Back to the Mainland

Today was the last day of our Scottish Isles adventure...we were booked on the afternoon ferry from Stornoway back to the Ullapool on the mainland...so after breakfast it was pack the cases, load the car and say farewell to Allan and Panch who run a truly wonderful B&B. As we left Finsbay for the last time, we stopped off for a couple geocaches we hadn't collected because of the rain...and some roadworks on the main road. When the main road is the only road and it is a single-lane road you can easily be waiting 15-20 minutes to get through...which is what it had taken every time over the last few days...and today was no exception.

Hunting for a geocache before leaving Finsbay

Waiting for the roadworks...

...at least the scenery was nice

 

After we were clear of the roadworks, it was a non-stop drive to Stornoway. We arrived a couple of hours early so we had a little look around the town before going and joining the ferry queue. Another large ferry, this one also had a mezzanine deck...which we ended up on again...but with a difference. This time only one end of the ramp was lowered and so we drove up the ramp and stopped on the incline until all the cars were on...and then we were all raised up until level when we could leave our cars.

Council offices, Stornoway

A Stornoway street

Lews Castle, Stornoway

Waiting for our turn to load...Stornoway

The ferry crossing to Ullapool took about two and a half hours. Apart from some rain as we were leaving...an appropriate farewell from the Isles...it was quite pleasant most of the way across. For a little while in the middle of the crossing, the ferry developed a good roll as it crossed the swell running up between the Outer Hebrides and the mainland...but nothing too serious. Between the rain and the swell, it was a good reminder of how miserable it would have been out in the open ocean trying to get to St Kilda in a small boat.

Farewell Stornoway...and the Western Isles

Hello Ullapool...and the mainland

After docking at Ullapool, those of us on the mezzanine deck had to sit in our cars until the ferry was empty. Then they lowered the front of our deck so we could drive downhill, across the ferry and out on to the mainland. We had visited Ullapool when we were in Scotland three years ago so, with no reason to stop, we joined the long queue of traffic heading for Inverness. All things considered, the traffic moved quite well and it was a quick drive. We then drove around Inverness for a while looking for our B&B...before giving up and asking for directions. The really annoying thing was that we had been about 50 yards from it at one stage but turned the wrong way and missed it. Once we got ourselves sorted out with the B&B, it was then time go for a short walk to find some dinner.

Our Inverness B&B