Swimming in the Outer Hebrides with Immerse Hebrides

 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

On Horgabost beach

Moon jellyfish

Claire

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.

Sculpture at Lochmaddy

Art at North Uist distillery

On Tuesday saw us at Bosta and Bhatersaigh after catching the ferry from Eirisgeidh.  

Norma, Nell, Ep and Helen

Megan

Maike

Posing at Barra airport

Taking pics at Castlebay

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.  

Walking on Berneray towards the beach

Panorama from hill on the way back to the bus

Grogarry beach

Norma and Liz

Megan

Maike

Megan

Cheryl sorry about the water drop on the lens

Claire

Maike

Maike and Helen

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.

Claire Megan Liz Maike Elvire Laura Helen Nell Cheryl

Shags resting spot

Mingulay

2 images of one chick cheeping

Possibly a juvenile wheatear

Stonechat dancing

icm of a Mingulay cross

Puffin

seal

Ringed plover

Finally got an image of a wren

Megan Nell and Helen

Mingulay arches

Guillemot flight

Porpoise

Common dolphins

Shags fleeing

Reflection

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.

Grogarry Lodge

On our way back pestered by cleggs

Ponies owned by Bella from Grogarry Lodge

I am too hot and tired to look at the humans mum

Swimming at Eirisgeidh 

sea creatures

Liz and Anita with Neil at the back

Lions mane

Laura

Ep and Megan photobombed by Maike

Peter taking the photo of Helen Megan and Claire

Liz Maike and Helen

The swimming dog

Sun setting outside the Am Politician

Helen or Nell

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.

Two images of Seilebost stuck together

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.