RHSoc ContributorYou need to be fleet of foot to book an RHSoc island bagging trip these days - and we weren't. David Gilchrist's Summer Isles trip was booked up with 4 reserves whilst we blinked. So what to do?
After consulting David, it was decided to advertise a second trip in the somewhat forlorn hope there might be undiscovered interest out there. We scraped 10 for a Seascape Rib capacity of 12. Would all 10 pay one-tenth of the cost to make it viable? All 10 said yes. A first positive that augered well.
We followed in David's trip wake with his helpful notes. Day 1 comprised 13 islands from uninhabited ungrazed isles through holiday getaways to the conveniences of pier, modern housing, sauna, lido and concrete roadways of Tanera Mor.
Josh and Catherine from Seascape made landings on rocky platforms straightforward from the rubber tyre protected prow (or do I mean bow?). And the blend of people from all 'airts and pairt's gelled well in ensuring all enjoyed the experience. Josh helped by setting no time limits. We'd keep going until all the islands had been visited. We returned to Ullapool at 8pm that lovely Summer evening happy and content.</div>
I should have said we had been joined by no's. 11 and 12 on day 1. No 11 was a Hibs supporter too and she had shared the same windy high terracing above the sloping pitch of Easter Road in the 70's.
Day 2 saw 11 of us doing all the tumps (a habit set on day 1) on Priest Island and Isle of Ewe together, along with Gruinard and Isle Martin. A more respectable 5pm return as the sun continued to shine.
My thanks to Dave, Robert, Chris, Jim, Richard, Kathy & Alan, Helen, Lionel, Anne and footballing Jeannie for making the trip memorable. Seascape comes highly recommended.
Add comment