Harris in September

One of the advantages of going to Scotland later in the year is that the dreaded midges are likely to be less active. The downside is that the weather is inclined to be less settled. So there we were at Balmacara, just inland of the Kyle of Lochalsh, in a warm, still damp evening, being eaten alive by clouds of midges. Well so much for that theory!

Once Westy and Richard had arrived and camped, we headed for the pub to make plans for a nice relaxing easy paddle to start the week.

Sunday was warm and dry, and setting off from the old Skye ferry slipway, we crossed the Kyle and made our way into a secluded, quiet sea loch on the far shore. The tide was running against us through the narrows, so we made good use of the eddies to get to a beach under the Skye Bridge for lunch, and to wait for the tide to slacken. We then headed back across to the mainland and through the rocky skerries towards Plockton. The rocks were the home of lots of seals, and at times there were well over thirty of them around us, and following our progress. By this time, Westy had found an energy that most of us could only wish for, and we were only about two kilometres from Plockton when we managed to catch him up and persuade him to turn round. The seals were just as inquisitive on the return, and accompanied us most of the way back. Claire Taylor met us later that evening, and the seven of us drove to Uig on Skye to catch the ferry to Harris on Monday morning.

By buying beer at the pub against the ferry terminal, we managed to get permission to camp on a grassy area behind it. We had to be up at 4:15 to catch the 5:15 ferry, arriving in Tarbert about 8:00.

There are some beautiful beaches on the west coast, and we headed for Horgabost, were there is free camping overlooking the beach and Taransay (made famous, or infamous, by the BBC). It was still early, and although there was a strong southeasterly wind blowing, it was forecast to die off in the afternoon and evening, before building up again overnight. We decided to make the best of it and five of us opted for a trip round Taransay. I won't go into detail as Richard is writing something about the trip, but the weather forecast was wrong!

By contrast, Tuesday was calm and warm, and we spent the day exploring some of the islands in the sound of Harris. Again there were lots of seals. The noise they make is like a strange singing, and we could hear them all day. It's easy to imagine how stories of mermaids and sirens could have come about, as the sound can be heard a long time before they can be seen.

Tuesday was the lull before the storm, the weather forecast was not good, with gale force winds, heavy rain and rough sea on the menu. So Wednesday was spent looking for a more sheltered campsite We ended up at Reef (not Reeth), and found as much shelter as possible on a small site overlooking another beautiful beach. We even managed a quick swim before tea This time the forecast was right It was not a peaceful night, with the wind screaming and rain so heavy it was deafening in the tent The forecast from the Coastguard on the VHF radio promised more of the same, with wind at Force 8 and gusting to 9 At least it kept the midges away To pass the time the next day we went walking on the headlands and high ground The wind was incredible, but it did give Richard the chance to try to fly, and to practice his wind assisted long jump. Nick went for his own variation, the wind assisted twisted ankle landing, and had a long hobble back to the tents. The sea was spectacular, huge waves, blown spray and foam, but there was no prospect of paddling.

Before catching the return ferry on Friday, we looked for some sheltered paddling on the east coast, but there was none to be had. The ferry trip back was interesting, with spray often coming over the front deck. We did see some dolphins though.

We spent Saturday in Loch Dunvegan on Skye, in the shelter of rocks and islands. Again we were accompanied by seals. These seemed much more used to people and came a lot closer to us. One was so close to Kath, that she had to miss a stoke to avoid hitting it with her paddle.

There is certainly plenty of scope for paddling around Harris. The sea is clear, the beaches white. There are very few people, and those that are there are really friendly. There are hundreds of islands to explore.

It's just a matter of getting the right balance between midges and weather!

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	Swaledale Outdoor Club

Harris in September

Pete Bridgstock