"Happy Birthday Old Fart!"

Today was my 62nd birthday and, later in the week, someone asked me why I was doing The Timeless Way. I replied that I was doing it while I still could. Hopefully I've another 15 - 20 years of long distance walking ahead of me; but who knows. So best to make the use of the old legs, knees, hips, feet whilst I still can!

We left Braighe House after another huge and delicious breakfast at about 09:15 and The Boss drove me back up to car park at Tràigh Mhor where I'd finished walking yesterday. So it was about 09:50 when I left for the walk to Stornoway and on to the Pentland Road, a distance of just over 18 miles.

I knew that most of today's walk would be on roads but I was determined to use the beaches as much as possible and planned to cross The Sands of Tong - marked on the OS 1:25,000 map as "sand and mud". As advised I'd studied the tide tables in the Stornoway Gazette but wasn't entirely sure that I'd figured them out properly. I had the idea that the tide would be out and that I'd manage the crossing but my plan was to "look and see" and be prepared to head swiftly for the shore if the sea threatened to engulf me!

The route follows the B895 going off of it a few times onto the old road - a welcome break from the traffic (traffic - huh, one car every five minutes. Compare THAT with St. Peter's Way in Bolton). The metalled road was hard and unforgiving on my feet but today I was wearing my Meindl Respond Mid XCR lightweight boots with superb cushioning and much softer than the Brasher Hillmaster GTXs that I'd worn yesterday. As planned, I dodged off the road a couple of times and walked along Tràigh Ghariais (near Griais) and Tràigh Chuil where I stopped to admire the very imposing memorial to the Land Martyrs.

I had trouble finding a route down to Tong Sands and ended up climbing a fence between two houses and then another before reaching the very damp boggy, sandy grassed plain.

To begin with it was very much like Lewis Moor underfoot with clumps of grass mixed with heather and marsh plants. Very quickly my, until then, dry boots were soaked and I had to "imaginatively navigate" around streams, jumping "gazelle-like" across muddy chasms and just about avoided going in! I followed a line which headed for the war memorial on the hills above Stornoway. This took me through the most boggy part of all but was the LDWA route. I guess that whoever put the route on their website walked it when the tide was further out than it was today. I finally "came ashore" at Lacasdail onto the A857 and followed this relatively busy main road to the roundabout close to Stornoway Hospital - my originally planned end of today's walk.

But I continued, crossing the roundabout into Lewis Castle Park and followed the Bayhead River to Bruach Màiri where I scrambled up a bank and crossed the road to a smaller one signposted in Gaelic to Carloway and Breisclete. I'd intended following Peter Clarke's route here, rather than the LDWA one, and take a smaller road to the Stornoway Tip, leading to a track which eventually reaches the Pentland Road. However, I missed that and mistakenly followed the first of the two roads which meant that I had to stay on tarmac to my destination, only realising my mistake when I could see and hear the lorries and gulls across a small loch, both servicing the tip!

By now the rain which had been threatening all day was pretty continuous and I was walking in full waterproofs, which I hate. I passed Loch Àirigh na Lic, in the middle of which was a small island flying a large Scottish flag. the rain became heavier but, within ½hour I reached the junction of the road I was on and the smaller Pentland Road where the familiar SAAB and The Boss were waiting for me, surrounded by a swarm of midges with six inch teeth! Scotland, and the islands in particular, have a reputation for their ferocious midges and I'd actually packed a "midge net" to wear if they became too pestilential. But these were the only ones that troubled us during our whole trip.

I'd done just over 18 miles in 6¼ hours so I was quite pleased, though a trifle "moist" and a bit footsore with much of today's walk being on tarmac. Tomorrow would be worse - and further!

We'd planned to have a relaxing swim at the Stornoway Baths but in view of the time we just went back to Braighe House to pack, prepare for tomorrow, wash my socks, clean the boots and do these jottings. As a birthday treat The Boss took me to theDigby Chick Restaurant in Stornoway to celebrate and it was even better than we had expected. Driving back after just two pints of Hebridean IPA I felt "not quite right", as if I shouldn't have been behind the wheel. later in the holiday I found that Hebridean IPA is 7.5% alcohol. Oops!

I slept VERY well!

A Few Photos From Day 02 (just click on them for the BIG versions):
Day 02 - Leaving Braighe House B&B, Stornoway, 20/06/11	N. Tolsta Community Shop
Bus Shelter Near N. Tolsta	Near Griais
Footprint In The Sand, Traigh Ghriais	Near Tràigh Ghriais
Essentials From Stornoway!	Entering Stornoway!
Happy Birthday To You!	The Norwegian Consulate to The Outer Hebrides!
View From Braighe House B&B, Stornoway	Contemplating Braigh na h-Aoidh