[Maitland]

5:45am here in Sunny Scotland and in one hour we will be making our way up to the Isle of Skye (Uig). First stop will be Glencoe but I doubt we will see much in this weather.

It would appear it may just brighten up a little after Sunday but temps will struggle to make 55 Degrees and that for Scotland is even mild for this time of the year.

Car is all packed and the children will be woken up at 6:45 for the start of the journey.

I won't have access to a computer while I am away so will post again sometime on the 27th, I should have a couple of photographs to submit to the techie bloke for Clann Alba.

M...

[Mike]

Well, you're away by now, so it's too late for me to wish you a wonderful trip.

Instead, I'll just be the first to welcome you back!

[Maitland]

Thank you for the welcome back Mike . Just in in the last 20 minutes but will post at some point tomorrow once I have tried to cut my 2 foot grass.

M...

[Karen]

Welcome back Maitland. Did the wee ones enjoy their holiday?

[Webmaster]

Hmmmm, should I give him time to mow and bale the garden before I tell him about the salary cuts around here?

Good to see you've returned, Maitland! Instead of a cut, you can expect a 25% increase in the next envelope.

[Maitland]

Day One

Well I have been back long enough so I had better at least make a start.

We packed the car on Thursday night and decided to set off early Friday morning for the drive to Uig in Skye. We set off in the driving rain at 7am on Friday morning.

I was really looking forward to the drive through Glencoe which is about 2 hours from the house. I am ashamed to say it but it is one place I have never been.

As we drove the rain got heavier. We entered Glencoe about 9.30am after a stop for coffee at the Green Welly Stop. For all I knew I could have been driving through Glasgow as I couldn't see a thing. The cloud appeared to be at ground level with a driving wind and sheets of rain.

We continued through Glencoe and onto a very wet An Gearasdan (Fort William if you must). We stopped for a bite to eat and then continued on to Eilean Donan castle. We spent about an hour there and then diverted to Plockton where we spent a couple of hours enjoying a coffee and a very small interlude in the weather.

We left Plockton and over the bridge to Skye. Again we seen nothing due to the weather and stopped for dinner in Portree. We had a very nice meal in a restaurant called marmalade and then made our way onto Uig where we were to stay for the Ferry Crossing on the Saturday Morning.

Unfortunately we saw nothing of the harbour as we drove off the hill due to the driving rain but did eventually make it to the Bed and Breakfast by 8pm. Ah the Bed and Breakfast !!

Please don't get me wrong. The lady who was running it was a very pleasant Gaelic speaking lady but the house was like walking through a time warp. It was clean but very basic, a small TV in one of the rooms with a shocking reception and a kettle, the other room did not have these. When we asked about en suite we were shown a toilet and a bath in the hall and when we noticed the rubber hose on the taps (Fawcet) knew not to ask where the shower was.

During a brief break in the weather we had a wee walk down to where the ferry would berth the next day and we would continue our journey over to the Isle of Lewis.

The weather forecast for the next day was high winds and rain. We woke at 7.30 the next morning and were treated to a fine Scottish Breakfast.

The one bonus of our stay was the Gaelic, I had a little chat with her in my limited Gaelic and it was wonderful.

Anyway due to the weather there were no photographs of Glencoe but I did manage to get a couple of Eilean Donan Castle. I will get these to the usual place for inclusion.

M...

This post has been edited by Maitland: 28 July 2008 - 04:14 PM

[Mike]

Maitland, here in the States, a bed and breakfast is the exception and not the rule. Here, we have motels dotting the landscape in nearly every community of any size. And each and every room is en suite. I had no clue what en suite meant, my first trip across.

Here are the first images Maitland sent -


He said they met these two, fine gentlemen just outside Glencoe.


Eilean Donan Castle, which might seem somewhat familiar to members of this forum.

Maitland, I quite liked this image, just because of the Saltire floating in the breeze.


Another image of Eilean Donan.

[MacPatrick]

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing them with us.

[Karen]

I agree, beautiful photos. Boy would my hubby love to bag that deer. When he gets home I need to show him. They look rather OLD.

[Maitland]

Day Two

We finished breakfast and said our goodbyes. The Ferry Terminal at Uig was 2 minutes drive away. The weather had improved slightly which I have to say wasn't difficult given the weather the previous day.

We parked at about 9am and waited to board. The ferry arrived at Uig and we were on the Ferry and under way by 9.40am. The journey time was about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Unfortunately I left the camera in the car and was unable to get it while we were under way. I did however get photographs of Tarbert on the way back that I will get posted.

It is difficult to describe the feeling I get when I approach the islands, it is just one of utter happiness and on this occasion it was no different. We arrived in Tarbert at about 11.20am. We didn't hang about in Tarbert but drove straight towards our destination just outside of Stornoway, some 40 miles further north.

As we drove out of Tarbert the scenery was spectacular, it was spoiled very slightly by the low cloud but we were unable to stop due to all the traffic behind us that had just came off the ferry (On the way back I thought). The scenery and Harris left us behind as we drove into the Isle of Lewis. Things here became a little mundane.

