Ardmhor pier and the protective breakwater

Loch Bhrusda in the Sound of Barra

The rest of the cars joined the back of the new queue and the two of us went off to get photos of the Loch Bhrusda as she came towards us slowly. It was a relatively full load on the car deck and as the ramp went down it became apparent that there can't have been room for anything else on there. Having said that, with a coach now in our queue it looked like our sailing to Eriskay would be just as busy. There were a few minutes to wait while the crew had a tea break on the bridge and we were eventually called forward. The car deck was crammed full once all the traffic was loaded and by the time our tickets were checked and we went up to the open deck there was barely an inch of space to be had as the coach party had de-bussed and got to all the best vantage point.

The Loch Bhrusda left the slipway on the 45 minute crossing to Eriskay right on time. As we passed round the end of the breakwater Alan spotted something among the rocks that suggested the contractors in charge of building the harbour had something of a sense of humour...for embedded into the breakwater there is one of those 'passing place' road signs.

The journey across the Sound of Barra was very pleasant, with only a light breeze and a warm sun above us. As we dodged round the rock formations that litter the coast off Barra, a colony of seals were sunning themselves on one of the rocks off to our right.

As we approached Eriskay the motors were cut back and we coasted in around the remains of the breakwater and slowly up to the slipway. The breakwater was once like the one on Barra but the hurricane force winds of January 2005, and the high waves caused by the shallow depth in the Sound of Barra obliterated it, leaving only the disorganised pile of rocks that remain today. 

As the ramp touched down on the slipway the foot passengers were allowed off first, followed eventually the cars. Al had gone off on foot so Dave took the car off and parked up nearby. While this was going on the coach that filled up the car deck on our crossing was having immense difficulty disembarking. The angle of the slipway at the end of the ramp caused the coach to ground and scrape its front end on the concrete. Alan stayed down by the pier to watch the goings on while Dave went for a climb up the hills to the back of the terminal, for a bit of an aerial view.

Loch Bhrusda was due to stay at Eriskay for about half an hour. With the tide retreating the skipper pulled the ferry back off the slipway a little, submerging the ramp. This also meant that no potential passengers could board without getting wet feet - handy for the crew as they met on the bridge for another brew.

By the time departure came, Al had made the precarious trip out to the end of the breakwater to catch some unusual shots of the ship leaving. Dave meanwhile was high up on the hills taking in the scenery. A last minute arrival came racing down the steep hill into the terminal and was allowed to board before the ramp was raised. 

The ferry eased back away from the slipway while the ramp was going up and once it was secure the master opened the throttle and away she went. Being powered by water jets the Loch Bhrusda turns much wider than other Loch class members. She also has a tendency to oversteer, requiring correction to straighten up. With Alan being out at the breakwater the ferry passed very close by and began to swing round in the Barra direction.

With the ferry away on her return journey, Eriskay terminal was now mostly deserted. Dave made his way back down the hill to the car and somehow managed to stay on his feet despite last night's rain making the ground slippery. Al meanwhile was making his way back to solid ground, along the uneven rocks. Eventually we left the terminal behind and went off up the hill and across the island. As we crossed the causeway linking Eriskay to South Uist we could see the old slipways that were once the means of access via the little council run ferries which were sold off upon the new structure's completion. Alan had wanted to go into Lochboisdale to see what the town looked like but Dave advised that there was not enough time to go there if we wanted to get to Berneray in time for the Loch Portain arriving.

It is a good hour and a half from Eriskay to Berneray and we got to the slipway in time to see the ferry emerging from behind an islet just a short distance offshore. The Loch Portain is somewhat larger than the Loch Bhrusda which we were on earlier, and as she berthed on Berneray the majority of the hull was protruding out beyond the end of the pier.

The ferry was busy as she unloaded her traffic. If the Loch Bhrusda had still been on this route then she certainly have been full.

She loaded for her next sailing and sat patiently for a minutes, awaiting any last minute traffic. As the wind got up Dave went out onto the end of the protective breakwater (similar to that at Ardmhor) while Al wandered off to the causeway to get some video footage of the ship departing.

It was difficult to hold the camera steady as the Sound of Harris ferry left because the wind was getting very strong. Dave phoned up and booked onto the next sailing from Lochmaddy to Tarbert via Uig, instead of taking the later Sound of Harris sailing. We got to Lochmaddy about twenty minutes before the Hebrides arrived. The guys doing check-in seemed totally perplexed by the notion that someone would want to sail to Tarbert via Uig and it took three attempts to explain that we weren't disembarking at Uig! Having worked out what we were requesting, the shore crew then sent us round the end of the terminal building to park up by the linkspan as we would be loaded first.

The bow visor was brought up as the Hebrides nudged forwards towards the linkspan. When she was eventually tied up alongside the ramp was unfolded and lowered. About 40 cars and a handful of wagons emerged and Dave was then called forward and went onto the linkspan. We were sent down the starboard side of the car deck before doing a u-turn and going back up the port side towards the bow. The reason for this is that the Hebrides goes bow-in at Tarbert.

Being first on meant of course that we were first upstairs and into the lounge and cafeteria.

As we left Lochmaddy we took a different route out into the Minch. While we took an alternative channel out, a small fish farm craft came in through the main channel and looked to be experiencing some 'technical difficulties' - the kind that involve clouds of smoke billowing out from the exhaust... Once clear of Lochmaddy, the Isle of Skye could just be made out on the horizon. The land we could see was the western edge of the island, near Dunvegan. Over the next hour and a half we drew nearer to Skye until finally the terminal at Uig came into view. We were only on Skye for about quarter of an hour while traffic was offloaded and Harris cars were loaded.

The last leg of the sailing was the 1800 from Uig to Tarbert. During the crossing the weather cleared and the wind died down, giving for relatively flat conditions. It was a quiet crossing and we spent much of the time in the observation lounge. At the appointed time we went back to the car and waited for the tell-tale 'bump' that meant we had arrived. A crew member pressed a button and a siren started as the ramp was unlocked and lowered once more. We were among the last off and Dave had to do a bit of reverse manoeuvring to get his car out from behind one of the crew vehicles.

Off the ferry and out of the terminal, we went up the hill to a spot overlooking the harbour so Al could get a few pictures of the Hebrides lying at her berth. By the time we got there the visor was already down and locked. Dave turned the car round while Al got the pictures he was after. Unfortunately though, a yacht was circling in the harbour and the mast was getting in the way of most of the pictures.

After Alan got back in the car we made our way back down the hill into Tarbert and out on the road through Harris towards Lewis and Stornoway.

We wouldn't actually make it to Stornoway until the following morning - as our accommodation tonight is just south of the town, near the area known as 'the Lochs'.

Another very early morning tomorrow as we have a booking on the Isle of Lewis' 0715 sailing! Ah, who needs sleep anyway???