Tuesday 6^th

Eriskay and Barra

The causeway to Eriskay seems long and built on stone. We climbed up after that, the sea glistening turquoise. Peat is left behind and everywhere is rocky, grassy and flowered. About a mile from the causeway, there is a little shop run as an enterprise by the youth from the school. The bus stop here has a readable timetable, others previously had been sun-bleached or weather worn too much to decipher. I was quite shocked to see the bus only took an hour to reach Benbecula.

People were swimming in the sea and playing on the white sand beach as we rode the last mile to the ferry. There is no where to purchase a ticket but a little wooden hut provides toilets, showers and somewhere to sit and wait. This is closed till not long before the ferry is due however.

A few cars have collected on the quay and we stood watching the ferry arrive. We paid on the boat. Seating only runs down one side, but it was comfortable enough for the 40 minute trip (costing us £6.10) across to Barra. It was a bit blowy to go up top and despite it being run by electricity it is noisier than the other boats like it. It only took 30 minutes- maybe that’s why it was noisy. I was quite glad to get off as the sea had more movement than we have got used to.

 We were riding another 9 miles to Castlebay on Barra where we would be staying at Craigard Hotel. It was a pretty route following a tree lined-albeit small trees- river course. We came to the island’s reservoir with water spilling over the overflow. We are on a circular route that goes round Barra and the views are spectacular. The colour of the sea is constantly changing and the sands are fine and white.

Castlebay has a few shops, a post office, tourist office, schools. 2hotels, a bank and a cottage hospital. Medieval fortress – Kisimul Castle sits in the bay below the town on a rocky outcrop and we have a good view of this from the hotel dining room. We had the crispiest skin on chips ever with our fish and one of the best sleeps this trip.

Wednesday

 

When we come down to breakfast we realise how small the hotel is as the breakfast room is intimate with few tables. We enjoyed what we ordered and left for the 9.30 boat to the castle. It only takes minutes to get there but we were taken around the outcrop against the tide coming back which took much longer. It cost £3.60 for concessions with Historic Scotland and we paid at the castle.

 There are steps from the boat, then it’s through an archway into a court-yard, which, a photocopied, guided tour tells us, is not original and most of the buildings were rebuilt in the last century- many stones being taken over time to build houses on Barra. The enclosed walls greened over in places are impressive however and the smell of damp with small stalagtites here and there, adds to the atmosphere.

 The least restored building within is the 3- storey tower house, probably dating from the 15^th century. I thought the toilet looked like it is used (maybe by the historic Scotland staff) and rooms looked like they sometimes have guests staying. That would be exciting at night. There is a pit prison and a timber roofed mortuary chapel now used as a family burial place to spook one further. In the feasting hall there are muskets fitted with bayonets and some short pikes recovered from the Battle of Culloden.

 The Macneil clan feature strongly in the castle’s history since around the 11^th century but remains found in 2001 show Kisimuls’s history began 4,000 years ago. There are pictures of several Macneil ancestors. We looked closely for a resemblance to an acquaintance descended from the Macneil- line but we couldn’t see one.

After the castle we collected our tickets from the ferry office as we need to be ready to board the boat at 7. 20 am for the 4- hour boat trip to Oban. At £14 each this seems very good value.

We rode steeply up towards Vatersay, stopping at the modern war memorial in white stone and slate on a high point before going down the hill to the causeway, completed in 1990 and surrounded today by piles of lobster pots. Some were being loaded onto a small boat. We’ve ridden here before and decided against going around Vatersay today. We have completed our 100 islands already! We needed to complete the circuit of Barra however and as we walked back up some of the hill we stupidly came down, the heavens decided to open over us yet again. The sea was inky black. We put our capes on, but it was such a sudden storm that we were soaked and cold.

We soon dried off as the sun came out on route to the airport. The shiny blue tiny plane was sitting on the sand. The passengers had embarked, the pilot got in the cockpit and the chocks were taken away. A red airport van moved in front of one of the engines and then those propellers started up. Then when the other side started spinning, the plane did a turn to face down the sand, beside the sea. The red van drove off in the same direction but further down, to park just at the bottom of the dunes. The plane turned and faced us again setting off at speed to lift as it passed the red van, flying not far over our heads. ( We waved but I don’t suppose the American’s we’d seen at breakfast and were flying to Glasgow, saw us.) It did a loop and then flew over the sea.

The airport waiting room, checking -in and security are all in the café. We had lunch here- probably our 4^th cauliflower soup- this time with coconut and cumin. They have all been pleasant enough and all different.

We walked through the dunes on the opposite side of the road to the surfing beach. On the way we passed families carrying surfing boards. No sandcastles on this beach and few shells- just the roar of the waves and the beautiful colour of the sea in sun.

Completing our circuit( approximately 10 mile) we went back by the road to the ferry to Eriskay. We’d met more American tourists on bikes near Vatersay and knew they would be going for the ferry arriving soon. We saw them cycle right past the turning so we chased them and said they’d miss the ferry that way. We had thought the sign misleading when we arrived.

