What a fantastic trip. Made wonderful by the superb organisation of Norma, Neil and Ep of Immerse Hebrides and Dodo our patient driver. It all started when I met one of the group, Claire at Stornoway airport on Saturday and took her to the Royal Hotel in Stornoway. Then at the ferry terminal I met Helen who was staying overnight with me. With Helen were Megan, Maike, Helen and Liz. We all had dinner in the Fank that evening.
An early morning to meet everyone at the bus station to begin our trip. We were joined by Cheryl and Peter and picked up Anita at the Caberfeidh. We drove down to Reef beach for our first swim. It was raining but that was the only rain of the trip - unheard of in the Hebrides. We were joined by Laura, Elvire and Alison.
Then it was off to Harris and Horgabost for the second swim. The rain had gone but the jelly fish had arrived. We nearly had to detour on to the golden road as a telegraph pole had closed the main road. Luckily all was open by the time we arrived. We caught the ferry from Leverburgh and arrived late at our accommodation on South Uist - Grogarry Lodge. www.grogarrylodge.com
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| On Horgabost beach |
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| Moon jellyfish |
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| Claire |
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| Megan and Claire |
On Monday we went to Balranald for our swim on North Uist. However, the sea haar had come in so we went to Lochmaddy for coffee and cakes. We returned for a later swim and then a visit to the North Uist distillery.
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| Sculpture at Lochmaddy |
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| Art at North Uist distillery |
On Tuesday saw us at Bosta and Bhatersaigh after catching the ferry from Eirisgeidh.
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| Norma, Nell, Ep and Helen |
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| Megan |
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| Maike |
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| Posing at Barra airport |
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| Taking pics at Castlebay |
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| Eider duck from the ferry |
Then to Berneray on Wednesday with a second swim from at Grogarry beach. Unfortunately, Anita had become unwell at Bosta so she recuperated for a couple of days, joining Alison who was recuperating from her hip operation.
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| Walking on Berneray towards the beach |
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| Panorama from hill on the way back to the bus |
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| Grogarry beach |
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| Norma and Liz |
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| Megan |
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| Maike |
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| Megan |
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| Cheryl sorry about the water drop on the lens |
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| Claire |
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| Maike |
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| Maike and Helen |
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| Helen and Claire |
Then to the reason I had booked the trip - a visit to Mingulay. This island can be as difficult to get to as St Kilda and in my opinion it was the better island. The villagers all left in the 1920s leaving the birds to peace and quiet.
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| Claire Megan Liz Maike Elvire Laura Helen Nell Cheryl |
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| Shags resting spot |
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| Mingulay |
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| 2 images of one chick cheeping |
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| Possibly a juvenile wheatear |
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| Stonechat dancing |
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| icm of a Mingulay cross |
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| Puffin |
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| seal |
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| Ringed plover |
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| Finally got an image of a wren |
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| Megan Nell and Helen |
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| Mingulay arches |
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| Guillemot flight |
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| Porpoise |
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| Common dolphins |
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| Shags fleeing |
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| Reflection |
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| Thank you to Uist sea tours for a comfortable trip |
We had a quiet morning on Friday and some of us took a walk towards the rsbp nature reserve. It was too hot to do the distance so we returned where John from Grogarry lodge met us with some iced water. Many thanks to all the staff at the lodge, John, Hannah and especially to Bella who made the delicious food and cakes. Then our last swim on Eirisgeidh and a dinner at Am Politician.
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| Grogarry Lodge |
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| On our way back pestered by cleggs |
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| Ponies owned by Bella from Grogarry Lodge |
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| I am too hot and tired to look at the humans mum |
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| Swimming at Eirisgeidh |
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| sea creatures |
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| Liz and Anita with Neil at the back |
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| Lions mane |
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| Laura |
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| Ep and Megan photobombed by Maike |
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| Peter taking the photo of Helen Megan and Claire |
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| Liz Maike and Helen |
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| The swimming dog |
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| Sun setting outside the Am Politician |
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| Helen or Nell |
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| Elvire, Laura and Megan |
All too soon our week came to an end with the ferry back to Harris, a last swim at Northton and a stop at Seilebost.
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| Two images of Seilebost stuck together |
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| Me taken by Anita |
Thats all for now. Not sure when my next post will be. Perhaps when my friends come over for HebCelt in July.
