L2L Day 95 Baile Ailein to Stornoway - 16 miles

The last of the walking days. 

At breakfast,  looking out over the loch, the weather prospects changed a couple of times - a brightening sky then drizzle then a chink in the clouds again. Most importantly, the wind had dropped.

Our host Norman dropped us at Lacasaigh -  the start of this final section of the walk. Travelling by car after all this walking feels amazingly extravagant and very comfortable. I could really get a feel for it!!

A family of Greylag Geese on Loch Ulapuil.


Looking back towards the mountains of Harris


The rain came and went quickly - we've learned on the Hebrides to always keep a weather-eye.


Having not heard skylarks for the last few days, today was definitely the day for them.

The route was very boggy for the next six miles. 






As the previous days our progress was slow  - about 1.5 miles per hour.

After the boggiest half mile we eventually arrived at firm ground at Acha Mor. 


Our B&B last night had run out of bread so had offered us sandwiches of cream crackers and edam. Taking shelter in some trees, we were starving by now, they went down a treat

From Acha Mor, the trail followed a quiet single track metalled road for 4 miles across the Sithean mor. Over the next 3 hours, only a handful of cars passed us.



This area is known for its sheilings - where crofters would have lived while looking after their sheep during the summer months. 


Life must have been hard. The buildings are all pretty ramshackle by now but they look strangely romantic in the landscape and many are clearly still in use though we suspected not by shepherds.






By sometime after 4 in the afternoon, at the end of the moor, we joined another single track road. Walking towards us - we met a group of D of E students. Having arrived by a later ferry than they'd intended, they told us they were supposed to be heading for Baile Ailean. We'd already been walking 7 hours from Baile Ailein by this stage. They were clearly resigned to camp on the moor and continue in the morning. Not a prospect I'd  relish but they were still in high spirits at this stage. 



We continued walking and were a few miles outside Stornoway when the Gods that control these things decided we should see  We spotted a large brown bird at a distance and the slow movement of its wings - a Golden Eagle.

It started flying towards us but was being mobbed by a Raven  Fortunately this time I managed to get some pictures.




A great treat for our last day of walking.

The official end of the Hebridean Way is in the grounds of Lews Castle. 


A photograph was justified for almost 150 miles of walking over some amazing, stunning and uncompromising terrain.




Stornoway harbour











Comments

  1. TT2 July 2026 at 09:52

    95 whole days in all weathers and you've made it...Hooray and Llongyfarchiadau!XX

    ReplyDelete

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