arthur49 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Good stuff ............ For anyone interested in birds, Committee Road on North Uist is a good place. There is a small parking area at 57.609574, -7.374265. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/North+Uist/@57.609624,-7.374265,3a,75y,103.38h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1smzpGJti6HJj4MuFKZhDgtw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DmzpGJti6HJj4MuFKZhDgtw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D100%26h%3D80%26yaw%3D113.93787%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x488d1043e4fae977:0xa6ed61f1e54f2cd3!6m1!1e1?hl=en Pull in there, watch and wait ...... have a sandwich, cup of tea .... you're in no hurry here! If it's not too windy stay the night ..... You have a good chance of seeing a Golden Eagle here. There is a clump of trees on the hilltop. We've seen Golden Eagles here which obligingly flew directly over us (mother and a young one we think) We've never failed to see Hen Harriers at this spot ..... they tend to fly low over the ground seeking mice etc Don't confuse Ravens for Golden Eagles at a distance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Just re-reading this thread, it seems on S Uist you were headed for the Polochar Inn from Kilbride campsite before being dissuaded by the weather. When my wife retired, that was her choice for a few days R&R, the food was superb. A great excuse to go back. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 ...now Arthur's sent us all widescreen (;-)) , I had difficulty finding the "reply" button :-( Yes, it was the Polochar Inn, and the next evening was so foul, we wouldn't have essayed out, even if we hadn't eaten at lunchtime at Am Politician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 ...so to conclude.... I was quite looking forward to visiting Norway again, but our enforced change of plans hasn't ended up with too much disappointment. The circumstances encouraged us to re-assess where we wanted to go, and the long-awaited trip to the Outer-Hebrides was, in the event, a worthy alternative. So, what did we discover? The time of year we visited was ideal for what we wanted to do (see the extent of flora and fauna across the islands). The machair flowers were in fine form, and the bird-life was extensive. There are many opportunities for wild-camping across most of the islands we visited, and you are unlikely to feel threatened, even if you are a nervous "wilder". You won't be too far from chemical disposal facilities (though it is best to use them opportunistically as/if you tour). Fresh water supplies are rather more difficult to find. (And, whilst the two campsites we used in South Uist were excellent and well positioned - which is why we used them - IMO, being prepared to wild camp will improve your experience elsewhere. I didn't consider the campsites that we used expensive. Supermarkets (predominantly the Co-op), were well stocked, little different in price to the mainland, reasonably conveniently situated on the Southern islands (albeit in the middle of nowhere) but sparse in Harris/Lewis (Stornoway being the main option). Neither was fuel over-expensive now that the remote location subsidy has been applied (somewhat more than the mainland, but hardly extortionate). You will need to be interested in the outdoors to enjoy your stay - other tourist attractions are few and far between - but hey, the outdoors is what you go for. Be prepared largely to self-cater. Opportunities for eating out are few and far between, and will be remote from most of the places you would choose to pitch. Though much of the road network is single-track, it is also in remarkably good condition, (even the minor stuff) making touring pretty relaxed. The island hopscotch ticket saved us a little money, and we thought our booked itinerary (triangular from UigI As we already knew, the weather forecast for that area can be unreliable. In general, our experience was somewhat better than the forecast. Given the outdoor nature of the holiday, one is very dependent on getting at least dry weather, and preferably some sun - which leads to the remarkable colours in the scenery. Be prepared to be midged! ...and, this was our first long trip with the new PVC (other than our short jaunt on the continent to get the bike-rack fitted. It proved to be an ideal vehicle for this type of touring, but I'll probably post separately on our experiences shortly. So, a hearty recommendation for the Outer Hebrides, and a couple of additional pictures to sign off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Really enjoyed this post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Thanks again for posting your trip report. Mikee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy mccord Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Yes excellent read...thankyou Can you tell me on the Kinloch site have they removed the CCEP (toilet bowl in the shed on the hill) for something more user friendly ;-) Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoelessSmith Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thanks for this report. I will print and save it for future reference as we plan on going up there sometime soon and it's been too long since I went that most wonderful part of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 andy mccord - 2015-07-23 12:06 PM Yes excellent read...thankyou Can you tell me on the Kinloch site have they removed the CCEP (toilet bowl in the shed on the hill) for something more user friendly ;-) Andy ...I didn't have to use it this time (and I certainly can't remember where it was on our last visit :-) ). AFAIR, the disposal point is now adjacent to the lochside to the rear of the amenity block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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