Highlands and Islands 2018 (6 Viewers)

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Ralph said he could see you outside your van , David, from out on the deck with Buster .
He was waving at you
We’re waiting for the ferry to start serving lunch at 12 . We’re both famished .
Heading to Gary Beach tonight HS20NN
To see the waterfall and the bridge to nowhere . More pics later .

 

[tony dellar]

Bon voyage ,
How do you run a slow cooker ? I imagine with an inverter ? Do you only use it with the engine running ?

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

No its on the go now below deck. @tony dellar , Wedged in place in the sink .
I’ve another nice piece of brisket in there with onion and stock . Once we go back to Pug I’ll add my veg . I put the veg in too soon on the last one . It was lovely but the veg was very soft .
But your right , we do have an inverter onboard .
It doesn’t pull much power I remember Ralph saying how surprised he was how few amps it uses . Even on high setting .
Though we’ve got it on the low setting atm as it’ll be around 8 hours stewing away in total .
I bet when we slide open the door , when we return to Pug itll smell lovely .

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[namwaldog]

Don't forget that Tesco is right next to the terminal at Stornoway if you want to top up your fresh food.
We called there last week and were very pleasantly surprised how fresh the fruit & veg were considering the journey there.
Also had a good selection of Beers for Ralph. I know you only drink water Bev so there is a good selection of that too

Nice place to stop/overnight here.....

58°21'40.4"N 6°12'57.6"W Metalled car park with toilets.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Don't forget that Tesco is right next to the terminal at Stornoway if you want to top up your fresh food.
We called there last week and were very pleasantly surprised how fresh the fruit & veg were considering the journey there.
Also had a good selection of Beers for Ralph. I know you only drink water Bev so there is a good selection of that too

View attachment 254377


Nice place to stop/overnight here.....

View attachment 254378

58°21'40.4"N 6°12'57.6"W Metalled car park with toilets.

Thanks for that . I think we’re stopping around that area . But I can’t do coordinates haha only post codes .

 

[tony dellar]

Yummy !!! I will give mine a go with the inverter but at home in case I flatten my batteries I only have 75 AH and a small solar panel but fun to try it may work I am in Greece so the sun is a blinder !

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Lucky you !
I’ve just checked with Ralph and he thinks it was pulling 7/8 amps On high power .
But we’ve 380AH and a B-B charger and solar .

 

[tony dellar]

Ok thanks I would have to leave the engine running LOL !

 

[Debs]

It threw it down all night and it’s on and off so far today . But forecast wind and rain all day ....
The ferry is in View attachment 254353View attachment 254354 Details of the campsite we were on last night below . View attachment 254351View attachment 254352

nice to see the site makes a good allowance for solo travellers Bev, enjoying your pics, hope the weather brightens for you x

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Had a lovely afternoon and night at the above place Gary bridge and beach .
Only us there very peaceful and quiet . No signal . Here’s some pics while I’ve a signal driving along towards Stornaway
The bridge to nowhere .

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Buster looking for rabbits

Here’s the brisket I prepared in the slow cooker and some Scottish strawberries and thick cream for tea .

All was quiet then 20 + units turned up

 

[scousebird]

Love Buster's bum in the air

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

After a Brunch off Hebridean scallops and Macleod black pudding we went to see an excellent remaining example of a Broch this ones estimated at nearly 2300 years old . It’s at Duncarloway . Probably belonged to a tribal leader of the time .
Amazing .

We have wind , sunshine and showers today . Fortunately I think the wind is blowing the showers away.
Having a look around now for somewhere to stay the night after visiting an ironage village further down the coast .

 

[irnbru]

That black pudding and scallops looks yummy. Bet it tasted it too.

 

[tony dellar]

Forget lonely planet your far superior travel advisors !

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Well we stopped at Bosta Beach one of our favourites last night . On our own little hard standing spot ! The weather was sun showers and lots of wind . But the wind did us a favour and kept the showers at bay . There’s a replica grass roofed old stone Iron Age dwelling down here and a commonwealth war grave which are both very interesting . Plus of course yet another stunning beach . Plus , NO midges yet, since being on the islands. Touch wood !

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

We called to The Edge community cafe and craft centre . A lovely but wild and windy spot you’d never find if you didn’t know it was there . Fortunately Ralph has researched the islands and found lots of places for us to visit , what we’ve not seen before , on our other trips .
This is down a mostly very narrow single track dead end road. It leads to an old MOD place . But there’s a thriving little community there . Wanting to turn the old buildings into something for the local people .

We had the recommended homemade , while you wait, seafood chowder and soda bread . Which at £9.50 was a bit pricey but gorgeous .
Plus a nice pot of well made Yorkshire tea .

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

After our Chowder we went to Mealasta beach , where there is one of the best examples of a rock type called lewisian gneiss .
This a metamorphic rock whis is up to 3 BILLION years old . Which makes it the oldest rock in Britain!
Actually 2/3 the age of the earth ...... I love finding stuff like this and yet again you’d just drive past if you didn’t know it was there .

It’s clouded right over now .
We’ve made our way to a little campsite . Water waste showers for £5 per person a night Honesty box .
There’s a few on and I hope they all cough up .
It’s called Uig sands .
HS29EU
Internet too hence catching up on here !

