Day 6: North Uist to Berneray to Harris

What a beautiful day today!

Dinner at Langass Lodge was out of Masterchef. There we were looking forward to packing in the carbs with venison and clapshot. When it arrived it was delicious but the clapshot had been squeezed out of one of those tubes and the 3/4 slices of carrot artistically arranged on the plate! Nevertheless a comfortable night was had and then this morning we were on the road early as we had a ferry to catch from Berneray to Leverburgh at lunchtime and a fair few miles to get in cycling the western route around North Uist.

It was a smashing ride along undulating, Sunday quiet roads, often with turquoise waters to left and right, through small settlements with both pretty and derelict cottages, accompanied by oystercatchers and lapwings. Once inland from the coast we were across wild moorland and by pine forest occasionally into strong headwinds and crosswinds (to prepare us for the forecast gales of the next two days!). I can see why PaulaJ loves it here.

We reached the ferry terminal in good time and just before a shower came in. The Sound of Harris is scattered with small islets and tidal so the way through is reminiscent of the Venetian lagoon with the ferry following a slalom course around red and green buoys.

It was on the ferry that the first of our three hiccups happened! I tripped over a step marked large with black and yellow tape and skinned both knees, then Tony lost his glasses and thought he was going to have to stay on the ferry back to Berneray. Meanwhile I parked up the bike outside the Anchorage Restaurant, thinking I was going to have to eat alone (they were VERY kind and said they would put me up a Sunday lunch to takeaway for Tony as it is Sunday and everything closes early) when Tony arrived having found his glasses and we sat down to an extremely delicious lunch of cycling proportions, Yorkshire puddings and all!

Sated and happy we put on the gear in preparation for cycling a couple of miles up the road out of Leverburgh to Sorrel Cottage, our B & B for the night, to discover I had a puncture and that my bike pump doesn't work!

Bike upended, wheel off, spare tyre on and pumped up, we are now relaxing in our very pretty accommodation.

My blip is of a traditional tigh Gael at Malacleit. Note the peat stack.

Tomorrow should be interesting!