OT: The Outer Hebrides

[az city]

Anyone ever done a trip?

I'm thinking of camping (in a tent) - is that a bad idea?

What should I go see?

Anything to avoid?

[Taunton Blue Genie]

I spent a week on a survey ship that never left Stornoway due to adverse weather. The island of Lewis was pretty bleak with very few trees, if I remember rightly.

The plane due to take us back to Glasgow (and then onto a connecting flight home) on the Saturday was delayed due to a technical problem and when it was fixed the two Air Traffic Control johnnies in Stornoway disappeared home as they had done their contracted hours.
Due to the religiosity of the the powers that be at the time, no flights took place on Sundays and we were marooned there until the Monday.
Passengers were so irate that the local TV company covered it and I made my only ever appearance on the box and complaining that it was like a third world country.
And to compound matters, all the pubs were closed on the Sunday too.
It was quite a while ago, of course.

[MacAdder]

I spent a week on a survey ship that never left Stornoway due to adverse weather. The island of Lewis was pretty bleak with very few trees, if I remember rightly.

The plane due to take us back to Glasgow (and then onto a connecting flight home) on the Saturday was delayed due to a technical problem and when it was fixed the two Air Traffic Control johnnies in Stornoway disappeared home as they had done their contracted hours.
Due to the religiosity of the the powers that be at the time, no flights took place on Sundays and we were marooned there until the Monday.
Passengers were so irate that the local TV company covered it and I made my only ever appearance on the box and complaining that it was like a third world country.
And to compound matters, all the pubs were closed on the Sunday too.
It was quite a while ago, of course.

Apart from all that, did you enjoy it?

[jon1959]

Anyone ever done a trip?

I'm thinking of camping (in a tent) - is that a bad idea?

What should I go see?

Anything to avoid?

Midges.

[JamesWales]

Midges.

This is all I was going to say!!

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I spent a week on a survey ship that never left Stornoway due to adverse weather. The island of Lewis was pretty bleak with very few trees, if I remember rightly.

The plane due to take us back to Glasgow (and then onto a connecting flight home) on the Saturday was delayed due to a technical problem and when it was fixed the two Air Traffic Control johnnies in Stornoway disappeared home as they had done their contracted hours.
Due to the religiosity of the the powers that be at the time, no flights took place on Sundays and we were marooned there until the Monday.
Passengers were so irate that the local TV company covered it and I made my only ever appearance on the box and complaining that it was like a third world country.
And to compound matters, all the pubs were closed on the Sunday too.
It was quite a while ago, of course.

Sounds normal for the Scottish Hebrides.

Back in the early 90s, before the Skye bridge was built, a German coach holiday company had punters staying on the Isle of Skye. My recollection is that they were going to Fort William on a long day out and were set to return to Skye via the ferry from Mallaig. Unfortunately the coach driver failed to check the times of the last ferry and so a coach full of German holiday makers were stuck in Mallaig overnight with nowhere to stay. For those who don't know Mallaig, apart from it being a little port, it would take you 5 minutes to walk around the town and still have time for coffee. Apparently the punters slept on the coach overnight and got the first ferry back in the morning.

[Toggs]

I’d go in the next couple of weeks or leave it until next June, I went cycling up the west coast in mid August a few years back, winter had already arrived. I had intended going to the Outer Hebrides but only got as far as the top of the Isle of Skye, the daily downpours of freezing rain were just too much. That said, it is one of the most stunningly beautiful places I have ever been, the Outer Hebrides remain one of the places I’d most like to visit, hope you have a good trip, camping may be pushing it a bit though.

[xsnaggle]

Camping? I will never understand why people want to go and live in a field with no proper bed, toilet or washing facilities, and pay good money to do it when there are perfectly good houses and beds to stay in.
Our ancestors developed building, with wood, stone, steel, concrete, precisely y#to avoid having to live in the open. It's crazy!

