THE JOURNEY
Now before any Tiree visitor is lucky enough to benefit from the Islands rich tapestry of offerings; they must first endure the arduous task of traveling to the godforsaken outpost. For mortal wave sailors and their gear, there is only one way in, by boat. And that usually means you have arrive at Oban at ‘silly o’clock’ on the Saturday morning of the competition for the Cal Mac ferry. That in turn means driving through the night, or the day before, and sleeping in your van at the ferry port. After you have been checked in by the most miserable looking ferry stewards on the planet, it is then time for the world greasiest breakfast before you churn it up after two hours of being rocked around as the ferry hits open water. Stomach empty and feeling like you have travelled halfway around the world the ferry finally attempts to dock at Tiree (yes it has been known to turn back on storm force days) and then the next minute you are following a convoy of vans along a tiny maze of single track roads. Now you have officially arrived ready for a week of utter madness and tribulations. Like I said, getting there is never easy but if you do it with the right frame of mind and a little planning the journey is all part of the fun. Anticipating an epic week, sharing stories on the road, a night on the booze in Oban and that valuable four-hour kip on the ferry before you hit the beach. Yes, it’s a bitch of a trek, but I assure you that when you commit you won’t regret it.