Day 20 - Gairloch

Tuesday 12^th July 2016 – Stornoway to Gairloch – Day 20

Up early at 07.00 and let go of ‘Nemo’ and on our way.  At 08.00 passed the Arnish Point light house and with full sail set off across The Minch.

The Isle of Lewis south of Stornoway has a very rugged coastline, we had enjoyed our stay there and the people were very nice and friendly.

We were heading back to the mainland and we saw very little shipping and no yachts while crossing The Minch.

Loch Ewe

It was a cracking sail all the way over to Loch Ewe at an average speed of 5.5 knots. We just looked into the loch before heading out again, it was here the wartime convoys used to assemble before heading off to Russia.

It now became a little difficult with the wind and tide against as we tried to get round the next headland. 

Rubha Reidh Light House

Eventually at 17.45 we made it round, passing the imposing light house and two hours later we were in Gairloch and tied up alongside ‘Polyander’ a Dutch 43 feet yacht on Flowerdale Bay jetty.

Syd came up with a meal of toast, cheese, ham and egg (from his Navy days), followed by Mr. Kipling fruit pies.

We did not go ashore, as we were four abreast on the jetty and the drizzle had started, there did not appear to be any amenities on the shore.

There was also a slight lift on the sea, so we were gently rocked to sleep.

Day 19 - Stornoway

Monday 11^th July 2016 – Stromness – Day 19

I am ill, hang over from the whiskey consumption and awake at the crack of noon.

Walk into town and the HS1 café for breakfast which consisted of cheese and ham toastie with chips.

Went to the chandler’s but they did not have a Hebridean flag and enquired at the harbour office whether a berth was possible in the marina.  No chance, as it is folk festival week and we have to stay alongside the French yacht ‘Nemo’ on Esplanade Quay.

Went shopping in the Co-op and Argos before using the marina facilities; a wonderful shower and brush up.

Ullapool Ferry

A more interesting walk around the harbour saw the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry leave.

Council Building

The harbour has this magnificent council building and an unusual feature of the street names were all in Gaelic with the English equivalent in smaller letters underneath.

Lewis Castle

Across the river stands Lewis Castle which is presently being renovated and houses the local college.  The grounds were being taken over by large marques as a tented city was being erected for the festival which starts on Thursday.

Stornoway

From the castle side there is this wonderful view over the town on this delightful summer’s evening.

Back into the Royal Hotel for a meal of haggis/black pudding starter, braised steak main course, a fruit meringue for dessert, all very nice.

For the last hour into the Harbour View to listen to young musicians playing their own brand of folk music, mostly fiddle players and good.

On board for 23.00 and read the Sunday papers, an interesting day walking around the town.

Day 18 - Stornoway

Sunday 10^th July 2016 – Kinlochbervie to Stornoway – Day 18

Awake at 08.00 and ashore to have a look at the shore facilities, same as Syd, I was not impressed, the showers and toilets were at the end of and inside a large fish market shed.  They were cold and uninviting and would you believe stuck of fish.

Leaving Kinlochbervie

  

It was a cold, dreek morning with low cloud surrounding the loch and hills with poor visibility with even less in the drizzle, when we left at 09.30.

We headed across ‘The North Minch’ which separates mainland Scotland and the Island of Lewis, the most northerly of the Outer Hebrides.

The only thing to liven the afternoon was a pod of white beaked dolphins, who stayed and entertained us for a while.

Nearing the other side the rain got heavier, as I was tracking a trawler making its way north, then the wind died, the engine started and genoa furled, then another trawler appeared, this one altered course at the last moment, just as I was taking evasive action, too close for comfort these close encounters.

Tiumpah Light house

  

At 19.30, we were passing the Tiumpah Head light house on the Eye Peninsula of the Isle of Lewis. 

Alongside 'Nemo'

I contacted the Stornoway marina at the harbour entrance Holm Point and told the marina was full and directed to Esplanade Quay to lie alongside another yacht’ Nemo’, arrived alongside at 22.15

.

Straight ashore to the nearest pub, fearful they would all be closed, as they have strange licensing arrangements on the islands, especially on a Sunday.

Luckily, the Crown Hotel was open and the two pints were delightful before we were escorted to the door.

Not to be too down-hearted, we finished of the on board whiskey stock and were in bed just before dawn.

 

Day 17 - Kinlochbervie

Saturday 9^th July 2016 – Stromness to Kinlochbervie – Day 17

Awake at 01.00, prepared for sea and left the pontoon at 01.45, there were two other yachts left with us for the passage to the west and round Cape Wrath.

After leaving the harbour you enter a strait called the Mouth of Hoy, our calculation showed this was now slack water and off the Ness lighthouse, the sea became very rough and the three boats were tossed about like corks.  Riding and slamming into big seas not for the faint hearted, after half an hour of this bucking bronco stuff, we slowly made our way out of this turbulent piece of sea.

