Harris via Skye and our first encounter!

Oh there's a lot of catching up to do -  two days worth of travel and overnight stays not to mention arriving at Tarbert on Harris.

Lockerbie is not a quiet place to stay - plenty of youth with plenty to shout about and on a Sunday night too. Compromise being open window and noise or too hot to sleep. A very good breakfast to set us up cooked by the husband of the couple running the B&B. A fast and easy trip to Glasgow and no problem with the motorway around the city either. 
Stopped for a break and to swap driving at a forestry commission visitor centre just west of Loch Lomond - we decided to take the scenic route via Loch Fyne. The visitor centre was firmly closed, possibly for ever although they were building nice new toilets. We decided to eat our mid-morning snack here; all things dictated by the next food intake; so set ourselves up at a picnic table, opened the biscuits and the midges decended en masse. However neither of us was actually bitten although we did take some of them back to the car with us - proof perhaps that the vitamin B trick might be working. Will be smothering myself with the Avon spray from now on - double protection!
On along the lochs and coastal road to Fort William where diesel is cheaper than in Devon. Took full advantage of that assuming fuel prices would still be sky high in the islands. A short drive further north to Springburn B&B which was lovely. Clean, comfortable and very very quiet. Had dinner in Spean Bridge in a converted railway carriage - on the actual station. very nice and full of people walking the Great Glen Way. It was still light at 11.30 at night but kept the curtains open for the view. Also the clouds cleared and we enjoyed a wonderful sunset.

 

Highland cow at Springburn - enjoys leftover toast

Sunset from our bedroom window - 23.25 GMT

 After another fine Scottish breakfast we were off on the road to the Skye Bridge. Slightly underestimated how long it would take us so we were late for our meeting with Mary. 
She was waiting for us and we enjoyed a hour and a half discussing our dream home, what would go in it, what was possible and what would cost more / less. She also provided us with a sketch of the process and payments schedule. We could be looking at 18 months in total once we have decided on the plot. She told us that she had recently made a site visit by Kayak - it is a build on an island site but most people would take the boat. She had to prove that she was actually the architect before they would take her seriously. She also said that she had enjoyed her bike ride around Harris looking at sites we had found. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that she can work with virtually any site but we should find one with outline or detailed planning - everything else is possible.
Headed off via Portree to see three sites that are north of Uig (where the ferry sails from) One of them was in a fantastic position and was around 3 acres. One we failed to find and the third was not suitable. Nice area though with great views to the Outer Hebrides.  
Back to Uig for the ferry - an easy and quiet sailing with not many passangers or vehicles on board. The journey was somewhat traumatic as a result of me "losing" my new smartphone. I retraced my steps at least twice; asked if it had been handed in; rang it from Gary's phone 12 times listening out for the ringtone and ..... finally found it when we returned to the car! Sometimes I amaze myself - I knew I'd put it in the rucksack and yes the zip was open so of course it has fallen out / been stolen / was being used by someone now etc etc. Gary was very patient and nice about the whole thing. 
So we have arrived in Tarbert, checked in at the Avalon B&B (twin beds!) and got very wet walking the half mile into the town. So wet in fact that we turned around and came back to the B&B. Wifi available so can write to my heart's content. Also have a mobile signal here.
So, settled in for the next three days; owner looked slightly alarmed at the amount of luggage we traipsed in but we really needed to sort out the car which was full of stuff. It has just started raining hard again and it was 12.5 degrees when we came off the ferry. Now that's summer!


Notes to anyone running or thinking of running a B&B
1: Have a good think about the size of the towels you offer your guests - would you dry yourself on a large handkerchief? If the answer is no then why expect paying guests to do so?
2: Use good quality coffee at breakfast; we can accept nescafe sachets in the room but hot brown water at breakfast doesn't cut it!
3: Don't plaster your walls with notices - provide a "book" of house rules if you really must.
4: If you say wifi available then broadcast the network and let your guests have the key.
5: Why do we have to order breakfast the day before? I might fancy something different tomorrow morning.
(there may be more to follow, we have 4 more nights of B&B to go)

Not one midge seen or heard since the forest so perhaps it is too cool / windy / rainy / sunny.

That's it for now - tomorrow is for leisure and re-aquainting ourselves with Harris and its glorious scenery and friendly people. trying the Harris Hotel for dinner - close enough to walk, rain permitting.