After our walk on the Postman’s Trail, we decided that since the weather was going to be nice, we’d do another – this one the Coffin Trail – where they used to bring coffins from the east coast to the hallowed ground on the west… Much like the Corpse Way in upper Swaledale.

Weather wasn’t as promised, but we had a nice walk nonetheless.

The Coffin Trail

Jeez… What am I doing here???

Beach! I see a beach!!!

We left Tarbert which had been a lovely base for us and headed out to an overnight stop at the Shiant Islands – uninhabited but for countless seabirds. Staying overnight is only recommended in settle weather – which we had – but even so, it was a rolly evening. The birds were all over the place – Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, Cormorants, Gulls (Kittiwakes pehaps) all nesting in the nearby rocky shoreline and flying all over us. In the morning we were glad it was raining – to clean off the worst of the guano!

Not a dirty lens – those birds are all over us!

Puffins and Razorbills

Razor Hanky Panky

We’re now in Stornoway – little bits of which I remember from our holiday with parents when I was probably 8 or 9. Great spot for some provisioning – plus we managed to pick up a vital part for the watermaker – so water is once again plentiful aboard Toodle-oo!

We’ll leave here tomorrow for an overnight passage to the Shetland Isles – with luck it won’t be quite as boisterous as I fear it might be…