After 2 days of motoring in the boat we were ready to explore the island, so we filled with diesel and did shopping. We also took the water cans ashore to get a little water – the idea when on the islands is to always take an empty can or 2 ashore and bring them back full as there are few opportunities to fill up by hose.
After lunch we took the bikes ashore ready to explore the island. By this time it was warm and sunny, so we set off to look for the place which sells gas. However they didn’t have any Camping Gas – it seems they receive gas bottles via a long and random supply chain so it’s possible there is not a single bottle on the outer islands!
We continued up the W side of Barra, past lots of pasture land on the machair, not really noticing that the sun had gone in and it was cooler. We reached the airport which is near the N end of the island, but flying had finished for the day. They use the beach as the runway, so the timetable varies according to the tides. Taking a look up the road beyond the airport, we felt a drop or 2 of rain, but ignored it. We turned round and stopped at the mobile chip van for an energy boost before heading back. The rain started before we finished the chips and continued all the way back to Castlebay. I spent ages in the evening trying to dry the bikes – it would be a shame if they are all rusty when we next come to use them. Maybe for our next ride we should pay more attention to the weather.
No pictures
