SusExp 2009 Day 11: Staffin to Portree (29km)

I’m sitting in my flat starting the well interrupted writing of the expedition blog, starting with the last day of the trip as it’s what I remember best and hopefully it will set the standard for the rest of the writing. I want to make this a good write up, not just about the sustainable expeditions side of it, but also a more holistic perspective looking at expedition life and the dynamic of human relationships.

So, the alarm went off at 8.30am, it was a beautiful sunny morning, the best morning light yet. I unset the tent under a cloud of midges then went for a walk along the shore for one of my final roll-ups – the end of the expedition was supposed to tie in with stopping smoking – and a poo with a view. Looking across to Raasay, Rona, Applecross and Torridon, I enjoyed both! Poo is always a bit taboo, so I’ll bring it up. You could have an in depth discussion about what to do with poo and lots of organisation have their own best practice. I would/do follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code recommendations for human waste:

“If you need to urinate, do so at least 30m from open water or rivers and streams. If you need to defecate, do so as far away as possible from buildings, from open water or rivers and streams, and from any farm animals. Bury faeces in a shallow hole and replace the turf.”

So I woke Sam up from his coastal sleep in the bivvy bag at 9.15am – we were trying to be away by 11am, so it would yet again be a push to get away on time.

As usual, things didn’t happen as fast as I would have liked, but nevertheless, they happened. Sam kept the fire going through the night with some wood he’d prepared before, but it was a warm night and he said he got too warm! The fire was still going, when we started making breakfast, but it was near the end of the expedition and neither I or Sam had the patience to cook on a fire. So Sam had his uncooked porridge oats with powdered milk and water, and I had scrambled egg with salad (eggs and salad from Isle of Skye Fresh Produce Company) with Stornoway black pudding.

We got on the water at 11.45am – not too bad I guess, but it was now a race to be in time for a meeting with the West Highland Free Press for arrival photographs. The water was flat and the visibility slightly hazy which made it an atmospheric paddle.

Setting off south along the coast we paddled down the steep cliff coast with enjoying the interesting geology and the flat water.

Had lunch of the usual oatcakes with cheese, and also indulged with some popcorn that Sam had brought, plus a wee bit more Skye Fudge! Carrying on along the coast the Old Man of Storr came in and out of view with the intermittent cloud.

We could see Holm island in the distance, a nice comfort, knowing it was under 10km from there or Portree. Sam tried a bit of fishing where the fish were rising – sand eels maybe being chased by something, or breeding? – but no joy.

Onwards we paddled, excited and fuelled by the fact it was only a matter of hours now until we were finished.

We rounded the blind corner and Camas Ban came into sight (only this time there was a huge cruise ship in the bay). The ravens were characteristically soaring at the top of the ridge in a haunting way

Further round Portree harbour, the yachts, the lifeboat, the colourful houses came into view.

And a few minutes later we hand landed – we had done it!!

A quick hug and congratulations for each other then Willy Urquhart, the West Highland Free Press photographer asked us to get back in our boats and paddle in and out a few more times!! After this brief photo shoot and a quick chat, we pulled our boats up, opened a few beers from Isle of Skye Brewery, and got some fish and chips.

After emptying the boats and packing the car we set off to find a campsite up north close to White Wave Outdoor Centre to drop the boat off. We wanted some time to look at the maps and mull over what we’d just done so we popped into the quaint Flodigarry Country House Hotel just north of Staffin, a funny place with staff in kilts, playing Runrig – they served nice coffee, so it was all good! We drove on and found a place to camp at the side of the road on one of the numerous grassy patches at the side of the road. High from coffee, we chatted and laughed about for a few hours about the previous weeks happenings, then enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

Food diary:

• Breakfast: scrambled egg with Stornoway black pudding and parsley (Skye Fresh Produce Company);
• Lunch: popcorn; malt loaf; oatcakes with cheese; Skye Fudge.
• Snacks: Skye Fudge;
• Dinner: Fish and Chips plus a bottle of beer from Skye Brewery.
• Coffee in the Flodigarry Country House Hotel with funny staff all wearing kilts, pretty posh but nice coffee.