Barra to Eriskay to S Uist

It was a fiercely windy night, with the van shaking in the gales. The roof was down and only one window was cracked for a little ventilation. Going to the loo was a crouching affair.

Once awake, we braved the wind for a nice hot shower in the excellent facilities. Had porridge, sat about until it was time to go to the airport to watch the propellor plane touch down neatly despite huge, gusty wind on the nearby beach. Huge rainstorm just as the pilot was taking off again. All through this drama, a crowd of busy little redshank scurried about the foreshore feeding. 



We drove to St Barr church, a modest Catholic church where we sat and remembered Felix. Then we drove to Castle Bay where we parked up, made ham sandwiches in the van and ate them looking at the aforementioned ruined Kisimul castle ... in the bay. A quick walk to see the RNLI boat, well tethered against the gales, and we had tea and a scone in the Post Office's own cafe.

We tried to visit the Heritage Centre, but it was closed for the season. So after a short walk around the town (village (hamlet?)) we drove up to the tiny ferry port at Ardhmor for the afternoon boat to Eriskay. Yesterday's crossings were cancelled due to the storm so we were v pleased our booking got us on. Some cars were left behind. The crossing took 40 minutes, with nothing to see but cormorants, and the port on Eriskay conists of a small breakwater and a ramp.

Once off the boat, we wound through twisty roads at the back of a queue of campervans, to our campsite on the neighbouring island of South Uist, via a long stone causeway punctuated by roadworks.

We were tired, but not tired enough to miss the pub Am Politician, which is named after the ill fated ship which foundered carrying a full load of Scots whisky, inspiring the famous book and 1950s film Whisky Galore from Compton Mackenzie. We managed to get a table for dinner, looking out on yet another sea vista, this time thankfully calm, after last night's storms. Service good, food excellent, but no atmosphere - just a modern box.

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