Loch Eynort, South Uist had provided a welcome night’s shelter after the previous stormy night. The skipper had moored well into the loch so we were well protected from the strong night time winds, and had a good night’s sleep. I loved the wild beauty of the area and it was exciting to sail to a remote island and drop the anchor to stay there. The following day I was a little more useful on the boat, as I’d taken two sea sickness tablets, but for the whole holiday I was much less useful on the boat than anyone else on board. I like the character of old wooden boats and a lot of effort goes into putting the sails up, it’s a team effort to get sails out of sail bags and to pull on the ropes to get them into position. The wooden blocks on the boat were very beautiful and the wood was in very good condition. A converted fishing boat, waves splashed over the side of the boat, across the gunwales and out the other side. Unfortunately my wellies weren’t full length and I either had one or two wet socks inside them. By the end of the week one wellie was full to the top with water!
We had a pleasant day’s sailing with the wind filling the sails, lunch while we were sailing, and then we reached Lochmaddy in North Uist. This was a posh morring, next to a pontoon. There were other boats there, we weren’t on our own with wild and beautiful scenery. The others went off in groups, I went on my own with my walking boots on to go for a walk.
I spoke to a very friendly woman in a shop and bought a caramel wafer bar and tried to read newspaper headlines without buying a paper. I walked down the street, past houses and beautiful scenery.
Then it suddenly happened. I fell in love with a tumbled down cottage which was up for sale.
I have checked and this is up for sale for £30,000. I think it is in a beautiful location but probably needs quite a lot of work doing to it! I walked past signs to ferries and resolved to return here next year with a map and my walking boots to explore the island. Then I walked back past more beautiful scenery and found some of the rest of the crew sitting outside a pub, and standing in the doorway to try to get a Wi Fi signal.
This is a very beautiful island and it would be lovely to spend some time here during the summer months when the days are long and light.
Heather's Slow Seashore Strolls 