#HebrideanWay with the Three Tenners

We are not long back from cycling (actually a few weeks have expired now!) the Hebridean Way. What is the "Hebridean Way"? The marketing blurb. 

The spectacular islands of the Outer Hebrides have always been a magnet for cyclists seeking quiet roads and a different pace of life.  As you wind your way past stunning white shell beaches, constantly stopping to visit a historical site or watch eagles soar overhead, you will lose all track of time.

Using 2 ferries and 6 causeways to hop between islands, this popular on-road route begins on the Island of Vatersay at the southern tip of the archipelago and ends 185 miles (297km) later at the Butt of Lewis lighthouse in the far north. 

You will get lungs full of fresh air and the scenery that subtly changes along the way is awe-inspiring.  In the morning you can be riding beside turquoise seas and passing flower-strewn machair, before heading inland through rugged hills made from Lewisian gneiss which is some of the oldest rocks in the world.  But there is absolutely no hurry. This is a journey to savour so slow down to Hebridean time and take it steady.

Where are the Outer Hebrides? They are often referred to as the Western Isles. They are off the West Coast of Northern Scotland. The Inner Hebrides is closer to the mainland - islands like Skye, Mull and Isla. (35 inhabited 44 uninhabited).The Outer Hebrides by definition is further away. (made up of 15 inhabited and 50 uninhabited islands) The ferry from Oban on the mainland took 5 1/2 hours to get the our starting island - Barra - a distance of 93 miles.

Why did we choose to ride the Hebridean Way ? The Three Tenners like to take on a realistic challenge. We like being out in the open air and away from commercialism if we can. One of Mike's daughters is an Outdoor Activities Leader in Scotland and she put us onto it. We jumped at it once the seed was sown because it was a new area to us and like everyone else we have found the Covid lockdown frustrating at times. The Outer Hebrides was open for business so we got it sorted within a few weeks.

The logistical challenge took a bit of time to solve given we live at the other end of the country. In the end the solution was Mike drove his van with me as passenger (not enough seats for Rob) to Oban. We carried the three bikes and gear. Rob flew to Glasgow from Bristol - quick and cheap and took the three hour train to Oban. Our drive took about 10 hours with breaks. We met for an overnight stay at Oban YHA.

The other major consideration was how to get back given we were going to cycle about 200 miles north on the Islands. It seemed to us the only practical solution was to use the Stornoway ferry to Ullapool on the Scottish mainland and then get back down from Ullapool to Oban to collect the van. That is about a 5 hour drive because there is no direct route given the terrain. In the end we used a firm called Ticket to Ride - based in Inverness to shuttle us and our gear. They were super efficient but it was our biggest expense of the trip.

A quick comment on the Caledonian MacBrayne (Cal Mac) ferries that serve the islands. They are not that frequent but they are comfortable and cheap because they are apparently heavily subsidised. The Oban crossing - 5 1/2 hours cost £15 each for instance. Covid has had a big impact because total passenger numbers are reduced for safety reasons. Consequently ferries are often shown as fully booked and they operate a standby system. Best to book for sure.

Now a bit about the trip itself :

The Hebridean Way is a designated signposted route and it is on good surfaces. It could be done on a road bike and there is no chance of getting lost. The distance is 185 miles (+30 if you chose to cycle to Stornoway from the finish at the Butt) - much of it is on the flat - and while there are some tough hills on Harris particularly - it is not a hard ride in that respect.

What however makes it a challenge is the weather - or particularly the prospect of atrocious weather. The islands are low and exposed and strong winds are common place. The finish point at the Butt of Lewis has apparently been recorded as the windiest place in the UK. We were camping and on bikes so we were obviously exposed to the elements. The other factor is the Outer Hebridean islands are sparsely populated - with few shops - and Sunday (and many on Monday too) they all close for religious reasons. There are also few pubs. In the whole week of cycling we only used one bar apart from while waiting for the ferry at Stornoway.

Our route :

We crossed from Oban to Barra,

The next morning we cycled down to the beautiful little island of Vatersay for the start of the Hebridean Way. (the 10 islands are mainly connected by causeways but 2 ferry crossings are necessary to traverse the chain)

Vatersay

Barra

ferry across the Sound of Barra to Eriskay

South Uist

Benbecula

Grimsay

North Uist

Berneray

ferry across the Sound of Harris to Harris

Lewis

the return ferry was from Stornoway (the principal town) to Ullapool on the mainland. 

