Stornoway to Taransay

18th to 23rd June
Stornoway-Shiant Is.-Stornoway-L.Marieveg-L.Claidh-Taransay
Route and pics
As soon as my sons had caught the morning ferry, I left Stornoway too. And sailed down the barren and starkly beautiful Lewis coast to the amazing Shiant Islands. From a mile away you start to notice the increasing numbers of seabirds, and by the time I’d dropped anchor, I was spellbound. Puffins, shags, razorbills, guillemots in their thousands were everywhere. Puffin poo, small neat white blobs, started to appear on deck.

World's best fish and chips, Stornoway

Masthead bereft.....(just a cable end)

Seals at leisure

Empty beach, Taransay

Alas! By morning, radio antenna and wind vane had disappeared, dive-bombed off the top of the mast. I later learn that skuas chasing can drive their intended prey or they themselves into masts. Uncomfortable to be sailing with limited range radio, I turned back to Stornoway for repairs….next day, new bits located in Inverness, I did return trip to Inverness (that’s ferry and buses and takes all day, but travel is good and cost less than £40)…next morning, helped by delightful strong willing and competent fellow sailors, I was up the mast and new wind vane fitted, though radio still not very good  (NB. If you’re a sailor with a ‘Topclimber’, the demo video stars some sort of marine tarzan and makes it look easy; it’s tougher and slower for an ordinary bloke with a bus pass!)

By  early evening I was on my way again, sailing south, and via a couple of overnight anchorages, reached the Sound of Harris, went through to the Atlantic on the west side of the Hebrides, and anchored off Taransay. It’s claim to fame stems from the BBC’s Castaway series, and it’s very pretty, with the noisiest oyster catchers you’ve ever heard!