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| The gale approaches |
The westerly gale arrived on Thursday evening, just as the
forecast predicted, after a day of sunshine and showers. We’d had plenty of
time to prepare extra mooring lines to keep Maunie safe, but we still had a rather
sleepless night as the gusts heeled us over and the rigging vibrated heavily
with the force of the wind.
As a result, we both felt a little bleary-eyed the following
morning and, with the clouds scudding over us in wind that stubbornly remained
brisk, we wondered whether the idea of hiring bikes to tour the island was a
very sensible one. We are very glad that we stuck to the plan, however, and
even more happy that we’d booked electric bikes to take the sting out of the
headwinds and the sometimes-hilly terrain.
Barra is just a breath-taking place and our day’s circuit
also took us across the causeway to the neighbouring island of Vatersay where
stunningly white beaches contrast with clear turquoise (but very cold) water. We
were so pleased to have experienced it all.
Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the scenery:
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| Castlebay - ferry terminal and Kisimul Castle to centre and the little 'marina' to the right |
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High Street Castlebay
- a shop / petrol station, a bank and an Indian restaurant (book several days in advance!) |
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| Only one other visiting yacht - the weather has certainly reduced numbers coming here this May |
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| Clear, cold water and white sand. Looking towards Barra from Vatersay |
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The West Beach on Vatersay, looking out into the Atlantic
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| Dianne is missing her Zumba group so did a few moves! |
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| Vatersay Bay - probably our next anchorage! |
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| Barra Airport |
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| A perfectly normal airport - the planes just land on the beach! |
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| The 16.05 from Glasgow and the tractor used to sweep the beach clear of seaweed |
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| Another stunning beach on Vatersay |
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| ...and another. This one looks south towards Sandray with a nice restoration project on the right |
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| Splendid views, open aspect interior and plenty of natural ventilation, this property is an ideal project for the DIY enthusiast. |
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| Returning to Castlebay after a brilliant day |
Today we escape Castlebay, after four nights on the pontoons, to enjoy some wild anchorages for a few days; the wind has at last abated a bit, though annoyingly it has veered to the north (the direction we want to go in, naturally) and has a distinctly chilly feel to it.
Finally, for the ferry fans, here’s another time-lapse of the
rather larger Oban to Castlebay ferry docking in slightly tricky sidewinds:
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