Although it was hard to say goodbye to Islay, Helen and I thankfully had another week ahead of us. We picked up mum's dog in Inverary and soon were waiting in glorious sunshine at Oban ferry terminal. A 5 hour boat trip through the sound of Mull lead us to our first stop - The Isle of Barra. Unfortunately the weather had turned and the glorious sunshine was replaced by a strong westerly. Even under grey skies the picture perfect beaches that Barra is famous for were still stunning and it was on one of these beaches that Helen, Sybil (the mut) and I camped on that night. Thankfully we did not get disturbed by the planned beach party but the driving wind and rain managed that job. A break in the weather gave us a chance to visit Vatersay before a quick pit stop at the shellfish factory and then a further ferry to South Uisit where we were based for the next four nights.
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| langoustine from Barra - it doesn't get fresher, cheaper or tastier anywhere else |
With its Machair lochs South Uist is a trout fisherman's paradise however lots of early mornings on Islay had taken its toll and the first day was a total write off. Thankfully we managed to bag a last minute deal and spent on the island in a cottage in Dalabrog. The weather was foul, not really raining but very very windy. I didn't fancy taking a boat out on my own as I didn't have a drogue and had heard the Sea Trout fishing had been very slow so I wasn't optimistic when I went to get my day ticket from Stòras Uibhist - the island estate office. For £8 I could fish almost half the lochs on South Uist and Benbecula and with a couple of them having a salt water inlet there was a chance of a sea trout or even a Salmon. Advised to try Bayhead I went along to find a very low and weedy loch with a smolt farm on it. I could see with some water the inlet might produce a Salmon or two but I decided to stick to trout fishing when I got the chance. To be honest I never really got going with it and only managed a few 1/2lb brownies on the occasions I made it out - I didn't even get a photo! I packed the fishing rod away as the weather improved and concentrated on what I was here to do - explore and relax! And in good weather the beaches here are the best place to do just that.
We had considered climbing South Uist's biggest hill Beinn Mhor but unfortunately the cloud hugged it the entire time we were there and I don't think the old dog really fancied it (Sybil not Helen). We settled for lowland walks and were lucky enough to see a pair of Otters, a family of Red Throated Divers and Short Eared Owl hunting in just the few days we were there. Throw in the Sea Eagle we saw on Jura the week before and we certainly had been lucky on the wildlife front. Glorious weather joined us as we left South Uist for North Uist and Bernaray where the beaches just seemed to get better and better. We settled for the East beach at Bernaray with views to Uist, Harris, Skye and Rhum - I don't think there is a more beautiful place in Scotland. Our trip ended in Skye in a cloud of midges. Bad weather meant we had no chance of getting up into the Cullins so we called it day and headed for the comparatively over populated Loch Lomond side where my folks stay.
So perhaps not the most relevant post for this fishing blog given I didn't do much on the river, hill or sea but to me the exploring the Hebrides is almost as good as it gets. I think even Helen's heart was won over by Costa Del Uist when the sun shone. The fishing possibilities are endless and having since found out about some of the sea pools of North Uist I have no doubt that the crystal clear waters of the north west Islands will be revisited sooner rather than later. Next time with a fishing buddy or a drogue... At least the drogue won't drink my whisky! Next stop a week in Torridon - Salmon, monster trout, Stags, Grouse, Ptarmigan and some of the finest mountains in Scotland. Did I mention I love Scotland!
