Life saving boat and bakery in Mallaig 24 May 2025

 

RNLI Henry Alston Hewat, Mallaig’s Severn Class lifeboat, was open to the public today,
 so Susie and Gordon took the tour.

Our day has been subdued due to rain and fog. So we have done housework and close to home activities.  Mary and Susie have spent a large part of the day doing some washing and trying to get it dried - successfully, and apparently it is a very sociable activity as other boats do the same. I have read a chunk of my new book on the history of Scotland - who knew that St Patrick was born in Dumbarton?! Gordon has done a little tinkering down the hole.

Mallaig harbour in early afternoon.

I went for a short walk in mid-afternoon. It was dreich.

One of our highlights was a quick visit to The Bakehouse overlooking the harbour.  It is wonderful and has a great reputation - and consequently a constant queue from the time it opens until it closes.

The queue in the Bakehouse at midday today.


Caramelised onion and goats cheese focaccia, which we bought and loved.

We bought the heritage tomato, pesto and ricotta focaccia, plus a Parma ham, buffalo mozzarella, tomato and basil version, plus a smoked cheddar and sun-dried tomato chutney.
  All of it was superb.

Top left, clockwise: The tender/small rescue boat on the lifeboat; the flybridge helm; one of the engines; the bridge house helm.

Two 1600 horsepower MTU engines, which together use 500 ltrs of fuel per hour at cruising speed.  The boat can carry 5500 ltrs in total.

Yesterday we came across a quote from ‘The Scottish Tourist, and Itinerary’ of 1838, which said: “Fort William’s population may amount to about 600, who are principally engaged in the herring fishery. Rain descends almost perpetually, deepening the gloom which broods over the scenery.”

Today Gordon found in The Times a review of a restaurant a few miles north of Skye: “Applecross Inn is so renowned, I’ve seen diners drop in by helicopter for a slap-up seafood lunch - the local oysters are as succulent as a mermaid’s snog (half-dozen £19).”

How things have changed.


This is on a boat a couple of berths up from us.  It is meant to be a bird deterrent.  
For it to work Scottish birds would need to be well used to yellow snakes.  I suspect it is more of an attractant - gulls are likely to come down to investigate.


We’re going out to The Cornerstone for dinner this evening.  Will let you know how we get on.




























































































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