Isle of Lewis all quiet in the early morning

The Isle of Lewis was sitting quietly at the linkspan, bow-in and waiting to load her traffic for the 0715 sailing to Ullapool. Alan braved the fine drizzle that had taken over from the rain - it was that really fine drizzle that you don't tend to notice until after it has totally soaked you! Still, it didn't put him off taking some photos of the ferry as she stirred into life. With about half an hour before departure time the engines could now be heard and the lights in the passenger lounges were now on. The visor was raised and secured and the the Isle of Lewis crept forwards to be in range of the linkspan, ready for the ramp to be unfolded and brought down.

With a short sharp shower coming in, Dave was once again rejoined in the cold car by Al just in time as that bloke in the hi-viz jacket started directing the traffic, albeit one by one down onto the ferry.

As we drove up onto the bow ramp we were halted by the car deck crew as they brought the starboard side mezzanine deck down from its storage position. Once it was lowered, Dave negotiated the climb up onto the angled platform. We weren't allowed out of the car until all the cars were positioned and the deck was raised and secured. From the raised deck we could see down over the main car deck which was being filled slowly below us. 

Upstairs there was the welcome smell of food emanating from the cafeteria, but with only a few minutes until departure Dave went out on deck expecting a soaking from the drizzle, but was pleasantly surprised to find it had dried up - it was now just dull. At 0715 the pre-recorded safety blurb came out of the muffled loudspeakers and the captain gave the instruction over the radio to cast off.

Nudging back and swinging round seemed to take forever but then again the Isle of Lewis is essentially a metal box weighing nearly 7000 tons, so really the crew did a precision job turning round in the confines of the harbour.

The engines were opened up gradually as we left the terminal behind us and passed Goat Island with its shipyard and slipway to the left. To the right there was the coastal path leading from the grounds of Lewis Castle and College and ahead of us, what else but The Minch.

As we headed out of Stornoway Dave's eyes were focused on the horizon ahead of us. One thing missing from the harbour this morning was the chartered freight ship Muirneag. Al said that on a trip to Ullapool last week he had heard the Muirneag leaving at about 0500 - it woke him up apparently...  This meant that as we made our way out into the infamous Minch, she must be heading for us on her way in.

After about 20 cold minutes out on the port side deck Al spotted a dot on the horizon and correctly identified it as the freight vessel coming towards us at a rate of knots. She passed about 500 metres off to port which meant that Dave's smaller camera was next to useless as the zoom on that one is only 3x optical. Al on the other hand was able to zoom in and get some decent pictures despite the mist that was left over from the rain.

As the Muirneag disappeared into the distance behind us, temptation proved too much for two empty stomachs which had been complaining rather audibly for an hour or so and SoC descended on the cafeteria with the intention of clearing the place of all remaining hot food (well ok, two sausage baps and a cooked brekkie anyway)

The remainder of the crossing seemed to go very quickly. One minute we were still well out in the flat calm Minch, passing through huge swarms of moon jellyfish at 18 knots or more; the next we were fast approaching the Summer Isles to the left and the mouth of Loch Broom ahead. It was cold outside still and Dave was wrapped up ready for an Antarctic expedition, as Alan captured on camera while Dave was miles away.

A family of dolphins kept us company as we entered Loch Broom, although very few passengers would have seen them as the decks were deserted at the time.

As the captain brought us round to berth stern-in against the linkspan Dave went down to the car while Al stayed out on deck, having decided to go off as a foot passenger. We arranged to meet up after the ferry had gone back down the loch so Al stayed around the terminal and at the corner near the marker buoy in the water while Dave went off up the hill on the road out to the north.

It was typical that as soon as departure time came around, the mist descended in spectacular fashion and completely obscured Dave's view of the loch below his viewpoint.

With the mist descending around Dave there was no point in staying up there on the hill. He texted Al to say he was on his way back and why - at first Al didn't believe the story about the mist but soon changed his tune when he looked round! However, as Dave descended the mist cleared just as the Isle of Lewis came past there was an opportunity to stop (rather abruptly but there was no-one else around) for a couple of photos out of the window.

Radio 1 was playing in the car as we left Ullapool and Jo Whiley had just taken over from Chris Moyles and was broadcasting live from Glastonbury 2005. She was about eight seconds in and explaining about the huge thunderstorm that had put in an appearance when all of a sudd..........  as lightning evidently struck the outside radio mast and white noise spelled 2 hours of overtime for Mr Moyles and co. (Dave had been hoping for an extra game of Car Park Catchphrase but this didn't materialise) Our radio reception dipped in and out too as we made our way up to the head of Loch Broom and over the hills beyond.

