Wednesday 5th April, W5D6

As I'm about to leave the Scottish mainland again, on the CalMac ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, I thought it might be good to show how I got here, starting from Edinburgh, and not including my 5 days in the Orkney Isles. 

What the Outer Hebrides hold in store for me, I'll only discover over the coming days. I didn't buy a return ticket, not because I'm planning to relocate here permanently (as one of Cate's family did), but because I may return by a different route, perhaps through Skye, and I still have no fixed timetable in mind. Meanwhile, I believe I do have a campsite for my first day(s), which is fortunate, because they asked me that at the ferry check-in, and informed me there is no 'wild camping' allowed anywhere on the islands, under council regulations.

So anyway, I just thought it might be good to share with you my overall impressions of travelling through the West Highlands, now I'm on a different mission for a week or so. I've expounded more than enough about the roads themselves but didn't share the delights of the passing flora and fauna. The colour of the hills varies between the grey of rocky scree slopes on the higher bens, and the expected heather, purple and white but not always prominent, except in the welcome episodes of bright sunshine. The road edges and the lower slopes were more colourful, with the ubiquitous dazzling yellow of the broom. Named lochs are everywhere, and small lochans nestling between the hills would regularly take me by surprise round a sharp bend. Many of these looked attractive enough to consider a random stop for a 'wild camp' and I'm sure I must have missed many opportunities for such an adventure. Maybe I should be more alert in the future.

Fauna as such was rare. A wandering pheasant by the roadside was relatively common, and I saw one 'Bambi' scamper across my path. The commonest strangers on the smaller roads were sheep and tiny lambs, their lack of road sense meaning a slow to a crawl until safely passed. My bird knowledge is scanty, but though gulls were plentiful, despite looking carefully amongst the steep cliffs I'm afraid I didn't spot a single raptor.

One more comment about the terrain itself: I was constantly impressed by potential film set after film set, towering views that would pass equally well for Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. This was even further emphasised by passing through a small settlement named Elphin! I didn't try to remember all named mountains, but the one that stands out was Suilven, a distant, dark, massive, twin-peaked monster that seemed to be visible round every bend. 

So, anyway here I am in Lewis, and settled into an excellent Campsite 20 minutes drive from Stornoway centre. I called in to the Information centre, where I was looked after by Beverley (appropriately enough a Yorkshire lass, now married to a Hebridean)  and Jessica, Lewis born and bred. They gave me useful intel about which sights are or aren't likely to be open, and also the best local pubs. Contrary to Benjamin's Law (see 99 Days) the Arts  centre has traditional music today, as opposed to yesterday, so I later took a cab back into town and spent this evening listening to an impromptu ensemble of two accordions, four fiddles, and a Gaelic singer, while savouring a Guinness. (Video may or may not work, sorry.)