Tuesday, 12 July 2022

Day 23 (12th July 2022)

 Once again the day started with drizzle but at least I was able to brew up some tea before leaving. It took ages to get to sleep last night as the wind was rocking the Alphard - it had the uncanny effect of making me think someone was outside pushing it about.

I had a  little look around Portree before heading south towards higher ground.



At one point I stopped by what I thought was a Loch but was in fact the sea to make another cuppa. I was sheltering the gas flame from the wind when suddenly a voice made me jump

"Am I on the right road for the ferry port?"

A car had pulled up beside me.

"Which one?" I asked. The woman looked at me a bit confused. So I tried a different version "which island?" 

She still looked confused "this island"

I tried again "which island are you going to?"

"No, I meant the Ferry Port"

My turn to look confused. It was windy which was making it difficult to hear each other properly. "sorry, where?"

She says loudly "THE FAIRY POOL!"

😳 oops

Funnily enough, I pulled up next to her a few hours later at a petrol station (the first one since Hopeman selling super-unleaded - note to Guy!) and asked her if she'd had any luck. No, she was on the wrong side of the island apparently. 

I arrived a bit earlier than expected at Armadale so managed to get an earlier ferry to stop #42

MALLAIG



Mallaig was packed. Having not really witnesses crowds so far on this trip, and having spent a few days on large empty islands, this comes as something of a surprise until I remember that it is school holidays and I'm back on the mainland of Scotland once again. 

I did find somewhere doing late lunches and yet again was blessed with superb fresh seafood at very reasonable price. 

My campsite for the next  2 nights is a few miles south of Fort William, but I took a bit of a detour out across Moidart to another tiny wee hamlet called Smirisary as this gives me the best view for stop #43

SOUND OF EIGG


I did in fact get my Penelope Isles cap blown off on this one but panic not, it didn't go far. Also, anyone with a Germinal CCXXIV T or mug will tell you, Sound of Eigg isn't on there. It is one of the places written on the back of one of my copies of "Carrion", hence the stop.

You can't really see the Sound of Eigg in the distance on that pic but trust me, it is there.. this might help you locate it!


Eigg is where Johnny of The Pictish Trail lives and where Lost Map, his excellent record label is based. I recommend joining his postcard club.

So I zipped past Glenfinnan which was also really crowded and headed to Fort William only to experience multiple sat-nav failures. Well, it has started freezing after a few seconds. It might not like the mountains. Our friend Geraldine's boyfriend has a house & business up here, so I shall look him up tomorrow after my  next Germinal CCXXIV place, which once again is in the middle of nowhere!

My view for the  evening 


Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out 


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