We drove by the house as we could not gain entry until after 2pm so we decided to go to the Co-Op and have a wee walk around Stornoway. I have to say that I wasn't that impressed to start with but thought that it would grow on me as we spent more time there.

Anyway we eventually got to the house (park House) at around 2.30pm and we were not disappointed. It was a lovely house, tastefully decorated and clean, it had everything that we needed and even had a childs room full of toys for Alexander, it was a wonderful property and an absolute credit to the owners Ian and Rochelle Mcleod.

We decided to settle down for the evening and begin our exploration of the island the next day.

M...

[Mike]

Deid fish and diesel...

I believe we have a mutual acquaintance in Stornoway, do we not? Did you see him whilst there?

[Maitland]

Mike Wrote:

Quote

I believe we have a mutual acquaintance in Stornoway, do we not? Did you see him whilst there?

No I did not and I have to say I was keeping an eye out for him whilst there. However there was one thing that did stand out in Stornoway. There were various stickers throughout the land. Free Scotland, Scottish Not british etc etc etc, if it were our mutual acquaintance that was responsible then I take my hat of to him. I shall however desist from informing my ex colleagues in the security services regarding these activities

M...

[Mike]

And some more images from Maitland -


Uig Harbour from the car waiting area


The Tarbert Ferry, as it pulls into Uig


Park House, where everyone stayed


Tarbert from the deck of the ferry


Some houses on the edge of Tarbert, with threatening skies over Harris

Maitland, I thought about our acquaintance just yesterday. A member of another forum I haunt had asked about getting a Jacobite banner made up. A second member posted a picture of himself holding just such a banner at the Killiecrankie march. Standing next to him was a fellow holding another banner, one we both owned at one time, that had been made by that Stornoway resident.

[Maitland]

Day Three

A wet and windy morning greeted us on the third day of our holiday. We decided that we would drive up to Tolsta beach on the East Coast of the Island. It wasn't a day for going onto the beach without being wrapped up.

We headed off mid morning. Unfortunately I took the wrong turn at the first roundabout and headed up towards the Eye Peninsula. We eventually reached Portnaguran. It was here that I had the privilege to speak with one of the locals. He had just came back from filming. He was an extra in a film comedy about Elvis Presley would you believe. We had a long chat about the local area and about the gaelic language, he asked me to try out my gaelic on him and he was kind enough not to laugh at my attempt at conversation.

He spoke about the wind farms that had been proposed for the Island and how disgusted he was. Stating that the wind farm was for the benefit of the English, not Scotland or the local islanders. Surprisingly enough he did not get an argument from me about that specific point.

We spent a couple of hours on the rock pools with the kids hunting for crabs and the like and befriended two local dogs. I didn't take any photographs of that specific point of the island as there was little point as the clouds had rolled in once again. The adults were wrapped up against the cold whilst Jessica and Elise decided that it would be a good idea to don wetsuits for the day.

After a cup of coffee and some pieces we decided to drive to our intended destination. We didn't get that far and ended up on Coll beach. There was not a great deal to do on this particular day as it was Sunday and just about everything was closed. There was a local garage open that was selling a litre of diesel for £1.47, just under £7 per Gallon ($13). On the beach at Coll we were approached by a number of people. My first reaction was one of interest as they were playing the guitar and singing, my interest disappeared when we were asked if we wanted baptized (me of all people). It would appear that I needed saved having ventured out on the Sabbath.

We returned home for a Sunday Roast and a quiet evening in.


M...

This post has been edited by Maitland: 30 July 2008 - 07:51 AM

[Liz]

Mike said:

Standing next to him was a fellow holding another banner, one we both owned at one time, that had been made by that Stornoway resident.

I ran into your Stornoway friend last May in Lockerbie. He looked very dapper in his white jacket, when everyone else was wearing black t-shirts.

He had a bottle of "whisky" that he had brewed two weeks earlier, and was trying to get everybody to have a taste. The one person brave enough to take a sip declared that "maybe in 4 years it might be whisky".

He really was very nice and fairly sober, but I hear things got more out of hand after we left.

Lovely pictures Maitland, I enjoy the story of your family outing.

[Maitland]

Liz Wrote:

Quote

Lovely pictures Maitland, I enjoy the story of your family outing.

Thank you Liz. There are still 6 days to come.

M...

[Mike]

And more pictures, too!


Wee Alexander exploring the a rock pool in Portnaguran


Coll Beach


Mrs. Maitland and Alexander exploring one of the caves at Coll Beach

[Maitland]

Mike Wrote:

Quote

And more pictures, too!

I took 225 photographs. I assume you will want me to send you them all

Off to St Andrews today. An elderly cousin from Corby is up there on holiday and I haven't seen him nor his wife since I was about 10.

I will take the camera with me but the weather is not looking promising.

M...

[MacPatrick]

Great pictures, the little guy is growing up fast.

[Karen]

He sure is a cutie isn't he? That expression is priceless. Looks like he has his bottom lip out. His hair looks to be blond.

Coll beach looks cold. Love the photos Maitland.