It’s now Sunday 5 August and we are still in Raasay. Kevin and Alec decided to beat up into the wind to either Loch Gairloch or 5 miles to Portree today.( Turns out it was Portree) We on the other hand decided to stay and see if the weather picked up a bit.

As per earlier post we didn’t manage to get the dinghy out yesterday evening as it was a fairly strong wind against us to row ashore. Although gusty just now, the wind has let up a bit so we plan to get the dinghy out and go see what the Island has to offer. Last night apparently we had a visitor on deck …….an otter came up our mooring rope, the guys on Doucier were watching it.

We could hire bikes just up from the moorings to get about the island a bit better, so off we went, all in it’s about 14 miles long so there and back was about 28 miles, a nice wee bit of exercise.

  

Picking up the bikes and making pals

  

 

 

We cycled up to Calum’s Road which was built by one man many years ago. He built it single handed as after many attempts to get the council to build one. After many empty promises from them nothing was done. He thought if there was a road there it would attract more people back to the island as many had left for other more accessible islands and the mainland. so he set about building it. The road goes from Brochel Castle to Arnish and is 1.5 kilometres long. Not a long road, but let me tell you, it’s in better nick than the road on the rest of the island which was eventually built by the council. A fantastic feat – one man and his wheel barrow and a lot of work. You can read about it in the book of the same name.

  

It’s a fairly hilly route but Gordon just about managed to keep up with me, that is, until he fell off. In his defence, he was going at a fair pelt down a gravel road carrying a bunch of heather in one hand and steering with the other. The heather now sits proudly on the bow of the boat indicating that we sailed round Ardnamurchan point. Gordon is not quite as proud as the cuts and grazes on his leg and arm .

        

Next port of call was either going to be Loch Gairloch or Raasay .  Raasay won the toss. It was N or NE winds of 4 or 5, occasionally 6, so Raasay was not as far to go and also none of us had been there before and wanted to visit.

Leaving Kyle of Lochalsh it was a fairly gentle breeze as we sailed out under the Skye bridge, but as we got on a bit, the wind got up so we had quite a lively sail into Raasay Sound. No mishaps, but one or two “tense” moments in a couple of strong gusts.

 

Skye Bridge and Cammusfearna ( I think I’ve almost spelled it correctly) the cottage where Gavin Maxwell stayed with ,and wrote about Midge the Otter in Ring of Bright Water

    

Under the bridge and up into the Sound of Raasay. Beginning to pick up a bit now.

We picked up moorings in the bay. we didn’t manage to get the dinghy out as it was a fairly strong wind against us to row ashore and a bit lumpy for either crews to visit the others boat. Left to our own devices we had the seafood mentioned yesterday. Kevin and Alec had to make to with tatties and something ! lol but not before completing his exercise routine on the foredeck.

  

Louise preparing on deck due to the swell – didn’t stop her having a wee vino though?

 

I wonder if Kevin knows he’s not facing East ?

 

Another boat joined us later that evening, Doucier . If you look off her stern you will see the dinghy we sold to them earlier in the year. It was brand new and unused but too small we had it inflated in our back garden and they tried it out on the grass. Its a small world, turns out not only the world but also the dingy as well, they sold it on in due course too !

  

Sunset over  Raasay Sound & Skye