   

By 03.00 we had hoisted the main with one reef, engaged the auto-helm and while rocking and rolling in the swell watched a wonderful sunrise over the Orkneys.

Island of Hoy

The 07.30 Aberdeen coast guard inshore weather forecast for 12 miles offshore, gave east to south east winds 4 to 5 increasing to 6 in the north west, variable 3  or less; slight to moderate seas, occasional rain, fog patches, visibility moderate or good, occasionally very poor.  At least the wind was from the right direction.

The engine was turned off at 08.30 as we were settled into our watch system of 2 hours on and 2 hours off.  For a day like today rig of the day was, full oilskins, lifejackets, safety lines, woollen hat, neck warmers and gloves, yes it the middle of July.

We passed along the very rugged and mountainous coastline of northern Scotland, when we could see it.

Cape Wrath

   

Cape Wrath

 At 15.00 we were nearing the corner of the most north westerly point of mainland Scotland which also has very bad reputation for rough seas in this area.  The corner is marked by a lighthouse on the aptly named Cape Wrath, it was 2 miles away and we could not visually see it.

Half an hour later and we were round the corner (yippee!!!) and the rain cleared and we could see the high towering cliffs.

At 16.00 the wind died as we were under the shelter of the cliffs from the easterly wind.  Engine on, main sail taken down and genoa furled.

Puffin take-off

Plenty of sea birds around, who would take advantage of the cliffs for nesting purposes.

Not very often seen close by a puffing taking off, normally they dive just before the boat arrives.

Kinlochbervie

At 18.00 the gods let us know they were there and it rain hard as we passed Rubha Na Head the entrance of the loch into Kinlochbervie.

At 18.45 we were rafter up alongside the yacht ‘Valda’, who had left with us from Stromness.

The rain is persistent and while I am busy clearing the boat and catching up on correspondence. 

Syd shot ashore for a shower and headed for the only pub, he came back very disappointed, shower not good and he only got one drink in the pub, asked for a refill but he was ignored and never got another drink.

At least I stayed dry had a celebration whiskey for getting round Cape Wrath and in bed for 22.00.

It had been a long day 17 hours at sea and travelled 73 miles.

Day 16 - Stromness

Friday 8^th July 2016 – Stromness – Day 16

A sunny morning with a strong breeze from the west/south west and showers, it was decided to delay sailing for today.

Marina

At 08.00 we lost all power to the pontoons and the shower block, it was not long before the boys were on the job and power was returned.

High Street

   

High Street

In the afternoon Syd went for a walk around town and visited the local museum, while I busied myself on board with the blogsite.

Stromness Hotel

Ashore in the evening to the Stromness Hotel restaurant for Syd, fish trio, followed by cod and chips, for myself garlic mushrooms then haddock and chips, all very nice.

Along to the Royal Hotel for an hour with the folk group and entertained by some traditional music, they were all very good.

Back on board for 22.00, for a couple of hours sleep.

Day 15 - Stromness

Thursday 7^th July 2016 – Stromness – Day 15

Scapa Flow is an inland sea of more than 120 sq km. and was one of the world’s great naval bases and the scene of many of the major events of twentieth-century naval history.  During both World Wars, the Royal Navy made Scapa the home for its capital ships, and thousands of servicemen and women were posted to Orkney.  From here the Grand Fleet sailed for Jutland in 1916, from here the escorts for the Russian convoys set off, and it was in this beautiful, bleak anchorage the German High Seas fleet committed the greatest act of suicide ever seen at sea – ‘The Grand Scuttle’ – before being raised and scrapped in the most astonishing feat of maritime salvage.

Scapa is also the grave of many who fought for their country in both World Wars.  In its silent waters lie the wrecks of the battleship Vanguard, blown apart by an explosion in 1917, and the Royal Oak, sunk by U-47 in a spectacular raid at the beginning of World War II.

As Syd is ex-Royal Navy (25 years service), today we are on a naval pilgrimage.  We caught the 09.40, X5 bus from the ferry terminal to Houton, cost £1.45p single, a journey time of 20 minutes.

The ferry to Lyness, on the island of Hoy, return fare £2.65p. a trip of 40 minutes.

Hoy Head

   

Engine room

Once on the ferry, we introduced ourselves to the Engineer, who quickly took us down to the engine room, compact and workable.

Arrival on Hoy at the former Royal Naval base of Lyness, which had a population of 12,000 people during World War II; more than the current population of Kirkwall.

Pump House with Torpedo

The main exhibition is in the former pump house which housed the steam plant and pumps which pumped oil to and from the 16 oil tanks and underground oil fuel storage underneath Wee Fea hill.

Royal Oak Exhibit

On the night of Friday 13^th October 1939, HMS Royal Oak was sunk by the German submarine U-47 commanded by Gunther Prien.  The ships sank within 15 minutes and 833 lives were lost in the cold, oily waters and darkness whilst the U-47 slipped away.

