No connectivity again so this is the post for 31st May 2018

We knew we had to get up at silly o’clock to catch the 7.15am ferry to Harris. So we carefully ate early, went to bed early, but then both had a bad night’s sleep, probably because we knew we were getting up early. We normally sleep well in Basil, in fact I sleep better than at home.

The alarm shattered our broken sleep at 5.45am and we were off the site by 6.00 am. In the 20 miles to the port, were saw one other car. Clearly Hebrideans’ are not early risers. We had a quick breakfast and cup of tea on the quayside. The boat left on time, but at that early hour it was too cold to sit outside for long, so we made use of Calmac’s free wifi inside for an hour.

As soon as we got off the boat and started driving, both of us admitted we were feeling shattered. I felt like I had just got off a flight from New York. This is pathetic really, since we both often had early starts in our working lives, but maybe age is catching up with us. We drove to the same place we had wildcamped on our second night on Harris and guess what, we went back to sleep for two hours. Disgraceful, but one of the perks of retirement!

After our doze we sat outside in the still ludicrously fantastic weather until lunch, after which we had a walk on the miles of golden beach.

Mountains of North Harris

Finally we headed for north Harris and the isolated crofts of Huisinish. This part of Harris has the highest mountains in the Outer Hebrides with several exceeding 700 metres. The road was spectacular and in some ways the most difficult on which I have driven Basil. There were no great gradients or twisting hairpins, but it was a twisting tortuous strip of single lane tarmac, which was firstly particularly narrow and secondly with stopping places which were really too small for Basil and often badly located for his lardy dimensions.

View from the Aire

On reaching Huisinish we found another fantastic beach washed by turquoise seas. In the past it was possible to wildcamp on a grass area behind the beach, but this has been stopped to avoid eroding the grazing for crofters. The community has instead built a small five van site with electricity where you just leave a donation, with no amount specified (57.992132, -7.084737). There is also somewhere to empty and refill in the village at a charge of £3. We were lucky to get one of the five places and although it is a short walk away from the village it still provides fantastic vies of the beach and the sea.

Beach at Huisinis

Sarah on the beach at Huisinis

The day was ended with a walk to the beach during which we came across some Highland Cattle grazing on the open moorland and with them were three of the cutest calves you will ever see. They didn’t seem phased by either us or the dogs and allowed me to get very close to take photographs.

Highland Cow

Melek had us in fits of laughter on the way to the beach when Sarah tried to encourage him and Mable to avoid the cattle grid and walk through a fence to one side. We have met many cattle grids on this holiday and Melek has never been tempted to cross one, but today he had different ideas. Before we could rescue him he had got half way across, with great aplomb, but then came unstuck and found himself with all four legs slipping through the gaps. He seems none the worse for the experience and, as usual, had a lovely time on the beach.

Mother and cute Calf

Tomorrow we head on to Lewis, which actually the same island as Harris, so why it has got different name is a bit of a mystery, which when I have internet access I shall investigate.