geese here.
This one was just taking off as a column of sand was collapsing into the burn.

Howmore is about ten miles up the road,and the basic hostel isn't really so basic.Microwave cooker shower and a bunkhouse.I head of along to Benbecula to get some food from the Coop..


Once back at the hostel,a family of five have moved in.I'm treated to a cup of their tea.

Back to the bunkhouse to write this.There;s a young couple from Gloucester moved in-they're cycling the islands.
Later i head out to Benbecula.I want to see about some live music.
I dont remember the name of the pub,but the music wasn't traditional.It was one guy singing to backing music(He played the guitar as well).A glass of shandy was enough for me.It was too noisy,and some birds 30th birthday,so it was pretty raucus.One young drunk was unceremoniously thrown out for trying to cause trouble.


I get showered and feed myself,as a Swiss Cyclist moves in(Honest-he says they come to Scotland because they like hills and aren't as steep as swiss hills.
I head out for a walk.There's ruins of four churches dating back to the twelvth century close by.


An amazing monument designed by Hew Lorimer in 1930.
I talk to a Glasgow man,who arrived to teach for a while.Met and married a local lass and got kids.


Heading back to the hostel,i take some sunsets.



Once the sun went down,it was still just about daylight.What a brilliant place.

Island Hopping with the Glebe-Day 5

Day 5,and i need to get out of bed just as i've been getting some sleep.
I feel like i've just toured Islay's nine distilleries.
A shower and a shave help,and i'm on my way to the ferry terminal.
It's another great day as i book some more forward sailings.I get into conversation with another Canon camera owner and his wife.One thing i've noticed on this trip is how people on holiday seem more friendly.I know the Scots are anyway as a rule,but even startched shirted english folk seem to relax a little.This couple were easy to talk to though,they were from Perthshire.

We leave McCaigs tower sitting atop Oban and head west.The top deck's well packed today.
Islands and far off hills are the landscape.
Approaching Mull Duarts Castle comes into view.I'd like a pound for every time this scene's been snapped.
Off the ferry,and i'm heading towards Tobermory.I pull in to let most of the ferry traffic past so i can take it east.It's a scallop operation,and the sign says Scottish Fisheries.Another sign says unauthorised vehicles park at their own risk.
Visitors parking looked ok,and this was my first contact on Mull.
Basically i was trespassing according to the man who hadn't seen me approach.My arguement about good views was countered with 'Didn't you see the 'Authorised Personnel Only' sign.I did notice a small wooden post with something on the way out.Not a good start.Now i'm thinking i should have stayed in bed.
Continuing on undaunted but really tired,along the road with passing places every 100 odd metres,i get to Tobermory...
...it's certainly a beautiful place,but looking very commercialised...
...but it's got a little gem in the tame otter down by the ferry terminal.I'll hopefully have a little video clip of this wee fella later.
Now i take off to have a look at Ben More and other parts of the island...
...I did take a little walk towards Ben More,but my tiredness meant i wasn't doing Mull the attention it deserved.
It's such a rugged place,there were signs of outdoor activity everywhere.Boats,bivvies and bikes were prevalent.
Here i spotted a large bird going into the trees.My suspicion it was an Eagle was confirmed by the row of twitchers i talked to a little further along the road.
This was the only bird i managed to snap...maybe someone can tell me what it is.
By now i thought if i didn't stop driving i'd become a menace on the road,so i made my way back to Craignure and the earlier ferry back to Oban.
An early start tomorrow,no later than 7.30 book in.
I'm heading to Locboisedale on South Uist.
Next instalment whenever...

