Saturday 08/07/06 - Great Bernera

Fairly bright and breezy morning with a threat of showers. Mrs B's son hires a car for the next few days. We set forth just before 1pm, first into town to get money and fuel. It's very busy. Not just the usual Saturday crush, but it's the start of Festival Week; last night's ferry was packed out, and late on account of the sheer volume of traffic. It's a bit showery as we drive up the Lochs Road, to turn off at Cameron Terrace towards Garynahine along the A858. We head west, along the B8011, over the Grimersta River and then north along the B8059 to Great Bernera. It's fairly sunny here and the drive through the hamlets of Lundal, Crulabhig and Iarsiadar is very scenic. Once over the 1950s bridge to Great Bernera (which replaced a dodgy ferry cum rowing-boat), we quickly reach the main village, Breacleit. On the far side of Loch Roag, to the east, the village of BreaScleit can be made out, distinctive with the fishoil factory on the pier. Our first destination is the tiny beach at Tobson, on the western side of Bernera. It is infested with washed-up, dead and stinking jellyfish. From there, we return to the main road and head up to Bosta. This is uninhabited. There is only a cemetery, a beautiful beach with a stunning view and an Iron Age House, or a scientist's impression of how it could look. It's not open on Saturday; from Monday to Friday, you get a guided tour for £2. A herd of cows mooch about, with calves suckling and a bull strutting his stuff. We laze on the beach ,paddle in the water, tide was coming in. I look round the cemetery to find one Iolaire-related grave, as well as a memorial plaque for two young fishermen who were lost at sea, never to be found again - in 1984. When we return to the car, no less than 3 motorhomes have rolled up. The main topic of conversation is food. The toilet at the carpark makes overtime. The weather appears to breaking down from the east as we head south across Bernera. At the Bernera Road end, we find a loch full of water lilies.

Next port of call - Callanish.

PICTURE ADVISORY: I have taken a large number of pictures on Saturday, which is why I have broken up the entry. I took some of them out of a moving car; they are all sequential in terms of the route we took. Hope you enjoy.