We admired huge fuchsia bushes, rose and everywhere, orange crocosmia. There were long steep hills and we seemed to walk a fair bit today.

After eating at our hotel’s restaurant we went to the Kisimul Café where there is a curry night with live music. We were allowed to sit with a coffee till the 2^nd sitting, when at 7.45 we would have to leave, even though we had already eaten. If we had realised there was other than curry on the menu we would have come here for dinner. The first half had an exceptional violinist ( then later the lady following her played 2 recorders at the same time, sang and played a little Gaelic harp. I suppose people had booked tables but there weren’t many customers when we were there. We had to leave but we found her on U tube when we arrived home and thought she was less traditional than the violinist but good.

After an early continental breakfast we left for the ferry. It had been a very relaxed stay.

The ferry left, noisily, on the dot of 7.50 only to go quiet suddenly as we passed between buoys into the open sea. Surely this boat isn’t electric too. No it’s not! It was only quiet at the front and it juddered everywhere else.

There were several sightings of dolphins, but I was always looking in the wrong direction. Then I spotted several fins but Bob and others saw a pod of bottlenose dolphins leaping. Eventually I saw some common dolphins out of the water at last. They seemed small and looked black against the cloudy sky.

The sea sparkled ahead of us most of the way, despite cloud cover. It was a sociable crossing, chatting with cyclists from Mull- the wildlife spotters. A lifeboat was going out to sea and they thought it would be going to Mull to fetch someone who needs medical attention. The lady was speaking from experience!

 We arrived in Oban 4 ½ hours from Barra, after sitting outside the harbour waiting for another ferry to leave for at least 10 minutes. We have come back to sun and have some lunch at Oban’s Wetherspoon, sitting in it.

The only train for Glasgow that gave us connections was around 2pm. We mooched around for a bit then dismantled the bike so we each carried a wheel. As we approached the platform 2 railway workers said that we had a tandem- despite it being in 2 parts and tandems are not allowed on the train. We explained that we had booked 2 bike places, but they were adamant we shouldn’t have booked it on at all. I was getting upset as it had been a hard ride in all and we wondered how we would get home. I said that what they were saying seemed rather jobs worth. That was probably the worst thing to say to such people. Humiliated I went off. Bob had wisely said nothing but while I nursed my ego he quietly put the first bike bit on, hanging it on the bike hooks. I saw him doing it and thought we’d been given the go ahead so I brought the other bike part to him. Up rushed the lady clerk from the station telling us we’d have to take it off. Amused passengers watch our predicament from their seats. The train driver arrived and the lady guard. Seeing both wheels hanging, smaller than 2 individual bikes, they said they could see no reason why we couldn’t keep the bikes on the train. What a stressful 15 minutes! We vowed we wouldn’t take the tandem by train again but then 3 hours later in Glasgow they couldn’t have been nicer.

The journey went without a hitch and we arrived safely at Manchester Airport, yet another 3 hours later, to ride the last 7 miles home.

We have cycled or walked around as much as possible, the islands of-

Hilbre

Ynys Llandwyn

Church island

St Michaels Mount

St Mary’s

Tresco

Gugh

St Agnes

St Martins

Bryer

Walney

Inchcolm

Crammond

Inner Farne

Mull

Iona

Staffa

Erraid

Ulva

Lismore

Arran

Holy island off Arran

2 Tree island

Brownsea

Isle of wight

Fiddler’s island (oxford)

South stack

St Cwyfans

Threave Island

Inch and St Mary’s Isle Kirkcudbright

Piel

Hulses

Islands of Prague

Guernsey

Sark

Herm

Jersey

Elizabeth’s castle

Great Cumbrae

Isle of Bute

St Mary’s Northumberland

Lindisfarne

Isle of Man

St Michaels IOM

St Patrick Isle IOM

Brac Croatia

Solta Croatia

Hvar Croatia

Trogir Croatia

Seil

Luing

Easdale

Karrera

Colonsay

Oronsay

Ynes Gifton

Bardsey

Worms head

Burrow holm

Alney ( Gloucester)

Barry

Sully

Sheep

Foulney

Ramsey

Skomer

Cei Balast

S Ronaldsway Orkney

Burray

Glimpshgolm

Lambholm

Shapinsay

Sanday

Rousay   

Mainland Orkney

Lundy

Burgh

Mersea Essex

Northey

Wallasea

Inchmahone

Inchailioch

Gigha

Dvaar

Tiree

Coll

Lochleven castle island

Isle of May

Ardwall

Skye

Raasay

Harris

Scalpay

Lewis

Berneray

N. Uist

Benbecula

S. Uist

Eriskay

Barra

 

Thank you for your interest in our 5 year challenge. Hope you are inspired to visit some of the lesser known islands- those with causeways especially. People ask which were our favourites and I can honestly say that most have something to offer but so much is dependant on good weather. When pressed I would have to say the Scilly Isles for beauty, clear seas and ease of travelling though weather dependant. We've heard horror stories of the flat bottomed boat - how every one gets sea sick. in moderately bad weather. Farne was for the best for birds- fantastic!