Hebridean New Year – Part 1 – Stormy ride to Howmore

Stormy sea scotland minch

Photo: Gale force winds and rough seas while crossing to the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.  Dec 2012

[For part 2 – Berneray – CLICK HERE.  For part 3 – Harris and Lewis – CLICK HERE]

A deer jumped into the headlights 20 meters ahead of me in the 2am darkness of Rannoch Moor.  I locked up the front tires, missing it be mere feet as it sprung across the road.  After 8 hours of driving from Wales, it was finally time to find a place to camp for the night.  In the morning, the journey would continue onwards to the Isle of Skye, and finally the ferry to North Uist to once again celebrate the coming year on Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.

Arriving in Uig, I learned of the chaos the gale and storm force winds had been causing.  Friday’s sailing to the islands had been canceled, resulting in a huge backup on the Saturday afternoon ferry that we were hoping to get on.  We ended up in the standby line, and sat around to wait.  There was word that there would also be an extra sailing later that night ahead of Sunday’s expected weather cancelations, but as luck would have it, we made it on the boat as the 2nd to last car.  I later learned there was no second sailing that night, and the weather held off the ferry until late Sunday afternoon.

The Little Minch, the 20 mile stretch of water separating Skye from the Outer Hebrides, was full of fury as the boat traveled west into the afternoon darkness of winter in the north.  Dishes crashed and barf bags were filled.  Huge waves crashed over the ferry as the boat continued westwards, and people needed to go out to get some ‘fresh air’ at a more regular interval.  But soon enough, it was over, and I was back in the drivers seat heading south on the single lane roads to Howmore.

At Howmore, South Uist, is one of 3 hostels run by the Gatliff Trust.  The hostels are simple places in restored, thatched roof black houses; as the traditional, single room stone houses northern Scotland are called.  Full of atmosphere and history, each one is unique and with its own character.  They are some of my favourite places in Scotland to stay, and fit well to the landscape of the islands.  Here would be our home for the next two nights as the gales continued to sweep across the islands.

Sunday brought little worth wandering outside for, so it was mostly spent driving around the south of South Uist.  And with darkness arriving around 3:30 in the afternoon, the day doesn’t even leave much time for that.  In the morning, we headed north, to Berneray.

outer hebrides ferry scotland

Photo: Just made it, 2nd to last car on the ferry.  Isle of Skye in distance.  Dec 2012

Howmore youth hostel

Photo: Howmore Hostel, South Uist, Scotland.  Dec 2012

Howmore

Photo: Warm fire and a splash of whisky, Howmore, South Uist, Scotland.  Dec 2012

Howmore church cemetery ruin

Photo: Cemetery and church ruins, Howmore, South Uist, Scotland.  Dec 2012

Howmore church cemetery ruin

Photo: Cemetery and church ruins, Howmore, South Uist, Scotland.  Dec 2012

Howmore church cemetery ruin

Photo: Cemetery and church ruins, Howmore, South Uist, Scotland.  Dec 2012

 

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  1. […] read a more extensive writeup about the trip: part 1 HERE, part 2 HERE, part 3 […]

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