Day 5: South Uist to Benbecula to North Uist

The nature of this trip, the islands and the regulation of folks by the ferry timetables means that, enjoyably, we keep bumping in to folks we met on the ferries or at accommodation, in cafes and at tourist sites. They have all been 'of a certain age', outdoory and very personable.

The Orasay Inn fed us very well last night with generous portions of well cooked, quality ingredients. The gloom hasn't lifted sadly but it has stayed dry and warmish. We cycled across the causeway on to Benbecula and took the Hebridean Way route which we had used on the way back from the docs yesterday. We stopped for cuppas at the Island Deli as a shower went through and bumped in to orienteering friends who we hadn't seen for several years! We also re met a couple from the Orasay to whom we had recommended the Deli, and then a guest from our second bnb arrived!

From Benbecula we headed north to North Uist. PaulaJ was correct when she said this island is more water than land and we enjoyed cycling through it much more than South Uist. It is rocky moorland with many, many lochans. As we were making good progress, we decided to take a side road to Grimsay/Griomasaigh in the hope of spotting a couple of Neolithic chambered cairns but these places of interest are not signposted and we missed them. It was a very enjoyable detour and we came across fishermen and their boats and pots in small bays. My blip is taken on this part of our route.

Once back on the main road we stopped at Cairinis to view the ruins of the Trinity Temple which was a medieval monastery and college, renowned in its time. The temple was destroyed after the reformation. There was a small graveyard amongst the ruins including a couple of Commonwealth War Graves, especially poignant because of the impact these deaths would have had on the small island population.

Then it was back on the road through North Uist and we were vainly looking for a cafe to pass some time before checking in, when we both spotted a church advertising 'soup and puddings' and we pulled in. Apparently once a year nurserymen come up from Barra with a van full of bedding plants to sell to local people so the church put on food as a fundraiser. The church is twinned with one in Kenya and they had a great wall banner comparing their churches, their agriculture, their landscape. Their scones were pretty good too.

Almost at our accommodation for the night, we did another slight detour to view Barpa Langass Cairn, a Neolithic chambered tomb on the top of a hill. Unfortunately there had been a cave in so it wasn't possible for Tony to look inside.

So here we are now at Langass Lodge Hotel, a very hunting, shooting, fishing type of place nestled in the only bit of woodland we have come across on the islands. Apparently Hercules the Bear is buried somewhere in the wood! Our room is panelled in dark wood, we have Harris Tweed cushions and a stag's head outside the door and a BATH! We are very comfortable and dinner smells are drifting up from below. It has a good reputation for its food seemingly!

I meant to add a big thank you for all the concern re Tony's eye which is thankfully on the mend now!