Day Seven: North Uist to Isle of Raasay

We part company with our roommates today as they head north to the Isle of Harris and we head east to the Isle of Skye. The ferry from Lochmaddy to Uig on Skye departs at 7am and the school group is less boisterous this morning as they prepare themselves for the crossing also. Before leaving the Outdoor Centre we post our fee for the overnight stay through a letter box in an office at the entrance as we have still not met anyone connected with the running of the establishment.
The cruise across The Minch between North Uist and the Isle of Skye takes 1hr 45mins in overcast conditions. As we approach the port we notice that the road takes a sharp incline on exiting Uig ensuring a lung busting start to our journey south through the island towards Sconser and our next ferry to the Isle of Raasay later in the day. The incline and the panniers prove to be a tough combination so we alight from our bikes and walk up the hill which affords us one final glance across to the islands we traversed the day before.

Once clear of the hill we enjoy a mostly flat or downhill 16 mile route into the islands capital of Portree. Deriving its name from the Gaelic Port-an-Righ, which translates as "King's Port" it dates back to a visit by King James V, plus a fleet of warships, in 1540, to persuade the island clans to support him. It had earlier been known as Kiltraglen. The centre of life in Portree has to be its harbour. This is in a superb natural setting, being surrounded by high ground and cliffs. The peninsula to the south is unflatteringly known as "The Lump", and once provided a spectacular setting for public hangings on the island. Today the harbour continues to be used by fishing boats, but is also home to other vessels, from pleasure craft to the lifeboat. After a quick visit to the local Bakers we sit by the harbour to reload our carbohydrates before attempting the 13 miles to the port of Sconser.

The long climb 4 miles south of Portree is rewarded with an exhilarating downhill run to Sligachan and its renowned Hotel. The name Sligachan is Gaelic for "shelly place", after the shells found at the original location. In about 1830 the Sligachan Inn was built at the current location at the head of Loch Sligachan and proved ideally placed when the gentleman climbers of the day discovered that this part of Scotland had mountains that in character (if not in height) could match the best available in the Alps. Most books about climbing in the latter half of the 1800s contain at least one photo of a group of tweed-clad and hobnail boot-shod men, stiffly posed in front of the Sligachan Inn. The hotel itself is home to a small museum remembering the exploits of these early climbers.

Aware that a ferry is due in at Sconser three miles along the road we bypass the tempting hospitality that the Inn has to offer and cycle to the mouth of Loch Sligachan and await the Isle of Raasay connection.

You know you are getting well off the beaten track in Scotland when you find yourself on an island that can only be reached from another island. The island of Raasay, some 14 miles long and a maximum of a little over 3 miles wide, lies off the east coast of the Isle of Skye. It may only be a fifteen minute ferry trip from Sconser, but is a world apart from its more famous neighbour. Whilst Skye is bare, sweeping and majestic, Raasay offers a more intimate landscape where pockets of woodland and hidden corners abound. The island is quiet, away from the main tourist routes, and its little capital Inverarish is a delightful haven. Whilst crossing on the ferry we are slightly dismayed when informed by a crew member that the Youth Hostel involves a three mile journey in which two of the miles are uphill.

His directions prove to be accurate as we struggle up a long forest hill road beyond the only sign of civilisation at the islands sole village of Inverarish. The reward that awaits us as we break free of the inhibiting forest growth is quite outstanding. The views over to The Red Cuillins to the south and the Trotternish Peninsular to the north are breathtaking and could not be bettered from any vantage point on Skye. It is within such splendour that we stumble across our tiny abode for the evening, the Isle of Raasay Youth Hostel.

Described as sleeping 30 in a rural location, it is no more that an old croft with a replica of a boy scouts hut placed on a slight hill behind it….can there be a more rural or inaccessible hostel in Britain? The isolation of its location inspires serenity and calm far from the rigours of daily life. The scout hall in which we have to bed down for the night inspires thoughts of having to stumble about in the dark whilst half asleep trying to locate the toilet in the nearby house. A small price to pay for such scenic splendour we venture;-)

Evening meal requires that we have to hurtle back down the hill to the only hotel on the Island, The Isle of Raasay Hotel. Passing through Inverarish we observe a public notice at the entrance to a children’s play park, which reads: ‘No Playing on a Sunday’….evidence of the strong Free Presbyterian doctrine which still prevails in many of these small island communities. The hotel provides us with attentive service and good fare as it begins to fill up with local’s intent on winning the Saturday night pub quiz.

A lingering cold that has been growing on Eric these last few days begins to make its debilitating effects more apparent as the evening progresses, with this in mind we decline our invite to the quiz and make our way back up the hill to our Hut for some Lemsip, Paracetamol and hopes of no overnight field trips to the toilet. We have a strict time schedule to adhere too and 33 miles to cycle on our final day, a bout of influenza at this stage in our journey has us wondering if we have bitten off more than we can chew.