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[namwaldog]

Did you notice the new sign that has gone up near the bus bays at Bosta Beach, warning about approaching the Animals?

The last but one time we were there, there were some Highland Cattle with huge horns wandering about and we saw a herd of about six of them going down the pathway on the landward side of the burial ground with their horns scraping on the stone wall. Didn't see any sign of them last week.

The Iron Age House was open to the public last week with a knowledgeable local lady giving 'tours'.

We saw your Ram's brother at Luskentyre last week....

 

[abforfun]

We stayed there four years ago, lovely little site

 

[namwaldog]

Bev, I don't know if Ralph has got the foraging attitude (a la Bear Gryhlls), but when we stayed at Luskentyre ( that last parking spot where you can get 4 MH's nose on to the sea) there was a Belgian motorhomer who walked out on to the sands about where the red arrow is in the image below

and took a bucket with him. He followed the water out and kicked about in the sand and about 30 minutes later came back with the bucket filled with cockles!
He had them with garlic of course

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

We saw the sign but no highland cooows down there this time . Not down the beach . But there was cow pat evidence around !
The Iron Age dwelling is open 11/3 ,if I remember , and it’s £3 each to go in . We’ve been in before in the past, very interesting . But didn’t this time .
Here’s a few of UIG sands site . I’ll be showering in Pug and giving them a miss haha . But there’s an Elsan and water tap here .

It’s raining now so the sat dish is up . It’s shower then tea time and a nice chilled night in . Dont know what we’re having yet. We’ve bought a huge side of hot smoked salmon , well it’d be rude not to whilst here ..... Mmmmmmmmm

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Bev, I don't know if Ralph has got the foraging attitude (a la Bear Gryhlls), but when we stayed at Luskentyre ( that last parking spot where you can get 4 MH's nose on to the sea) there was a Belgian motorhomer who walked out on to the sands about where the red arrow is in the image below

View attachment 254984

and took a bucket with him. He followed the water out and kicked about in the sand and about 30 minutes later came back with the bucket filled with cockles!
He had them with garlic of course

Ooooo lovely . We once did it with razor clams . But it didn’t turn out that cracking as they were all gritty and the texture of a thick rubber elastic band

 

[Grianan]

Yum .... Salar hot smoked salmon is fab and you can get mail order too.

Loving this thread. How do I book mark as this is definitely on my list of tours!

Oh, and have you read the Peter May Lewis trilogy .... it’s easy reading detective novels set in Lewis and full of the history, scenery and culture of the Outer Hebrides.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

We’re doing ok weather wise , touch wood . Just setting off from the site . It’s called Adroil camping now not Uist Beach .
This is what it’s like now weather wise

you can’t see the wind though . Haha
Had another red hot shower and washed my hair . The shower was spotless . The room was heated , well worth the £1 . Don’t be put up by the exterior appearance like I was initially.
I dried my hair with my dryer in the provided utility room . We haven’t seen 1 person go up to the red roofed house to pay , the whole time we’ve been here . Yet lots of folk just coming down to fill and dump and use showers even . FLT’s
£5 per unit per night !!
Well worth it . If people don’t pay , they’ll take it away .
£1 for a red hot shower .
Water waste and toilets .
This is the house you pay at the top of the road . Donald will be more than grateful. He said yes not like it used to be . The honesty box gets pinched when ever he’s put one down there and somebody even ripped the £1 coin shower box off the wall last week !

There’s a sign in the utility block stating charge and where to pay .
But I think they aught to put an purpose built safe/stone honesty box down there too . You have to park your car on the road side and can’t go up his drive . Even more excuses not to pay a fiver !
I let Ralph do that .....
(I’ve just done me air )
There’s also no sign outside the house saying to pay there.
He should have one really. I’d be down there knocking on the van windows

Booked into the Scalpy Bistro for tea tonight mmmmmm good d reviews on trip advisor .
But first a visit to the Harris Distillery to get some gin !

 

[runrig]

Dolphin at Rosemarki this morning ready to chase the salmon

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

We’ve been to the Harris Distillery and bought some Harris Gin and a couple of lovely matching tumblers .
We’re going to make a lamp out of the bottle when we’ve drunk the gin and put a nice modern coloured tartan shade on it .

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

We’re on the island of Scalpay now and staying in the harbour for the night. It’s a lovely place, a great community feel to it .

More to come ......

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Wow. Just had a fantastic meal at the Bistro in Scalpay . It used to be classed as an island but now there’s a bridge linking it to Harris, it’s not !
The bridge was built ( £6.4 million !!!) in 1997.
Who’d have thought a tiny community run place would have been so good. There’s only 300 people on the island and 95% are related too .... they call the natives scalpachs .
Fortunately Ralph had come up trumps again and did a bit of research .
I married a gud un.

great specials board I had Turbot , Scalpay prawn and scallop and Ralph the saddle of Scalpay lamb .

The restaurant has a wall of awards for their food

around 10 puddings to choose from I had a trio of puddings and Ralph had sticky toffee

Fabulous thoroughly recommend .

 

[mitzimad]

nice to see the site makes a good allowance for solo travellers Bev, enjoying your pics, hope the weather brightens for you x

i thought it descriminated against singles and couples and favoured poly marriages £10 each for singles and couples £8 or less per person if theres 3 or more

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