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Scottish Islands


8MileBU

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On 2/9/2017 at 14:38, 8MileBU said:

 


I've looked into visiting St Kilda. Bloody expensive! Think it was about £150 per person. Also, IIRC, trips will only go ahead if there's a minimum of 10(?) people booked to go. Probably not so difficult to arrange in summer mind you.

 

I have booked to go this July and it is £225 each. You get a provisional date as well in case the weather is not good enough to travel

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23 hours ago, paul wright scores said:

I have booked to go this July and it is £225 each. You get a provisional date as well in case the weather is not good enough to travel

I realise it's not subsidised and it's a small boat, but you can go the same distance for £18 with Calmac. 

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3 hours ago, Lichtie78 said:

Never been to any of the islands, but my work might have a job on St Kilda soon. Would love to visit but not for 3 weeks at a time!

Sounds interesting, but potentially very isolated... What line of work? No worries if you don't want to say.

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As part of a couple of cycling holidays I've been to Lewis & Harris, N. Uist, S.Uist, Benbecula,  Berneray, Skye, Islay, Jura, and, Arran. Liked all of them in their own ways. Skye is spectacular as everyone knows, but I really loved the desolate emptiness of the Uists and Benbecula.

Saying that, the one indelible memory I have is of the facilities at the Jura hotel. They had showers behind the main building for campers which were, and I speak as someone who has been to festivals, undergrad halls of residence and rural Nigerian villages, the single most disgusting bathrooms I've ever been in. They clearly hadn't been cleaned since about 1940, and none of the cubicles ad a functioning lock. Every surface was covered in a mixture of filth, rust and mould, to the extent that you couldn't see in the mirror because it was so mouldy. How do you even make glass mouldy?! It was so bad that, when we arrived after cycling 40 miles in hot weather, we weren't sure whether it would be more hygienic to shower or not.

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7 hours ago, Carl Cort's Hamstring said:

Saying that, the one indelible memory I have is of the facilities at the Jura hotel. They had showers behind the main building for campers which were, and I speak as someone who has been to festivals, undergrad halls of residence and rural Nigerian villages, the single most disgusting bathrooms I've ever been in. They clearly hadn't been cleaned since about 1940, and none of the cubicles ad a functioning lock. Every surface was covered in a mixture of filth, rust and mould, to the extent that you couldn't see in the mirror because it was so mouldy. How do you even make glass mouldy?! It was so bad that, when we arrived after cycling 40 miles in hot weather, we weren't sure whether it would be more hygienic to shower or not.

Was in the bar at the Jura Hotel and got a photo of the big mural in there. Two women were sitting near the mural so I asked them if they wanted to be in the photo or move. Got chatting to them and one of them said she was the mermaid :lol:

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Found some pictures earlier of my trips to the Hebrides. Not the greatest quality as they were taken on my old phone from the plane window with a wheel in the way! The shadow of the wing doesn't do them justice either as it takes away from how beautiful the weather was and how nice the islands and blue seas look from the air.

Colonsay:

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Coll:

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Tiree:

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Oban Harbour:

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I love visiting Scottish Islands. So far I've visited the following:

 

Orkney

Mainland, Rousay, Burray, South Ronaldsay.

 

Western Isles etc

Lewis/Harris, Great Bernera, Scalpay, Berneray, North Uist, Baleshare, Grimsay, Kirkibost, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra, Vatersay, Hirta (St Kilda), Tanera Mor (Summer Isles)

 

Inner Hebrides

Mull, Ulva, Gometra, Iona, Staffa, Lunga (Treshnish Isles), Coll, Tiree, Lismore, Eriska, Kerrera, Canna, Sanday, Rum, Eigg, Muck, Skye, Raasay, Eilean Tigh, Fladday, Seil, Easdale, Luing, Belnahua, Colonsay, Oronsay, Jura, Islay, Danna, Bute, Arran, Great Cumbrae, Gigha, Davaar.

 

Any other island geeks should get the fantastic book The Scottish Islands by Hamish Haswell-Smith. There's no better book on the subject although the author would discount a few of the islands listed above for being joined by bridges or being tidal (drying islands). He's fortunate enough to have a yacht and has been everywhere it seems.

The islands all have their own charm and I think the weather certainly plays a part on how you feel about certain islands. I really enjoy the effort getting to them but my favourites are Gigha and Tiree because the weather was great when I visited and St Kilda cause it was a hellish crossing but an absolutely spectacular location. Least favourite was Lewis as it rained all the time I was there. 

Looking to get up to Shetland soon and fancy ticking off a few more round Skye.

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