My journey north to St Kilda started at 17:30 after work last Friday. It was a slow drive due to the number of caravans and motor homes heading north. These vehicles carry such evocative names as GT, Cheetah, Concorde (Mach 2 model), Monza, Le Mans etc. However, the road quietened after Fort William and by 21:30 I was watching the sun set behind Eilean Donan Castle.
I spent the night at Gordon and Morag Brown's new Skyak sea kayaking centre on Skye. After meeting some of the others, we spent a very convivial evening chatting and planning our adventure. We rose early the next morning and loaded the kayak trailer. We drove to the Calmac ferry terminal at Uig...
...and were soon enjoying the in flight entertainment. A large pod of dolphins were leaping out of the waters of the Minch.
The Cuillin of Skye were soon slipping astern...
...to be replaced by the mountains of Harris as we entered Loch Tarbert.
We drove through the high mountains of Harris and descended to the wide open moors of Lewis. Lewis and Harris form the third biggest landmass in the British Isles after Britain and Ireland!
We had a long drive ahead of us to the little port of Miavaig in Loch Roag on the west coast of Lewis.
Here we met the Cuma and her Skipper Murdani.
Soon we were loading the kayaks onto the Cuma and our journey was about to begin. Murdani at the stern supervised the loading but he didn't seem to be quite himself. I overheard him say to the Gary the Cuma's mate " I don't like leaving without it." and "I know we have got plenty plastic ones but stainless steel would be better."
We set sail without it and with plenty plastic ones on board....