Island Hopping with the Glebe-Day 4 Oban

Ok Ok Oban is on the mainland,but i need to be in Oban to get to Islands.
Oban was heaving when i arrived,it looked as though everybody and his uncle were here,which was why i couldn't get into the SYHA hostel and instead booked a bed in a dorm at Oban Backpackers.
I had no idea what to expect here,but it's turned out to be a great place.There's free wi-fi and coffee and tea.Great showers,and the dorms aren't bad.Lots of nationalities booked in.Australians mostly run the place.The dorms aren't separated into male and female,i was in the company of two young canadian ladies,two young australian ladies and a young couple from Switzerland.
Once i was settled in,i used the cooking facilities to feed myself then headed out for a look around.
What can i say about Oban,it really is a picture.It has an unrivalled reputation for having the best seafood restaurants in Scotland,and every time i've been here i've gone away with happy memories.
As the evening draws on i watch the Mull Ferry leave...
...St Columba's Cathedral stands out like a beacon to the faithful...
...and it's a beautiful sunset.
Earlier i'd been talking to Marty from Highland Experience The Best Way to Experience Scotland
who talked of checking out the Ceilidh House of Skipinnish.
I got a couple of minutes of good music for YouTube later.
So nearing midnight that was supposed to end day 4.
Maybe it was the mushrooms on the Port Ellen to Kennacraig ferry that did it,but i suffered a really bad bout of IBS,and didn't sleep well at all.
My enjoyment of Mull and day five would be tempered by my tiredness and a developing mouth ulcer.

Island Hopping with the Glebe-Day 4 early

This will be quite a concise blog.I've only a short time to do it before i get my car clamped.
I'm in Oban Backpackers here on day 5 since there was no room at Syha Oban.

A cloudy morning as i awoke on Islay.I'm up early enough to get my porridge and fruit before leaving Port Charlotte and heading for the ferry at Port Ellen.
The road is quiet as i head for the 9.30 sailing.There's a little bit of life in Bowmore as i pass through.
From Bowmore,i think it's thirteen miles to Port Ellen,much of it on one long straight road.

It's a bit busier at Port Ellen,the boat eventually comes in,and they manage to squeeze some of the extra traffic onto the boat.It seemed to me there was still a lot left waiting on the quay.
The crossing goes ok,once back on the Mull of Kintyre the sun comes out again.Here's a different view of the Paps of Jura.
Off the boat and heading up the Mull of Kintyre,i'm on my way to Oban.
I stop here at the lock gates on the Crinan Canal.
The rest of the run to Oban was very scenic but quiet enough.
Day 4 will continue in the next blog.I've got to go.

Island Hopping with the Glebe-Day 3

It's Wednesday the 24th of June,and this is Day 3's blog on wordpad,since it would have been too much of a rush to get myself to the WI-Fi cafe on Islay which closes at 8 pm.
I left my B & B at 7.30 to give me plenty time to get to Lochranza.I opted for a packed lunch in preference to breakfast.I'd limited myself to one guinness and one shandy at the Kinloch on Tuesday night.


The run to Lochranza was quiet enough,only the local delivery drivers on the road.The west coast of Arran looking towards the Mull of Kintyre has miles and miles of sandy beaches.There were the odd caravans parked up-no doubt it got busier as the day wore on.
Arran is certainly a dramatic island.I wonder how the village of Whitefarland got it's name.


Lochranza's a very picturesque little port with a castle and quite a number of pleasure craft in the bay.The ferry to Claonaig from here is a small drive on drive off affair.
I saw the ferry was tied up at the harbour,so i took myself off for a look at the castle.

Driving back to the terminal,i noticed the ferry was on the drive on ramp,there was no sign of the caravan or car and trailer that had been parked up before.
I went into the car park to wait.Next thing i knew the ferry had dropped it's ramp,and they were waving frantically for me to drive on.The missing vehicles were already on...I'd forgotten there was an earlier ferry.Laugh Out Loud.The crew weren't bothered in the least.
Early mist again this morning,so pictures from the boat were few.

Now on the Mull of Kintyre and a long single track road with passing places to get over to Kennacraig for the ferry to Islay.


Because i caught the earlier ferry i'd plenty time to go get a cuppa tea in Tarbert,and take some pictures...

...it's certainly a bonnie place.

And time to take pictures of a few wrecks on the way back to the ferry terminal.This is Tarbert's West Port,this container had just finished loading.