Here are a few random thoughts

• The islands of the Outer Hebrides are undoubtedly beautiful and wild. The coastal scenery is often white beaches and turquoise sea - almost always deserted.
• There can be a real feeling of isolation and silence is easy to find.
• Maps show place names but they very often amount to little more than a one or two little cottages.
• Each Island has its characteristics. Harris was the most hilly. Lewis the main island perhaps the flattest in an open moor sense.
• We expected the route to be busier with other cyclists - but we hardly saw anyone. Almost always we were on our own.
• Not every part of the ride was beautiful but within no time it was again. This is the great thing about cycling. 
• The ferry crossings can be lovely. Get outside - find the lee - and watch the sea birds and seals and maybe a whale.
• The majority of the properties dotted all over the islands are not what you would call quaint or picturesque - but are low slung and basic cubes. Often there is farm related scrap in evidence. These places are places of work and survival and not much more in many instances it seems.
• Evidently by the number of churches and chapels we passed religion plays a big part in Islanders life. Retaining Sunday's as a day of rest is fiercely upheld apparently.
• The Outer Hebrides is an ornithologists dream (including the Golden Eagle). Skylarks and Oystercatchers are everywhere. We loved watching the birds when we could and I strongly advise taking binoculars which we did.
• Most roads are single track with passing places. Islanders were considerate and friendly towards us cyclists.
• Wild camping is allowed but authorities asked visitors to stay on designated sites where possible for covid reasons while we were there. 
• Stornoway was a disappointment. Of the Outer Hebrides total population of around 26,000 Stornoway's (plus close by villages) population accounts for 10000. It is the only proper town - but even in summer (admittedly raining) it was not at all inspiring.
• We speculated about living in the Outer Hebrides. 100% back to nature with a simple (and no doubt harsh) and isolated lifestyle would be the offer. I am sure it is a hard place to make a living. I have read the overall population has stabilised following progressive reductions. It seems Island life relies heavily on government subsidy (ie ferries).
• Oban was nice but bigger. Ullapool was a thriving little town in a spectacular setting.

 A summary :

The Hebridean Way was a brilliant thing for the Three Tenners to do. It was a wonderful week + and one we each took a lot from. We would recommend it without reservation (but do your planning). You really feel you are somewhere unique and special and the Outer Hebrides has a real ring to it.

We loved the cycling - we loved the camping and we enjoyed the islands very much. It was such a contrast with mainland living.

We were lucky with the weather I guess as we did not experience a really big blow. If we had it would not be hard to imagine the Hebridean Way being a brutal challenge - so do not underestimate if you take it on.

Here are a few photos from my mob camera - but as ever it is hard to capture the real magnificence of the land/seascapes.

Last night Ullapool

Oban

Approaching Barra

camping at its best

Nr the start at Vatersay

Mike

Taransay of Castaway fame on the left

Rob fishing

Rob chaotic

Mike minimalist

Wild camping. It was still light at 10pm. We were miles from anywhere here but had a good signal. We were able to tune in to the Football Final on mob phones!

Mike's mob picture of a Stone Chat

The finish at Butt of Lewis

Magnificent bird watching at this stunning spot. Watched a Minke whale surfacing on and off for over an hour

Lighthouse Butt of Lewis

Contrasting pictures of Rob and Mike. one likes the camera 😂 

Mike in the distance

Ullapool - a sheltered harbour

We had a real laugh with this young group from Perth. St Johnstone

 fans! 

And these lads - builders from Middlesborough let me join them (covid bubble) to watch the England Denmark semi. They were so funny but not very diplomatic given we were in a Scottish bar (Oban) !  

 

#Dogs & fashion?

It is early Sunday morning and I am just back from a bike ride along the the sea front. It is a very quiet still morning out there today. The skies are heavy and dark grey but the very light drizzle almost mist is warm and enveloping. It is lovely.

As usual I am in my own little world of thought and something triggers a theme or comes together to create one.

