FRIDAY
3:30 A.M.
JC: We cross into Scotland nine and a half hours into the journey! Both completely knackered already! I sometimes wonder if these road trips are all worth it but at least in the grand scheme of things we only have another few hundred miles to go!
4:30 A.M.
JC: Emergency kip on the roadside, both of us are too tired to drive, alarms are set for 5 A.M. !
8 A.M.
JC: We finally arrive at Ullapool ready for the final leg of the journey to Lewis. We collect tickets and stock up on food, all sugar free! Since January Timo has been on this ridiculous diet that involves no processed sugar but fair play, he has lost 12 kilos in the process!
10 A.M.
JC: All aboard, there is no going back now we are on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry headed for Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. The Captain announces that our journey should take three and a half hours and that there is a stiff breeze outside. Time to sleep (after a greasy breakfast of course, sugar free!)
1:30 P.M.
JC: We arrive on Lewis and the temperature is 12 degrees; around 23 degrees less than it was back home two days ago! The wind is definitely not an issue, but as for waves we are not expecting anything big until Saturday! We decided to splash out fifty quid each on a room in the Royal Hotel, with another long drive on the return journey we need at least one decent night of sleep out of three! The island is the largest of the Outer Hebrides and boasts a population of around 18,500. Nothing seems to have changed since I was last here. Once you leave the main town of Stornoway, you cross an extensive barren peat coved plateau in the centre of the island before hitting the wild exposed coast on the north.
2:30 P.M.
JC: Our first port of call is Bragar, Timo’s favourite spot on the Island in a WSW wind. It is dead flat! We both knew the main swell was forecast for the Saturday but we were at least hoping for a taster session on the Friday. Our next option is Bru, a few miles back towards Stornoway. Bru is normally where you would go on a SW wind but with WSW, we will have to settle for side / side onshore.