Now i'm at Kennacraig,and you can tell we're in the 'Gaeltagh Country',all road and town signs are also in the Gaelic.
I booked some onward trips.To make things fit i'm only on Islay for one night.I'll have to come again.
Onto the ferry,and i'm thinking i'll have my main meal here since i'm hostelling tonight.
Haddock chips and peas and they were delicious.
Later on deck i struck up a conversation with a Diageo representative who was heading to Islay.A very bubbly person,she told me quite a bit of the layout of Islay,of the nine distilleries of which Diageo own quite a few,and of the things to see and do on Islay.Great company for the sailing.
Coming into Port Ascaig,with the sun still shining,I'm feeling kinda peeved with myself.One afternoon isn't going to tell me anything.

Now on the Island,i know that this is pronounced 'Killeela'.So i'm a Gaelic speaker!

My first stop is to look over at Jura.The Paps are aptly named,and probably from the old norse word for udder.They are three conically shaped hills.I'll get different views on Thursday mornings ferry.

I take a run into Bowmore for a quick look around.Everything on Islay looks so clean.
All the villages i pass through bring memories of my dad's whisky collection.
Bruichladdich,Ardbeg,The Isle of Jura Distillery at Craighouse,Bunnahabhain to name just a few.

And here's the hostel at Port Charlotte where i'll make my maiden leap into hostelling.It's a former distillery.
It took me a while to work out what was what,while the seasoned hostellers were coming and going like they lived in the place(well i suppose they do for a while).I met quite few different nationalities later that night.After the Scots the next most predominant group were the Germans.
After settling in i took a look around Port Charlotte,but decided not to sample any of the local brew on this occasion.
I was in a four bedded room of which two others were occupied.
I slept fine.
I intended to continued into day four,the ferry back and up to Oban,but i'll leave that just now and go look round Oban.
I think this blog is looking distinctly disjointed.

Island Hopping with the Glebe-A quick text on day 3

On Islay at Port Charlotte.
Great crossing.
Paps of Jura brilliant

Island Hopping with the Glebe-Day 2

This will be quite a short blog page,i need to get some sleep.

It took me three hours...!
up nice and early,and a lovely breakfast of bacon sausage egg mushrooms hash brown fried bread and toast.
I'd recce'd the start of my walk yesterday and began climbing at 10 o'clock.
Three and a half kilometre's to the summit of Goat Fell-a walk in the park.Lol
Brodick's still in mist as i begin climbing...
...and as i gain height it's laid out like a carpet below me.
There's not a lot of folk about at the moment.That changes later.
No problem the first two thirds of the climb,i made really good headway.Only one young guy passing me,and no one coming down.But the thing is..the last 1000ft of this climb is a staircase of rock,and that's when i slowed down.
The middle right picture of this collage has a few climbers in perspective...a fell runner flew past...and again on the way down.
Now there seems to be more people around.
There's another man coming up the shorter but steeper route from Corrie...he's carrying a big tripod and camera.I'm hoping i'll have a few good panoramas,but they'll be nothing compared to his...Malcolm Scott Webster's his name..check out his great photo's at
Scotland in Print

After numerous stops,i eventually reach the top...i knew i'd take three hours as soon as i saw how high the staircase was.
The views were spectacular...it would take to long to list all the places and islands that were on view.I'll hopefully upload some of my panoramas in the future.
A couple from Germany,Malcolm and Jutta(He English-She German) who i'd got to know yesterday kindly took this picture for me.
Now there were quite a few folk up at the summit,and it seems this gull must clean up after folk.
I didn't get pictures or film of the two pair of ravens giving a spectacular air display trying to chase this gull away.

This plaque shows the lay of the land...it looks like Bug O'Malone's trying to get home.
Talking of bugs,my insect repellent had been keeping the midges away,but attracting the clegs.Here on the summit the midges were attacking anything that moved...what are they doing up here.

I may have heavy climbing legs,but my downhill legs take some beating...Have i just been up there?..I actually passed a few people getting to this burn.
Boots and socks off,this was heaven.

Now all the mist has burned off,and my feet are cooled it's a slow and steady walk back as the ferry goes out.

Back down where the more leisurely are slaking their thirst.I,m hotfoot back to Blackwaterfoot,dinner and a refreshing Guinness
I'm on the ferry to Islay tomorrow.
Back blogging soon hopefully.