This morning I saw a man with 3 little pug dogs on separate leads walking along the prom. (a slightly chaotic scene - ha!). Earlier this week I had read a news article talking about these little French or American Pug dogs?

The article explained how popular they have recently become but how problematic their health can be - particularly respiratory issues and skin problems. The thrust of the article was people should be more aware of these potential issues and questioning whether the dogs should actually be bred in the numbers they currently are - that almost it was cruel to do so. I have no idea if this is right or wrong.

However what I have observed over the last 6 months or so is a large increase in the number of these cute little dogs that I see on my bike rides. They have definitively become very popular.

That led me thinking about other dogs that used to be popular but I now see nothing like the numbers of out exercising. There was a stage when there were lots of the Pit Bull Staffie types. Now I hardly see them but there was definitely a time when they were the dog to have for some.

After the "Staffie" the fashion dog was a "Husky" type. They were around for a while but now you hardly see them. 

I assume both breeds were found to be challenging in a normal domestic setting and the fashion cooled off as the practicalities became apparent. It leads you wonder where these dogs are now? It is a real shame that the "dogs are for life and not just for christmas" truism does not seem to be widely appreciated and considered. Dogs seem to be not a lot more than a must have fashion accessory in some cases and people do not think through the implications behind ownership and the characteristics of dogs they are taking on. Fox red labradors are now selling like hot cakes. However there is concern about over breeding and inbreeding to meet demand and maintain the vital colour. Neither are apparently a positive thing in the prospect of producing and maintaining a healthy robust dog.

Certainly a lot of people have taken on a dog in the covid period. Hopefully a lovely thing. They have had time during the lockdown and dog walking fits in well when all we could do was exercise in our locality in relative isolation. Let's hope the dogs continue to be appreciated when people return to work and life becomes more "normal" again. 

Fox red Labrador have suddenly become very popular. The poor old yellow lab is no longer getting a look in! These are beautiful looking dogs but are they actually the right breed for you? Maybe - maybe not. Do you know their characteristics ? Have you thought it through?

  

#ThreeTenners IOW visit

I have just hosted a weeks visit from my two brothers - Rob and Mike. So the Three Tenner's were reunited for a few days - and to coincide with my birthday. It has been a long time coming because of covid restrictions.

What did we get up to apart from beer drinking ?

Well I have written a number of Three Tenner blogs before. They have all been based around some sort of outdoor activity. 

This time we had a plan to do 3 main things over the week. They were cycling, fishing and sailing.

The first - cycling. Over the years I have completed the IOW Randonee many times - either on the official Randonee day or following the signposted route under our own steam at other times. My brothers have never had the chance to do it - and fancied it. So this is what we did on my birthday - we cycled the 100k - the 60 + hilly miles. Mike and I did the John o' Groats to Lands End over 3 weeks last September but I don't think Mike had been on a bike much since. Rob hasn't done much either but he did come over with his super light hi tec racing bike. Anyway we did it - not bad for 3 bruvs with a total age of 193! We had a good run - some drizzle but we got around in 8 hours or so and had a laugh doing it. I am always proud to show off the Island and the randonee route is perfect for that. Talk about perfect - as we approached Ryde it was obvious we had earned a beer in the full knowledge it is was a flat ride back to Seaview thereafter. The sun came out. We headed for the Solent Inn. We had a perfect seats in the beer garden - the bar maid was a laugh - the other customers were intrigued it seemed - particularly by brother Rob's lycra get up. His short shorts looked tight lol! The piece de resistance was the beer. 3 pints of the most perfect real ale - from a new barrel of Timothy Taylor. They went down well! When we got home the twins were there and we had a massive Indian takeaway. Not a bad day at all! 

On the fishing - well there was a big build up to this! Two things ! First - no this was not a competition - lol. Second - we each wanted to win ha! My fishing boat is called Iggle Piggle. She is a 16 ft open fishing boat - with three bench seats and an outboard - an Orkney Longliner. I keep her on a mooring off Seaview from end of May until late September. I fish in the eastern Solent - and don't go very far. I only catch fish to eat and put everything else back. 

We had two sessions - an afternoon following my bruvs arrival on the Tuesday - and all day on Thursday. 