Our next journey took us a few miles over the hills, almost to Garve before turning right onto the road to Achnasheen (and please, no 'Bless You' jokes - we've heard them all) and eventually Strathcarron and Kyle of Lochalsh. The first part of this road is amazing - so fast and virtually deserted! As we neared Strathcarron at the head of Loch Carron, the road turned all primitive and went into sharp turns and was single-track. Things didn't really improve until we got onto the road from Eilean Donan Castle to Kyle, for the last three miles to the bridge.

We crossed the infamous Skye Bridge (now minus the dreaded toll booths) and got onto the Misty Isle around lunchtime. After a few miles we came across the turning for Kylerhea but resisted the lures of the turntable ferry across the narrows, carrying on instead to Sconser and the Loch Striven.

Sod's Law struck again and we were delayed by roadworks while crossing from one valley into the next and as a result we got to the slipway at Sconser just as the ferry pulled off the slipway - doh!)

There was an over half an hour to wait before the Loch Striven came back from Raasay so Dave suggested going off along the shoreline to try and recreate one of Graham's stunning photos looking up towards the Cuillins. We figured that he must have been stood somewhere around the corner and up by the golf course. While he was there the Loch Linnhe was relieving on the Raasay route. Today however it was the regular vessel on duty. We didn't have time to get around to the golf course before the ferry came back but we got some relatively close-up pictures as the ship came in through the narrow entrance to the loch.

We had planned to go over to Raasay but it would have meant going on the previous sailing - the one we missed. There was now not really enough time to get over and back and still have a look round the island before needing to set off for Armadale, so we had to make do with staying at Sconser while the boat came in and went out once more. Al went back to the slipway while the Loch Striven loaded, meanwhile Dave stayed out near the entrance of Loch Sligachan for the next departure. 

Dave rejoined Al at the car and then the SoC tour left on the road we came up on. Returning to Broadford we stopped for fuel and then pressed on towards Armadale. The first part of this road has been upgraded to become another wonderfully straight and fast road. (How come the English seem to take forever to get anything built while the Scots just get on with it???)

As we got near Armadale the Coruisk could be seen across the Sound of Sleat at Mallaig - her huge white superstructure stood out and was gleaming in what was now bright, hot sunshine. Parking was at a premium at the pier in Armadale so Dave ditched the car a few hundred yards up the road. We made our way down to the pier where the tourists were being kept entertained by a piper and the Coruisk was now heading our way. 

The ferry, which had such a disastrous entry into service, was fast approaching stern-first. Despite being in service for nearly two years on the Mallaig - Armadale crossing, the Coruisk still approaches the piers VERY slowly (possibly a weakness of using the azi-pods instead of the tried and tested Voith props). 

With about 20 cars onboard the summer ferry crawled in towards the linkspan and the shore crew eventually got her secured before the stern ramp dropped. At this point Dave thought it only fair to show our missing companion Steve (whose bosses at work prevented him from joining us for this trip) what he was missing. A multimedia text was soon being beamed down to Newcastle.

We didn't join this particular sailing. We stayed on the pier, sheltering from a strong breeze to catch photos of the Coruisk leaving Skye. Next it was back to the car, in the hot sun and out of the cool breeze - time to start the queue for the next sailing in an hour or so. Actually we weren't first there - that honour went to a couple of Germans in an absolutely clapped-out shed in front of us. 

Talking of the Germans, a whole coach-load of them turned up shortly afterwards and Armadale and its bagpipes seemed to disappear beneath the sound of poor English. It is said that people from Germany have no sense of humour - well this may be so, but for us they provided no-end of laughs while waiting for the ferry (but we won't go there...!)

We went down the linkspan and onto the ferry after having the tickets checked by a lad who can only be described as far too cheery - it had to be that Friday feeling! Unfortunately our cheery friend let the coach on before the cars and it was the German tourists who had the last laugh as they lived up to their national stereotype by barging their way through to the best suntraps on the open decks.

We set off a couple of minutes late because of some last-minute arrivals coming up the gangway ramp just as the crew were unlocking it and replacing the safety railings...there's always one! The crossing to Mallaig was bright but breezy and in the distance the Lochnevis was coming into view on her return journey from Eigg and some of the other Small Isles.

Having got into Mallaig and unloaded there was not long before the Small Isles ship was due in. A quick jaunt round the bay to the northern side of the entrance channel was necessary. There was a strong wind gusting now and standing on the viewing platform was decidedly chilly, so Dave followed Al down onto the shore and out of the wind. The Coruisk was still loading ready for her next run while the Lochnevis was circling outside the harbour, but the two eventually swapped places and the Nevis came charging along in through the narrow channel.

The rest of the day was spent in Mallaig, waiting for Lochnevis and Coruisk to shuffle around each other, and of course scavenging for food (found in the form of a chippy that was very generous with its portions) before going to the B&B and reviewing the photos of the day. Dave actually sneaked out a little later on to take advantage of the spectacular Hebridean sunset.