Plockton to Stornoway - a goal achieved! 25 May 2024

Looking up Loch Carron from our mooring in Plockton on this very calm morning.  Perfect conditions for our jump from Inner to Outer Hebrides across the (notorious) Minch.

08.45 we slipped the mooring rope and left the safety of a beautiful anchorage.  We have 61 nautical miles to go across the Minch.   The myth says that the blue men of the Minch, also known as storm kelpies, are mythological creatures inhabiting the stretch of water between the northern Outer Hebrides and mainland Scotland, looking for sailors to drown and stricken boats to sink. 

Hopefully, today, they will be thwarted.

Here is a map of the Hebrides, Inner and Outer, just to help with orientation:

By Kelisi, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=541156

The Minch, and the Little Minch, have fearsome reputations for bad weather and sea conditions.  We are crossing from the SE corner of Skye, where it says Longay on the mainland, to Stornoway near the top of Lewis. So, we’re motoring pretty much the whole length and breadth of the Minch.  Happy days.

10.15   Our first Minke Whale today, as we pass the island of Rona.

13.00 and we are out in the middle of the Minch.  The sea is like a mill pond, with ever so slight a ripple and a big gentle undulating swell coming in from the north.  Wonderful conditions for motoring, and for cetaceans, but so far, no additional whales and no dolphins.  We’ve still got our fingers crossed.  

14.00 and some Common Dolphins came up trumps.  A group of about 8 came over to the boat with 5 riding the bow wave for a short time and two of them staying with us for approximately 8 minutes.

Common Dolphins joined us and rode the bow wave.  These are our own pictures take today (as all pictures on our blog).

And then half an hour out of Stornoway at 15.00 we encountered our second Minke Whale, and our third, fourth and possibly our fifth and sixth!  

Minke Whales 4 - 5 miles from Stornoway port.  There were at least 3 and possibly 5.  When we asked in Stornoway about them we were told they are always there.

We also saw Harbour Porpoises on at least 8 occasions, as well as Harbour Seals and Grey Seals.  Great stuff.

Lunch on day 7!

Stainless steel polishing en route by an eejit 

At 16.00 we arrived in Stornoway.  The first time any of us have visited anywhere on the Outer Hebrides, and one of the main goals we set for Lazaway.  We are pretty pleased, though the weather today has helped a lot.

Stornoway, the capital of the Outer Hebrides, is a busy spot, and it transpires rather functional. We were going to spend 2 nights here, but that might reduce to one.  There are lots of other places in the Outer Hebrides that we would like to visit.

The boat bird list is a good one with 29 species.  At least 4 Great Skuas at various spots along the way, Puffins everywhere, Great Northern Divers and Red-throated Divers.  A lovely list.

Our route: