Hebridean Hop 2: Ullapool to Stornoway

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Sunday 29th July 2018

Ullapool

I woke up at 4am to the sound of torrential rain and howling gales. No ferry would run in this and, sure enough, by 7am the CalMac app was filled with doom. The 8am ferry would not leave Stornoway in Lewis until at least 10, so the 11:30 return leg on which we were booked would be severely delayed.

Strangely, it turned into a beautiful morning in Ullapool, albeit with a stiff breeze as the horizontal bunting in the picture above attests. However, no such luck in Stornoway where the ferry’s departure got later and later. We spent our time revisiting the Ceilidh Place for coffee, shopping for waterproof trousers – essential items which we realised we’d left at home – and generally enjoying the pretty views.

Eventually, the ferry left Stornoway at 12 noon and, it seemed, everyone in Ullapool turned out to greet its arrival at 14:30. By 15:30 we were onboard and on our way, arriving in Lewis at 6pm, a mere four hours late.

Lewis is a Sabbatarian island and in the past it would not have been possible to arrive on a Sunday because no ferries ran. This has now changed, but most restaurants still close on Sundays, including the one in our hotel. I’d taken the precaution of advance-booking somewhere that was open, about twenty minutes walk away. First, we watched our ferry depart for Ullapool again, then we wandered off to dinner admiring various pieces of sculpture and street art on the way there and back.

And so to bed, hopefully to sleep better than I had the night before.

Scotland, UK , , , , , ,

64 Comments »

  1. Ferry delays are frustrating when you have to be somewhere by a certain time (e.g., to attend a concert or catch plane). Otherwise it’s all just part of the day’s experience.

    Jude

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  5. I understood Sabbatarian but I don’t remember ever seeing the word till now. Texas still has the remnants of some old laws to that effect. For example, car dealerships here have to remain closed on Saturday or Sunday.

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  7. I’ve been around Lewis and Harris hillwalking but never visited Stornoway yet. Better than expected going by your photos as I asked a local young resident years ago what it was like living there and his answer was C***. Typical teenager though who probably couldn’t wait to get to a big city to see what he was missing out on.

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  8. Well, the delay didn’t seem to cause too much of a headache (more anticipatory stress than bad things happening stress) and you were treated to a lovely day in Ullapool. Glad you arrived safely with reservations. Hope that the evening was a restful one.

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  11. I’m quite envious that you got to explore the islands and I didn’t! That’ll teach me for being lazy and not researching or booking anything at all! Nevermind, I will eventually get there. Love the photos 🙂

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  13. Hi Anabel – thanks for the warning re Sunday opening … not something I’d have thought about in this day and age. But glad things worked out … it looks a stunning area – and you’ve given us some great photos (or John has!) … cheers Hilary

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  14. That’s quite an adventure so far! Have heard the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool is worth a visit. Not yet been to Stornoway or any of the Outer Hebrides but dearly want to, particularly on a Sunday.

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    • Thanks Donna! I guess, we had no choice but to be flexible, but I did worry a bit about what we would do if the ferry was cancelled altogether and all the potential passengers needed to stay overnight in Ullapool. I had visions of sleeping in the car, I’m quite good at making up these ridiculous situations. We would just have driven to Inverness which is not far and has loads of hotels, as John pointed out. But a worrier will worry!

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    • Age and experience helps in the planning! Since I wrote this a friend told me of a time she and her partner went youth hosteling. A young man arrived on a Sunday and asked where he could shop for food. He had nothing! Fortunately, my friend was able to feed him dinner and breakfast before he stomped off back to the mainland in disgust.

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  18. Phew, glad you got there and had booked a meal. We found it very strange that the co op and food shops on North Uist shut on Sundays. I guess its only what it used to be like here. Luckilly the owner of our cottage left us fresh milk, bread etc. Saved us on a Sunday. Xx

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    • I know, I always feel it adds a special frisson of excitement. There are more causeways and bridges now than when we visited 30 years ago which makes the islands more accessible. In three weeks, we used 4 ferries and countless causeways. (Well, not actually countless, I just lost count).

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  20. I’m glad you got there eventually even if you were four hours late. Love the beach photo above the Ceilidh Place and the pony in the flower bed 🙂

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  25. The rain I wouldn’t mind but not the wind – please not the wind – ten days of high winds, hour after hour, day after day was enough to depress anyone. Rain would be welcome. Enjoyed #2. Looking forward to the remainder of the hop. Loved the photographs.

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  27. Ironically I dream of waking up to torrential rain. It’s so dry here in central Queensland.
    Have you read Peter May’s Lewis Man series? I read the first one which was interesting for its detail about the island but I didn’t really love it. I moved on to the Enzo novels which I’m enjoying more.
    Good information about planning ahead for Sundays. I’ve seen so many negative reviews of places where people just haven’t done their research or been prepared for the unexpected.

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