Hebridean Hop 22: returning home

73 Comments

Saturday 18th August 2018

After an early start, we were in the ferry queue at 7am ready to depart Castlebay at 0755. Once on board, we positioned ourselves near the restaurant to beat the rush for breakfast when it opened. That rush didn’t materialise, and wandering round the ship later we found out why. Many people had brought their pillows and duvets and were catching up on sleep! When we got to the top deck, we were amazed to have it to ourselves most of the time. The howling wind might also have had something to do with that …

More or less on time, at 1240, we approached our destination, Oban.

We didn’t linger, choosing to drive to a pub outside town for lunch, and then to make our way home to Glasgow. Our Hebridean Hop was over. Some thoughts:

  • We drove just over 1000 miles, a seemingly modest amount for three weeks, but once you’re on the islands there aren’t a lot of places to drive to! The roads are greatly improved since our previous visits, but most of them are still single track and consequently slow. Being impatient to get straight from A to B just doesn’t work.
  • Other infrastructure – museums and cafés – has also improved greatly, enhancing the tourist experience and, it is obvious, bringing greater prosperity to the islands. It’s probably selfish to feel that this diminishes the charm and makes the islands feel less remote. However, I’m glad to have caught them at this point before they become overrun, as seems to have happened to Skye.
  • We were lucky with the weather – and I mean that, despite having written about some terrible downpours. It could have done that every day, whereas most days were reasonably fine and some were sunny and warm. However, if you must have guaranteed sunshine, the Hebrides will not be for you!
  • We walked, on average, seven miles a day, much of that on beautiful, golden sands. This was enough for our collection of dodgy knees and feet!
  • It’s 25-30 years since we last visited any of these islands and we can’t understand why we left it so long. This year, current thinking is that we will visit some of the Inner Hebrides, but they don’t lend themselves so obviously to a “hop” and will involve more route planning.
  • Thinking of going to the Outer Hebrides? Yes, I think you should! Find all my posts with the tag Hebridean Hop for inspiration.
  • Finally, I’m linking this post to Cathy’s On returning home invitation. Check the link for details: Cathy’s current post is about leaving Japan after teaching there for a few months.
Scotland, UK , , ,

73 Comments »

  2. I have loved reading about your Hebridean adventures. Something I wanted to do several years ago, but never found the time for. Now we live so very far away I am not sure we ever will, so I have appreciated every word and every photo. I think perhaps I would have liked it more before it became so touristy, but that’s the problem nowadays with social media spreading the word. So many places become overcrowded with insufficient infrastructure and facilities to support the masses. Let’s hope the islands retain their charm.

    Like

  4. Pingback: on returning home from france in 2003 – ~ wander.essence ~

  7. I have really enjoyed these posts Anabel. Your impressions and reflections on your trip have made such interesting reading, and the photos have really brought the Hebrides to life for me.

    Like

  8. It’s been such a wonderful adventure joining you. Thank you so much for writing it all up, and great photos as usual from your lovely other half 🙂

    Like

  10. Anabel – Impressive long walks! I’m glad it wasn’t too dreich(sp?) for the adventure 😉 Love the before-after photos. I’ve been doing some revisiting also, and am a bit amazed at the fun of some memories and the emotional tug of others. Happy home-coming

    Like

  11. Interesting insights into the difference between your visits. I watched a programme about Skye in the early 1950s recently on the Gaelic channel and it was a very impoverished way of life then for the crofters especially given the unpredictable weather conditions for growing anything outdoors so as you say tourism has provided a major reliable source of steady income and employment in these areas.

    Like

  13. Hi Anabel – you’ve been very thorough with your posts and details – certainly excellent notes for anyone wanting to visit. While I see Jemima added in a thought. I’ve loved reading them and feeling perhaps I should venture north at some stage … so congratulations on an excellent series – cheers Hilary

    Like

  14. Wonderful adventures Anabel. Wow your long walks and stamina are very impressive! I must say that Oban is foreign to us as we have never set foot in Scotland! But the photographs and your posts certainly are enticing, so perhaps one day we might get there….

    Peta

    Like

  16. Hi, Anabel – I greatly enjoyed following along on this adventure vicariously. Thank you for sharing it with us. I love your attitude about the weather. I desperately need to develop this perspective. Great series!

    Like

  18. It was an excellent journey and I enjoyed sharing in it with both of you. That’s something I miss here the ability to go to different places within a short space of time. From here to Mount Gambier I would have gone through several European countries in the process. Here in South Australia, they talk about the Tyranny of Distance, and it is so.

    Like

  20. When you go to Mull, I recommend Treshnish Farm Cottages. The blackhouses further off the beaten track (on their farm) are wonderful, too. I usually stay at “Middle”.

    Like

  22. Like the others, I love your summing-up which help remind readers of things they may have forgotten about your Hebridean trip. Having that deck to yourselves must have been lovely – for a while – and you looked as though you were both enjoying it. It was fun being with you on this trip. I think the Hebridean Tourist Board ought to award you something for such positive writings, or is there an Islands Tourist Board. Why not send them copies of your Posts? You never know, they might invite you back!

    Like

  23. I have to look back at your other posts and catch up. I love a ferry and glad you had the time to yourselves. It’s always nice to see a place before others get there because you get to see it for how it really is.

    Like

  24. Followed the whole trip and this final summarising post is great. Its good to read both positive and negative sides to a trip. Mostly positive for this one though of course. Beautiful part of the world.

    Like

  25. I love how you summed up everything, Anabel, positive and negative, about your Hebridean trip. And I’m honored that you linked to mine as well. I think I would have been below board in a sleeping bag and blankets, as that weather doesn’t look very comfortable, but at least it wasn’t raining! How fun to return to a place after 25-30 years and see how it has changed. I’m glad the roads were improved, as well as the infrastructure, but it’s good they haven’t improved so much that you would find a tourist onslaught. It’s nice too that you included a link to all your Hebridean Hop posts so that if anyone (like me) wants to eventually plan a trip they can find everything in one spot. Love it. I’ll link this to my Monday Returning Home post this Monday, the 4th. 🙂

    Like

  30. Nice! I always like coming into Oban on a ferry. And CalMac food is generally decent. I may need to plan a Hebridean adventure for myself now.

    Like