[Jimmy the Jock]

West Coast from Loch Lomond upwards is stunning all the way to the top .
Isle of Skye is beautiful .
I generally travel to Scotland between October to April when its quieter and the weather is wild . Love doing the mountains , had some really scary experiences when I thought I wasn't coming back .
Travelled to Harris and Lewis January this year in my camper van .
Very beautiful again , very quiet when we were there, the beaches were stunning , miles and miles of pure clean sand and not a soul in site. Needless to say we didn't do much sun bathing .
Saw a Golden Eagle circling at the Golden Eagle bird watching hut , well it was a bird of prey and it was miles away , must have been a Golden Eagle.
Once you come out of Stornoway you won't see a great deal of civilisation as such . Lots of little pockets the odd village with a shop and dont get low on fuel like I did ... that was panic stations.
I loved it , super quiet , lots of nature , the locals we did chat to were very friendly and I will return.
Are you taking a vehicle ?

[Jimmy the Jock]

Camping? I will never understand why people want to go and live in a field with no proper bed, toilet or washing facilities, and pay good money to do it when there are perfectly good houses and beds to stay in.
Our ancestors developed building, with wood, stone, steel, concrete, precisely y#to avoid having to live in the open. It's crazy!

Not for you then .
Best times of my life have been away in my van .
I do look forward to my home comforts after a few weeks , campsites on the whole are spot on now adays.

[xsnaggle]

Not for you then .
Best times of my life have been away in my van .
I do look forward to my home comforts after a few weeks , campsites on the whole are spot on now adays.

Ah yes Jimmy, but camping in a camper van is 1 step up from a tent in a muddy field, it may not be muddy when you go to sleep but may well be when you wake, up, specially in places like the Hebrides.
No, definitely not for me. I've done enough of it to know, and I had access to equipment the average tent camper couldn't imagine.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Apart from all that, did you enjoy it?

I did meet up with a lady with rather fetching violet eyes.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Not for you then .
Best times of my life have been away in my van .
I do look forward to my home comforts after a few weeks , campsites on the whole are spot on now adays.

Camper van in a campsite , great , no worries

Tent in a campsite ?

No chance

[az city]

I like camping every now and then. It's real. I went to Orkney in early May and it was great.

I'm reading Peter May's Lewis trilogy in anticipation. It's a good read.

[Delbert]

Otter’s Edge campground on Benbecula is ideal. Camping on sand no issues with mud. A short walk to the Dark Island hotel for pub grub.

[SOXY BOY]

We didn’t get as far as the Outer Hebrides but we’ve just come back from a road trip where we visited Pickering, Scarborough, Whitby and Saltburn by sea. We then moved up to Duror, which is roughly between Fort William and Oban. Walking back to the house, about half 10, when it was still ,light we saw a barn owl and 4 deer. We then drove up to John O’Groats, stayed in Thurso and drove down the next day to Kippen and took in the Forth bridge. It was quite chilly, the midges were out in force, but the countryside was stunning and it was well worth the effort. We then finished it off with 4 nights in the Lake District

[splott parker]

We didn’t get as far as the Outer Hebrides but we’ve just come back from a road trip where we visited Pickering, Scarborough, Whitby and Saltburn by sea. We then moved up to Duror, which is roughly between Fort William and Oban. Walking back to the house, about half 10, when it was still ,light we saw a barn owl and 4 deer. We then drove up to John O’Groats, stayed in Thurso and drove down the next day to Kippen and took in the Forth bridge. It was quite chilly, the midges were out in force, but the countryside was stunning and it was well worth the effort. We then finished it off with 4 nights in the Lake District

Is the midgie situation really bad? Are they biters or just annoying little twats?

[SOXY BOY]

Is the midgie situation really bad? Are they biters or just annoying little twats?

I ended up with about 20 bites on my legs,arms and hands but my wife was lucky, she hardly had any.

[not telling]

Skipinnish at Hebcelt later this month will be brilliant if that is when you are visiting.