Читать книгу Walking on Harris and Lewis. 30 day walks exploring the islands онлайн

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You will undoubtedly have to schedule your travel to coincide with ferry departure times and one of the usual ways of getting to the Outer Hebrides is to drive through the night and take an early morning ferry. With two people sharing the driving it is possible to take advantage of the relatively empty roads and make good progress, freshening up with a shower on the ferry before enjoying a full Scottish breakfast in the cafeteria. It should be borne in mind that north of the main motorway network around Glasgow and Edinburgh there are few 24hr filling stations other than Fort William and Inverness, so keep an eye on the fuel gauge.

Approaching Tarbert on the ferry from Skye

Although Ullapool to Stornoway is by far the busiest ferry route, Uig to Tarbert is a personal favourite for a number of reasons. Travelling from the south the scenery is better, with views of Glencoe and the Cuillins on a clear day. At about 90mins, the crossing itself is just the right length with lots of interest out at sea: the Ascrib Islands in Loch Snizort as you leave Uig; the Fladdachuain off the north coast of Skye; and the Shiants as you get closer to Harris. With the help of binoculars it is possible to pick out the house that the writer Compton Mackenzie had re-roofed during the period 1926–7 when he owned the Shiants. If that is not sufficient reason to favour this route, the fare is also a few pounds cheaper than the Ullapool to Stornaway crossing.