Saturday 25/06/05

Fairly bright day, with even some sunshine. Talk to the Americans, who are off to Laxdale. After lunch, I take a bus to Tolsta to wander about on the beach and the moors. The bus is a new, demo type, which kneels for the passengers to step on more easily. Busdriver isn't very pleased with it, long wheelbase and large turning circle. Have a bit of a natter with him at New Tolsta. Go down the road to the beach and wander around on the tideline. Notice a tern being attacked by a skua. A gull comes to the rescue. I retrace my steps and proceed down the track towards the moors, which is the route towards Muirneag. I trod this route fully exactly 3 months ago. Don't have time to go all the way to the hill, but go round the east end of Loch Diridean, as far as the cairn at grid reference NB517490. It's fairly windy out there. Retrace my steps through the broken country, and time my arrival at New Tolsta perfectly to coincide with the departure of the 4pm bus back to town. Nice view coming down the hill between Tolsta and Gress, where you see all the way down the east coast to the Shiants. Back in Stornoway at 4.45. The Americans go out to pubs and clubs, but forgo the pleasure of the first when they find the police inside, busy breaking up a fight. Saturday night does tend to be rowdy in Stornoway, reason for me to avoid it. The ladies don't return until 1.15 am, when it's still light to the north. They went out to Callanish during the afternoon, and caught the wrong bus back. So they went all the way through Carloway and Barvas.