This morning we are anchored in Acharsaid Mor on the isle of Rona. It is a beautiful spot with 16′ tides. We’re off for a bit of a trek around the island as soon as laundry is finished and the 10 o’clock fog lifts. We had a delightful trip around the Outer Hebrides although the weather was not as we would hope. We sailed in short hops of 15-20 miles for the most part because we didn’t want to miss any of the good spots. We went to Loch Maddy on N. Uist where we were entertained by seals, then on up to S. Harris and into Tarbert where there just happened to be another distillery! We had a lovely walk across the island and shared a pizza at the local hot spot in the middle of a grand birthday celebration. Everyone in town was there. We checked out the Harris Tweed store, Harris is the home of Harris tweed strangely enough.

We worked on up to Lewis and tied up in Stornoway. This is the largest town in the Hebrides; it even has stoplights! Once one of the world’s busiest herring ports and strict Calvinist bastions, the herring is now gone but the Faith remains. Nothing is open on Sunday except the Tesco market, and there were demonstrations in the streets when that idea was mooted. We attended Stramasch! a music festival to raise funds for the local farm college. The music was great, each band played 4-5 songs and this went on for three days! All of the bands were from the islands. Who knew there could be so many musicians in such a small population?

We had only planned to stay a few days in Stornoway, but the weather had different plans for us. A rapidly moving low was bearing down on the islands followed by another broader low, so we doubled up the dock lines and hunkered down for the worst. At the height of the storm we recorded 50kt gusts in the marina, but nothing broke and the wind generator kept us well charged for watching movies while the rain blew horizontally.

Before the storm we hired a car from the local rental shop: the proprietor was finishing the restoration of an immaculate Lotus Cortina (we didn’t get to hire it though). Anyway, we drove up the Butt of Lewis (I know, it sounds dirty but its just the top of the island), and looked at the lighthouse and some sheep. Then to some restored Black Houses. These were the homes that many island crofters (tenant farmers) lived in. They always had a peat fire burning in the middle of the floor with the animals at one end and the people at the other. Several had the animals in a separate room for privacy sake, I guess. Many of these homes were occupied until the 1960’s.

We went to see some standing stone formations which really did have a mystical aura about them, perched high on a bluff with the wind blowing and the sea loch below. And Nancy took us on this “little turnaround” that was a brilliant 5 mile snakey road that cried out for a LBC !(Little British Car for the uninitiated).

Between the storms there was a window, and we took the opportunity to head back to the mainland. We had a blisteringly fast sail across to Tanera Mor where we anchored near a large fish farm. We ended up staying there for four long days with 40kt gusts and more rain. It wasn’t so much the wind that kept us there, but the waves outside were 8-10′ with short periods and we’d be sailing along a lee shore. No fun at all!

From there to here we have had some of the best sailing days we’ve ever enjoyed. Off to isle of Ewe, then Gareloch. The skies were bluish the seas were calm and the bold cliff faces were creased with cascades and waterfalls like tinsel from the moor to the sea. In Gareloch we had some great conversations with the local gang at a wonderful pub. Oh, yeah; the landing there is along the river, which after all this rain was like a mountain torrent rushing to the sea. We also went to town at low tide so I had to keep the dinghy at speed to hold position while Nancy scrambled up a 6′ seaweed-covered wall to secure the painter! Who says we didn’t earn our pints!

Well the watermaker has filled the tanks and the dryer has finally finished. Nancy’s putting on her hiking shoes and giving me the sign. We’re off toward Islay tomorrow so stay tuned. Check out the new entries in Book Nook (I read a lot during the stormy layovers). Come join us if you can and stay in touch.