Scotland Highlands and Hebrides. A couple of questions

[mudsticks]

There is a very pleasant hostel on north of Skye at Flodigarry,

You can camp in the grounds too.

An even pleasanter pub on Sleat - the southerly peninsula of Skye - name escapes on account of enjoying rather too much hospitality there perhaps - but its near a lightouse.

Dont believe folks who tell you that there will always be a tail wind all the way going north up the Western Isles - i recall having to pedal hard downhill sometimed..

Also don't believe people who say those islands are totally flat neither - they've only actually been there in a camper van..

Do heed those who tell you that cafes and shops, can be few and far between, esp on the islands. make sure you have a day and half food on board.
But do use the cafes where you can.. They need our trade - we need them to stay in business.



If you are lucky, you will get weather like this - leaving Uig ( On Skype) for Tarbert (on Harris)



On a good day - there is no where like it ,

but i guess you could still say the same when it is raining .

Camping places are generally easy to find nearly everywhere although it can be a bit boggy / rocky sometimes.

" Smidge" is a very effective midge repellent available in most of the shops there -
The midges seem to be popping out earlier every year - so although you are going in May - I wouldn't depend upon it being midge free..

 

[Blue Hills]

This is the type of nonsense I was talking about earlier. Little minor roads "claimed" by local landlords.

These are typically the type of roads you want to go down to find a peaceful place to sleep at night.

Just ignore the signs and read any harassers their rights.

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On the plus side I suppose those signs will deter motor traffic, increasing the chances of an undisturbed night. And I doubt the landowners will be prowling around?

With regard to the puncture gas catridges I often use them and you can get an adaptor of course to use them with a stove which prefers screw mounts.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

We have found that so lot of gas cilinder types are used over the world so I need to ask you what types are available in the region of our route?
We are used to use the two most right at the picture below - screw-on and 'aerosol'

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OK, I went to Oban today and visited my local outdoor shop. The man there said that pierce canisters are now obsolete, but anything screw-on or CampGaz bayonet fitting is freely available. My equipment is still of the pierced canister type, so I bought a dozen canisters.

He said they sometimes still stock pierce canisters but a box takes him more than a year to sell, so he's not in a hurry to get more stock when stocks are low. That's been my experience - never in stock.

I hope that helps.

 

[Blue Hills]

Sounds like you are sorted yellow saddle but I have seen then in "The Range" shop in the recent past. I don't think they are exactly obsolete even if not as common/harder to find. Aren't pure piercable (ie not adapted) canisters hard to use touring?

This is the adaptor I have, though that particular link says it is unavailable.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edelrid-Stechka-Cartridges-Adapter/dp/B076ZYTGNX

Some have claimed it is dangerous though I have had no issues yet - still here.

 

[PJ520]

I dreamed of doing a big circle round the North Sea. Alas there is no longer a ferry from Bergen to Stornaway like there used to be. I tried to do it clockwise and had very strong headwinds from Bergen to the Hook - woudn't recommend it.

 

[PJ520]

Petrol is dangerous and gas canisters can be hard to come by it seems. Have you considered alcohol? Methyl alcohol (Meths UK, denatured alcohol US) is readily available and stoves that use it are available. It's also sold tor getting water out of petrol under the name of Heet in both the US and UK I believe.

 

[andrew_s]

Have you considered alcohol? Methyl alcohol (Meths UK, denatured alcohol US) is readily available

Meths (UK) isn't and never has been, methyl alcohol (aka methanol). It's about 90-94% ethanol, as in vodka.
The rest is mostly either ~10% methanol, or ~3% isopropanol and ~3% methyl ethyl ketone, depending on whether it's the old UK formulation or the newer (since 2013) EU formulation. There's also a small amount of foul tasting stuff that's meant to make it undrinkable.

On the subject of gas canisters, there are adapters to use all types of small canister with screw-on stoves. Edelrid used to sell them, but since they stopped (hence all the "unavailable" statements on web searches), Kovea, who made them for Edelrid, have started selling them under their own name.
eg https://www.mercatorgear.com/index....dapter-pack-push-and-turn-pat-butane-adapters
I wouldn't carry a puncture adapter, the aerosol adapters are widely available on amazon or ebay for £2-£4

 

[rualexander]

Alas there is no longer a ferry from Bergen to Stornaway like there used to be. .

There has never been a ferry from Bergen to Stornoway.
You may be thinking of Lerwick in Shetland.

 

[mythste]

This has made for some wonderful reading, we have booked our trains up for me and 4 others to take 13 days going south to north up the islands and then return to mainland via a day or two on Skye - first week in may. Plenty of time for it to be a pootle rather than a race.

My main concern is ability to find pubs or, indeed, something to "keep us warm" in the evenings, We'll see.

If I come across a group of Russians I'll be sure to say hi!

 

[shirokazan]

Midges less of an issue in the Outer Hebs. because of the wind....

Just don't tell everyone how fab it is!!

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That's brilliant, @Fab Foodie , though I was expecting you to look a bit more like Leonard Rossiter. I'm planning to get a tarp and bivvy bag - do you not bother with the latter (or is the red bag a lightweight bivvy)?

 

[mudsticks]

just watch out for the horrendous weather

And the truly terrifying natives.


i favour a meths stove too - easy to find the fuel as you go - no gas carts to dispose of or carry - and the whole stove set up less likely to to fall over in the porch and set your tent on fire

 

[Blue Hills]

mm- I value you posts mudsticks - wouldn't want to lose you - I wouldn't cook anything in the porch.

If the weather's that bad - just feast on cold snacky stuff inside the tent with a good book.

 

[mudsticks]

mm- I value you posts mudsticks - wouldn't want to lose you - I wouldn't cook anything in the porch.

If the weather's that bad - just feast on cold snacky stuff inside the tent with a good book.

Aww bless you @Blue Hills, and i feel the same way about the fluffy little yellow fella

but that's the whole beauty of having a tiny (drinks can ) meths stove, and cone to support the pan - the flame is covered - you'd have to be a proper numpty to kick it over you can even wander off to take a photo whilst the water boils for the first brew of the evening.

Agree about the good book - but you also cant beat a nice hot meal at the end of the day ..

 

[Blue Hills]

great spot mudsticks - can't see the tent - did you salvage some of the charred remains behind you to fuel the stove?

Points lost I';m afraid for that dehydrated all in one meal, unless it was an emergency back-up supply.

Hope to bump into you one day on your travels.

 

[mudsticks]

great spot mudsticks - can't see the tent - did you salvage some of the charred remains behind you to fuel the stove?

Points lost I';m afraid for that dehydrated all in one meal, unless it was an emergency back-up supply.

Hope to bump into you one day on your travels.

i'm afraid i was being very lazy lying down in the tent waiting for rehydration to occur , i usually try to get a bit of the tent flap for scale.

Like this ^^ ( not Scotland btw)

The Firepot meals are pretty good for what they are - no weird chemicals - ( even locally made - to me - in Dorset) and I take extra dried veg to add - If you're likely to be away from civilisation for a few days then its worth taking dry food to save weight - I should make more effort to dehydrate more whole meals though - but then i'd have less time to sit here chatting to you - so ....