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The night was overcast and windy but
yesterday’s rain kept away. I was packed up and at the waiting room
just after 06:30 and the ferry was loaded and ready for off well
before 7am, its scheduled parting time. Mine was the only bike on
board and we actually set sail at 06:55. |
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Otter
sculpture at the ferry terminal |
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The crossing was windy though not
rough and took 40min. My single ticket was £8.00. On Eriksay the
first part of the road is a steep climb then a descent to the local
shop, which was shut. |
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The causeway that connects it with
South Uist was only completed in 2002. |
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I soon came to a Co-Op where I bought
some cake to keep me going through the day. Once I’d reached the
road coming in from Lochboisdale the road widened in sections and
there was also much more traffic. When I saw the sign pointing to
the left saying ‘Flora MacDonald’s birthplace’ I followed the track
to take a look. I visited it the first time I rode this way 3 years
ago. |
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Flora
MacDonalds's birthplace |
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Flora MacDonald
(1722 – 1790)
Jacobite heroine (by helping Bonnie Prince Charlie), was the daughter of Ranald MacDonald of Milton
on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland,
and his wife Marion, the daughter of Angus MacDonald. |
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Ruins by
Flora MacDonalds's birthplace |
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There is an information board and a
few ruined buildings with the remains of their walls little higher
than the surrounding rough ground. I continued north into the
headwind that I would have to ride into all day. Further north I
came to the bike hire and repair shop that I visited the last time
but there didn’t seem to be anything going on and nobody about. |
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It continued overcast but thankfully
the rain kept away. The riding was fairly dull because this part of
the Outer Hebrides are fairly featureless. A causeway took me onto
the Island of Benbecula. An interesting radar dome structure was on
the top of one of the hills. Another causeway took me to North Uist
then on to where the road splits. |
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RRH
Benbecula is a Remote Radar Head
operated by the Royal Air Force |
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I turned right to Lochmaddy but even
though I started and finished its length at sea level it seemed to
climb steadily the whole way.
In Lochmaddy I called at the Calmac office to buy a £6 single ticket
on the 16:00 sailing to Uig, Skye. I had a while to kill before the
ferry was due but it turned out even longer as the ferry was over
half an hour late. Once on board I asked why she was late. I was
told there were some emergency procedures to be tried out and that
was the only time they could do them. |
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Lochmaddy Calmac waiting room |
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The office staff at Lochmaddy had no
idea about them. That doesn’t explain why the ferry was even later
when we arrived at Uig making us around an hour late. Once off I
found some shelter from the rain by one of the buildings while I put
on my waterproofs. I headed south on the A87 but didn’t get as far
as I’d hoped. Through a gate on my left I saw a stone bridge on an
abandoned stretch of the old road. Through the gate I was able to
pitch my tent on a flat grassy area near the bridge and get water
from the river under the bridge. |
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Whittle Wanderer
