The pod at Mangersta

I had a good night’s sleep at the lovely B&B in Ullapool and I was at the ferry terminal in good time to check in. Then there is the boring hour when you wait for boarding.

It was grey and raining, but the wait was improved when the bikers in my extra arrived. There were four bikes in total and they have come over for the 2025 Midge Biters Rally this weekend. Apparently there will be about 150 bikes taking part and raising money for a local mental health charity.

Can I find the route? One said they would be riding to Uig (where I am staying) but that seems unlikely, since it is nearly the end of the road. I’d like to photograph them.

My car was the last onto the mezzanine level, which was quite an experience, as the ramp went up. The sea was calm and grey.

Like many people I dozed in one of the lounges.

When we arrived in Stornoway, I had a rude awakening. I went straight into Tesco. It was noisy, full of people and the Muzak was horrible. Many of the shelves were low on stock, especially fresh fruit and veg. There were short shelf times in cooked meat and fish.

I escaped and drove to Timsgarry, where Hazel and Tim were waiting with tea and cakes.

Later, we all drove to Mangersta and my splendid pod. It’s tiny and very well designed. The shower room is through the door you can see.

I had a rest while H and T went for a walk. Later I drove back to their accommodation for a delicious fish pie made by Tim, followed by raspberries and cream. Mmm.

We played Azul, new to me. Tim won.

Now I’m back in the pod and I don’t feel sleepy because it is so very light!