Now I am definitely not claiming to be an expert fisherman - far from it but over the years I have come to these conclusions about fishing. The main ones is there is over hype about fishing tackle and particularly end tackle. My brothers turned up with an assortment of rigs - paternosters - various combinations of hooks, beads, swivels, sliders and weights. Which to use? My approach when bottom fishing is always the same - a weight - a bead - a swivel - a hook length - a hook to reflect the size of fish expecting to catch. Everything else in my view leads to complications and bother especially as complicated rigs usually means more weed problems. The key I think is always the freshest best bait possible. I dug lugworm for us on Tuesday morning and to be safe I ordered some live ragworm. Thereafter it is to get your hook in the water - tight lines and concentrate on your rod tip! I think back to my dear late dad. He didn't get as much opportunity to fish as he would have liked - but he loved reading about it and bought all sorts of tackle, specialists rods and reels in anticipation. But when he went fishing he was always faced with the same dilemma - how to set up - what system to use? If he didn't start catching - he must be using the wrong system - so hook out of the water - change the system etc etc. My view with bottom sea fishing is if the fish are there - my lovely fresh bait will attract them. If they are not there - then no end of systems will make much difference - ha! 

One thing that did surprise me - we were heading back to the mooring on Tuesday and Rob put on a flashy Bass lure. We were keen to get in so I was giving the engine a bit of throttle. I was sure we were going too fast to catch and apologised to Rob. Low and behold - Rob lands a nice Bass. A lesson learned about trolling speed as we were going in the direction of the tide rather than across it.

Thursday was a fun fishing day too although the weather was not quite so nice. Mike hadn't caught and we of course we hadn't mentioned it! And then a hit and a nice bass. Mike as usual is understated - but a big smile! It was a laugh the three of us in a small boat for the day. Casting - tangles - crossed lines - banter - accusations of poaching - excitement - not to mention peeing in a bucket. We caught a few. Photos below!

One other issue. On the way back on Thursday I had an engine breakdown. It came as a suprise as the engine had been running like a dream. Several attempts to restart were not successful but rowing to mooring was thankfully possible. Mike - the young gun did the lions share. Rob and Mike are both mechanically minded and they went through normal causes - spark, fuel etc. Eventually it turned out to be plug failure under compression. It was a great relief that it was something relatively simple and harmless. Have you seen the price of outboard engines? 

That leaves the sailing. I have mentioned before I have a Seal 22 called Gold Crest which I keep on a pontoon in Ryde Harbour. Ryde Harbour dries out and access in and out is therefore determined by tide times. Tides were not ideal on this day but we were set for a day's sailing with a good breeze which is exactly what happened. It was good to be out with my brothers especially as our late dad had a hand in building Gold Crest all those years ago. We went up to Cowes - criss crossed the Solent and eventually ran down to close to Chichester entrance. I cooked bacon sarnies and we had plenty to eat. Rob had a go at handline fishing but alas a bit to early for mackerel. We had plenty of time to chat and dream and talked a lot about boats of course. Mike is seriously thinking about getting a much more substantial boat to sail around the UK in. I am trying to convince Rob he should buy a narrowboat for the UK canal network! Both would be great for the Three Tenners! 

Coming back in was slow progress - we were down tide and beating. The wind had picked up and cloud had built. Not great planning! However we get off Ryde sands - and the advantage of little Gold Crest comes to the fore. Wind up the lifting keel all the way and she only draws 2 feet. Raise the lifting rudder plate and we go in while other boats have to wait.

We get home by 8.15 pm. Quick showers and back for a covid Saturday night in the pub with burgers. 

My bruvs went back on Sunday morning. A priceless few days. Brilliant to do. All three of us knew it was special. All 3 of us are optimists but realise we cannot take anything for granted. Simple pleasures are usually best. Cheers bruvs. To the next time xxx

Some snaps from the mob phone :

Rob in the fore ground - Mike behind fishing on Iggle Piggle

The finish after the pub. 193 years in total. 100km cycled.

Bruvs on Gold Crest

      

#ComptonBay an Isle of Wight beach

The other Sunday ( a few weeks back now) we spent some time down on Compton beach. It is an especially lovely area and not on the normal tourist track as such. This is a short blog - but one I promised to Compton Bay I would write - as a thank you for offering up its outstanding solitary natural beauty and special atmospherics yet again.