Arctic convoys memoriak

The memorial to the Arctic convoys is close to the pump room in memory of the ship’s personnel who were a lifeline taking supplies into the Northern Russian ports such Murmansk and Archangel.  The conditions endured by both Merchant men and Navy escorts were terrible.  From 1942 they assembled in Loch Ewe in the West of Scotland before running the gauntlet of German battleships and U-boats patrolling off the Norwegian coast.

Lyness Cemetary

The Lyness Naval cemetery a quarter of mile walk up the hill from the pump house was established in 1915, as the final resting place for naval personnel who lost their lives during WWI. 

Other servicemen

It also holds personnel from the Merchant Navy and Air Force who lost their lives during both wars.  The many tombstones are testimony to that in this tranquil hillside overlooking Scapa Flow.

We returned to the pump house and in the small café enjoyed a cup of tea and a sausage roll, while reflecting on what we had seen and experienced.  We were both happy to be here and being able to pay our respects to the personnel who never returned home.

Flotta Refinery

Back on the ferry for the 14.00 sailing, took us to the island of Flotta for a short stop as equipment was unloaded and loaded for the oil refinery. 

We were off for the trip back across the Scapa Flow, the significance of this inland sea, its vastness and importance as an anchorage and naval base will remain long in the memory.

Scapa Flow from the bus

At 15.00 we left the ferry at Houton and hopped on the waiting bus which took us Kirkwall arriving at 15.30 at a cost of £2.25p single fare.  The views over Scapa Flow from the bus, as it wound its way along the hillsides were magnificent.

We visited the bank, paper shop and café, where we had tea, scone with cream and jam, very nice.  The town was very busy with a lot more visitors, as the cruise liner ‘Zanamaar’ was in port.

The 16.20 bus took us back to Stromness, cost £3.10p single fare.  Into the ‘Ferry Inn’ for a couple of pints, then along to the Stromness Hotel for a meal, a very nice restaurant and dined on a bucket full of mussels.

We had seen more of the mainland, crossed again Scapa Flow and paid our respects at Lyness, a tremendous day.

Day 14 - Stromness

Wednesday 6^th July 2016 – Stromness – Day 14

It is a warmish, sunny breezy day and after a visit to the tourist office which gave us the information on how to travel on the island, while the harbour master gave me the best times to leave.

We boarded the 10.40, X1 bus outside the ferry terminal to Kirkwall, a 35 minute journey at a cost of £5.30p return.

The road took us out north of the town, then east crossing green hillsides, along the sides of two lochs where we could see the standing stones of Stenness (a small circle dating from the third millennium BC) and Maeshowe (the finest chambered tomb in Western Europe built before 2,700 BC).  Passed through the village of Finstown; then along the sea shore to Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands.

St. Magnus Cathedral

The town is dominated by the St. Magnus Cathedral which was founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald, nephew of St. Magnus.  When first built, the cathedral was part of the Archdiocese of Nidaros (Trondheim) in Norway.  Orkney became part of Scotland in 1468, and a few years later, the cathedral was given to the people of Kirkwall by the Scots king, James III.

Royal Oak Bell

Inside the cathedral, the north choir aisle is home to the brass bell form HMS Royal Oak, the battleship sunk in Scapa Flow in 1939.  The case holds a Book of Remembrance to honour those who died (833) and the pages are turned every week by the cathedral custodians.

Bishop & Earl's Palace

Across the road from the cathedral is the impressive ruins of the Bishop and Earl’s palaces built 12^th and 17^th centuries.

Museum rear garden

The other side of the road facing the main entrance into the cathedral is the Orkney Museum with its fine garden at the rear.  The museum has many exhibits taking you through the ages, including a very informative exhibition on the Battle of Jutland which recently celebrated its 100^th anniversary.

Council Office & Cafe

Just along from the museum is another fine building housing the council offices and on the side a café.  We thoroughly enjoyed the bacon buttie and tea.

Kirkwall Harbour

A walk around the shops, which were very busy with a large number of visitors happily snapping up souvenirs; found us down at the harbour.  One part has a newly built marina but for us instead of sailing round the island, it was far easier to do the trip by bus.

Into the ‘Bothy Bar’ which by the local literature was one of the finest bars in town, we had one pint used their wi-fi and left, not our type of place and moved onto ‘Skipper’s’ for something to eat.  We had posh burgers, consisting of steak, haggis, onions, salad with whiskey sauce and chips, unusual but nice.  Everyone was enthralled with the telly watching Wimbledon and Andy Murray’s tennis match.

Back to the bus station for 19.00 but we had misread the timetable and missed the bus, another 1 ½ hours before the next bus.

Off to the yacht club which allowed us to sign in, within very nice surrounding, spent the time with the local sailors, who introduced us to Highland Park whiskey.

We did catch the 21.30 bus back to Stromness and light rain had begun to fall.

Into the British Legion Club and watched the second half of the Wales versus Portugal football game and we even caught up with the news on the telly.

At 23.00 back on board for a hot chocolate.

It had been a magic day, being a tourist; I was very impressed with the attractions and people we had met.