Day 17: Lochmaddy to Berneray (~12Nm, 4hrs)

Today took ages to get started due to coming back from my mid-expedition break in Skye. I got back to Lochmaddy Outdoor Centre at 8.30ish lastnight and there were people there! It was nice to meet some new people: a bird photographer; some BT people; and a holiday cyclists. I managed to eventually leave the hostel 11.25pm. I worked out tidal stream times and planned the trip the night before, so it was just a matter of packing the boat.

I decided to leave a few things in the outdoor centre to pick up the the return journey. The Kelly Kettle, it's great, but takes up too much space when I already have pots that I can boil water in - though not as efficiently. Also left behind used maps and charts, face mask, sun hat and spare flask. It's all so far unused kit that I didn't want to be carrying.

I set off intending to have lunch on a skerry but didn't have time due to the late departure as the tide was turning, and the flood tide, which flows SE in the Sound of Harris, was at it' spring rate almost, in the wrong direction, so I wanted to avoid it as much as possible.

I got to the hostel shore, had a wee play in the tidal race that was flowing, then landed to set up camp. The east facing beach on Berneray is amazing and has a great view. There were no rocks at the campsite I chose on the machair so I had to chop some wood for tent pegs. The sand was too far away from camp and although I dug up the top layer of vegetation next to the camp, I decided in the end it would be best to just use the cooker at the Gatliff/SYHA hostel to save messing up the environment. The hostel's now been refurbished with aluminium foil lined insulation which makes it much lighter inside (roof was black before) and much warmer! I cooked dinner, had a few nice chats to people: German couple on 6 week tour of Scotland tour; NZ couple on Europe tour and a Glasgow couple just cycling around. So now I'm lying here, shattered from the day's padling.

Today's food: breakfast - porridge/jam; lunch - smoked salmon; dinner - potatoes, lamb chops, carrot.