Compton Bay is found towards the western end of the Military Road. It is therefore on the "back of the Wight. (By definition the Solent side is the front of the Wight I guess although this is not a term you hear used.). Compton Bay faces out into a huge sea vista - it is The English Channel of course and it is wide open to the south westerlies that blow in off the Atlantic. It can be a surf beach.

While I think of it - Compton is a great beach - not particularly shelving. However it is a surf beach and there are no lifeguards. It is very easy to be caught out by back wash and or rip tides - so take great care even on a hot sunny day.

Here are a couple of guide book extracts :

Compton Bay is a sandy beach located beside the coast road between Freshwater Bay and Brook. Offering a two-mile stretch of contrasting golden and dark sands snuggled between rolling surf and multi-coloured sandstone cliffs it is a favourite with regular beachgoers and a few local water sports enthusiasts. The beach is peaceful all through the summer there are great views of the white cliffs of Freshwater.

Steps lead down to the beach from Hanover Point/Sheppard’s Chine where there is a large National Trust (NT) car park, toilet facilities and fresh water tap or drive further west to Compton Chine/Farm and find a smaller NT car park on the opposite side of the coastal road and tiered steep steps down to the beach. Whilst there is no café, a refreshment van can be found there throughout the summer and during the winter months at the weekend. This area is popular with fossil hunters and at low tide, dinosaur footprints can be seen imprinted in the rocks. Notices explain beach safety are found by the car park. It is important to read about the local conditions and how to stay safe.

Compton Bay is a bay located on the southwest section of the Isle of Wight, England. Its north western edge is defined by the distinctive white chalk cliff of Freshwater Cliff, named after adjacent Freshwater Bay, which forms a small cove with the village of Freshwater situated just behind. Its north eastern edge is formed from the soft red and orange lower cretaceous rocks of Brook Bay, which are rapidly eroding.

Due to the lack of grazing on the cliffs above the bay, the native chalk ecosystem has thrived. Atop the cliffs, the Island's county flower, the pyramidal orchid, can be found, while the rare Glanville fritillary butterfly also lives in large numbers supported by the native flowers. There are also other hardy plants, such as common gorse bushes and wild cabbage.

The bay is popular with wave and kite surfers due to the waves that form when the prevailing south-westerly wind is blowing onshore. The beach is gently shelving and consists mostly of sand, with a few lengths of submerged rock, although at high tide the sea covers the beach almost completely. The car park and its public facilities are owned by the National Trust, as is the coastal strip of land. The Isle of Wight Coastal Path runs along the cliff around the bay.

There are dinosaur footprints visible in Compton Bay when the tide is low, and this is one of the best areas to see the dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight. Fossil hunters can often be seen searching for smaller fossils on the beach.

Both extracts above refer to dinosaurs and coastal erosion.

The Isle of Wight has adopted the name "Dinosaur Isle". Compton and along the back off the Wight is a hotbed for dinosaur finds. This is linked to the coastal erosion - because as the sea eats into the soft sandstone cliffs it exposes the fossils to be found by the avid hunters.

Coastal erosion is certainly a very evident feature and the National Trust have to regularly maintain and rebuild the flight of wooden steps that gives access to the western end of Compton. This is much my preferred end because the walk down and especially the walk up is a bit of a test - and consequently it is quieter.

On coastal erosion - years ago I met a structural engineer who lived on the Island. He conceived a plan to " save the IOW " On the Solent side - particularly off Ryde there are sand banks. He pointed out the Dutch would have reclaimed the land from the sea without a thought. His idea was the valuable reclaimed land would generate capital to provide sea defences to shore up the back of the Wight - places like Compton. His plan was never given much credibility. Certainly around Compton the sea seems irresistible.

Here are a few photos of Compton that I took on the day :

Down on Compton beach looking east

Looking west

The full west 

view heading down to Tennyson Down and the Needles. Freshwater Bay in the dip - centre of left.

Looking down from the cliff top.

I have borrowed this one to provide some information regarding the geology and coastal erosion.