Day 21 (10th July 2022)

Yesterday evening I took the immense ferry from Ullapool to Stornaway. Stornaway was one of the worst place cards to get playing "The Great Game of Britain" - a board game we had as children - because it was the easiest one for the other players to block and the furthest away from London, where you had to finish up.

As I arrived and had barely driven 100 yards, I nearly crashed into a boy racer in his sooped up scoobydoo trying to overtake another excessively pimped up car that sounded like it had had it's catalytic converter stolen recently. And then it started raining.

My campsite was miles away. I had realised recently that my AtoZs mislead you when it comes to the Scottish Isles. Whereas the mainland scale tends to be 4 miles to 1 inch, when it comes to the islands, they switch to 10 miles to the inch, so consequently journeys take a lot longer than I was expecting. I got to the campsite really late and didn't know where my pitch was. I had a walk around in the wind and rain but was none the wiser. This place has 50 pitches, many of which had the air of permanence about them, and as I trudged around I started to feel homesick, as well as cold and wet. In the end, I parked up near to the communal washblock, set up for bed and made a fool of myself telling some screaming children to shush - it was 23.50 so I didn't think I was being that mean.

Left early, surprise surprise and headed out before I had even had breakfast. The wind was blowing directly into the back of the Alphard, so after a few attempts at lighting the gas, I gave up and hit the road.

It took me a while to get to where I wanted to be, as there was a fabulous stone circle to check out...

The Callanish Stone Circle (this is one of three) are stunning and well worth spending time amongst. I felt positively encouraged to carry on, but this is just because after cathedrals and ruined abbeys, stone circles are my next favourite things.

Back on the road, heading north, I finally arrived at stop #40

BUTT OF LEWIS

What a stunning place. Despite being denied entry to the lighthouse, which is understandable as it is still very much a working establishment, the surrounding headland is astonishing. From almost every angle, the views are spectacular. There was even a seal having a snooze in one of the little bays between the huge cliffs - I have this on absolute authority from a local woman who was frankly ecstatic at what she was watching through her binoculars. 

Somewhat predictably, I was more interested in the plane race overhead!

In all the excitement, I almost failed to register that the weather had improved to the extent that I was walking around in a T-shirt and not getting cold and wet.

I decided to take a short drive a bit further south so I could give a feeble attempt at getting closer to stop #41

ROCKALL

Honestly, Sea Power, talk about the impossible! Of course, Rockall, a rock claimed by the failing British Empire to nick fish from the Irish, is impossible for mere mortals like me to visit. I worked out the rough millage thanks to Google maps and this is as good as it gets.

I still had a few hours to kill before ... well, nothing really. Had I been braver and more confident, I would have looked up Abi and Hamilton and said hello, but I'm way too shy so that will be something I will regret at my leisure for years and years to come. I have to admire their decision to relocate up here, life cannot be anywhere near as easy as living in, say Brighton, for example. I take my (Penelope Isles) hat off to them and wish them all the very best in their Island life future. I love you lots!

I couldn't face going back to the campsite, so I booked into the cheapest room I could find in Stornaway, had a long hot shower and went downstairs and gorged on a kilo of local mussels.

A feast fit for a king. 

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out