Sunday 12 September
Destination: Bernera (North Uist)
We awake to gorgeous birdsong and lovely warm temperatures.
Lickisto campsite is different from the others we have visited. It has a rustic charm without compromising on the facilities. The toilet block is constructed like a traditional Blackhouse building. The larger showers are the first ones we have seen without a fabric shower curtain and instead have a concertina door – which we agree are much better!
Outside, there are wooden tables and chairs in various positions. These allow you to take advantage of the views of the surrounding countryside. It’s on one of these tables that a very tame bird came looking for food from us.
The main cottage building is in a scenic, rocky setting next to a Loch with very pleasant walks nearby. It’s on our morning walk that we notice a colony of seals, languishing and lazing on a small outcrop of rocks. Some look rather like bent bananas!
After refilling the van water tank along with our water bottles, we head towards Leverburgh Port but keep to a smaller B road. There are some tight bends and it’s mainly single track with passing places, but the views are tremendous.
After arriving early at the port, we take a look around the harbour and come across a rusty and abandoned little trawler called ‘Kelly Gal’ that has been run aground. It is in need of repair but the chances are it will be left to the elements.
We take our space in the queue and shortly the ferry arrives and we embark. One of the ferries was recently cancelled due to mechanical problems and another because two of the crew had caught Covid. So we recommend you ring beforehand, just to check that the ferry is running for that day.
The ferry to Bernera on North Uist takes an hour and the landscape changes once more. Now it is very flat with low hills in the distance but everywhere you look there are small lakes. In fact, on Uist there are more lakes than land area.
We haven’t pre-booked a campsite, so ring round and find a spot at Moorcroft Holiday Park due to a cancellation. We’re very lucky because there are not many sites available on the island. The facilities at this site are very clean and modern and we settle in for the night.
After dark, we look out to clear skies. Because there is no light pollution, you can clearly see many of the main constellations and the Milky Way which at first looks like a misty cloud. The brightest of all is Saturn, sitting quite low in the south. It’s unbelievable just how many stars there are to see.
