outer hebrides trip

[suffolk man]

Hi All, we are looking at a two week trip to the southern outer Hebrides in September in our van (6m PVC). Ferry from Mallaig to south Uist then mooching down to Barra and then back up to south and North Uist and then the ferry back to Mallaig. Looking at a mixture of campsites and aires. All advice would be very welcome re ferries, overnight stops, service points etc etc especially whether we need to book overnight stays on campsites well in advance. Thanks in advance as usual

 

[suffolk man]

'No spare vessels': Ferry service chaos warning over CalMac breakdowns

FERRY operator CalMac has warned of disruption due to lack of backup vessels as three of its ten key ships are out of action till at least mid-March…

www.heraldscotland.com

I keep getting news items like this on my news feed since I booked!

Have a look at his as well

Service status & info - CalMac Ferries

www.calmac.co.uk

 

[Coolcats]

I get that but a 6m doesn't suit us, this 7.6m is pretty much perfect for us. But since calmac started to punish those over 6m I'll simply spend my money elsewhere. My usual for a week / 10 days is about a grand and we used to go to the islands twice a year. That's money they won't see anymore. Believe me I'd like to, and I get that there should be a bit of difference if you take up more room, but it's not relative. Calmac have deliberately chosen 6m as that's the price for all the delivery vans on and off the island.

Just a thought, My wife and family is from Harris, its a beautiful place for sure quite and remote which has its own attractions. I thought I would place a couple of screen grabs of some of the main roads, the lay-bys you see in the photos are not lay-bys they are passing places, you cant just stop where you want, not all roads are like this but many are.

People buy houses here thinking it will make a nice holliday home and sometimes shocked to find the property vandalised over the winter....except they haven't its just the winter storms, a friends windows was blown out a couple of years back (they have nice new ones now).

For sure there are some camping spots but getting around is not always easy particular in a long large MoHo, we visit by car and rent a cottage its much easier than using a MoHo.

So is Calmac punishing people, probably not just making sure the ones that really want to go do, and it also leaves some space for the locals who rely on the ferries to go about their daily lives have some space to travel, its not all about MoHo's

I am not saying you shouldn't take a MoHo but consider if its the best way to visit, I am sure many will say it is, personally I don't think it is but maybe i am biassed.

 

[suffolk man]

we've booked into campsites for our trip and plan to get around on the electric bikes fingers crossed. Of course the weather may have the final say on that idea

 

[2x2camper]

Just a thought, My wife and family is from Harris, its a beautiful place for sure quite and remote which has its own attractions. I thought I would place a couple of screen grabs of some of the main roads, the lay-bys you see in the photos are not lay-bys they are passing places, you cant just stop where you want, not all roads are like this but many are.

People buy houses here thinking it will make a nice holliday home and sometimes shocked to find the property vandalised over the winter....except they haven't its just the winter storms, a friends windows was blown out a couple of years back (they have nice new ones now).

For sure there are some camping spots but getting around is not always easy particular in a long large MoHo, we visit by car and rent a cottage its much easier than using a MoHo.

So is Calmac punishing people, probably not just making sure the ones that really want to go do, and it also leaves some space for the locals who rely on the ferries to go about their daily lives have some space to travel, its not all about MoHo's

I am not saying you shouldn't take a MoHo but consider if its the best way to visit, I am sure many will say it is, personally I don't think it is but maybe i am biassed.


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Went in a 6m pvc 2.5 years ago no problem driving round the islands or finding places to pitch up, either on campsites or places that asked for a contribution to stop.

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[PaulC70]

Just a thought, My wife and family is from Harris, its a beautiful place for sure quite and remote which has its own attractions. I thought I would place a couple of screen grabs of some of the main roads, the lay-bys you see in the photos are not lay-bys they are passing places, you cant just stop where you want, not all roads are like this but many are.

People buy houses here thinking it will make a nice holliday home and sometimes shocked to find the property vandalised over the winter....except they haven't its just the winter storms, a friends windows was blown out a couple of years back (they have nice new ones now).

For sure there are some camping spots but getting around is not always easy particular in a long large MoHo, we visit by car and rent a cottage its much easier than using a MoHo.

So is Calmac punishing people, probably not just making sure the ones that really want to go do, and it also leaves some space for the locals who rely on the ferries to go about their daily lives have some space to travel, its not all about MoHo's

I am not saying you shouldn't take a MoHo but consider if its the best way to visit, I am sure many will say it is, personally I don't think it is but maybe i am biassed.


View attachment 743392View attachment 743393View attachment 743394

I don't really get your post to be honest. You seem to be assuming I don't know the difference in a layby and a proper place to stay Also that I don't know how to drive a large vehicle in such a rural area etc, which I do as I grew up in Donegal, many of the rural roads are just as narrow and have no passing places at all, you make them.

I've yet to find a road in Scotland that I couldn't use in my motorhome and quite honestly not had any problems finding proper places to stop using search for sites and park4night app, both brilliant.

My only point was about the (what I see as) extortionate uprating on price once you are over 6m, that's all, so yes, Calmac are punishing and pushing those of us away that are greater than 6m. Certainly you cannot seriously believe that their new pricing structure is to weed out those that "really want to go"?

Twice since they made this change I'd have visited normally, and there's a third one coming up so that's an average of £3K lost locally, that's just me. One of those times I spent 2 nights on Skye and spent £600, but the only reason we did Skye at all is it was on the way past our mini Scottish tour that included Orkney.

Im not saying we will never go again on the OH, but it will be some time and it will be in the motorhome.

 

[Coolcats]

I don't really get your post to be honest. You seem to be assuming I don't know the difference in a layby and a proper place to stay Also that I don't know how to drive a large vehicle in such a rural area etc, which I do as I grew up in Donegal, many of the rural roads are just as narrow and have no passing places at all, you make them.

I've yet to find a road in Scotland that I couldn't use in my motorhome and quite honestly not had any problems finding proper places to stop using search for sites and park4night app, both brilliant.

My only point was about the (what I see as) extortionate uprating on price once you are over 6m, that's all, so yes, Calmac are punishing and pushing those of us away that are greater than 6m. Certainly you cannot seriously believe that their new pricing structure is to weed out those that "really want to go"?

Twice since they made this change I'd have visited normally, and there's a third one coming up so that's an average of £3K lost locally, that's just me. One of those times I spent 2 nights on Skye and spent £600, but the only reason we did Skye at all is it was on the way past our mini Scottish tour that included Orkney.

Im not saying we will never go again on the OH, but it will be some time and it will be in the motorhome.

There may be some who do not fancy single track roads or manoeuvring 7.5 m van on narrow lanes and good to hear you have no issue

 

[Threeracers]

One of my four ferry bookings got cancelled, the route back over to Mallaig, but I just changed it to Lochmaddy to Uig on the same day - next Saturday - instead. Not a problem to me as I am in no rush to return to Kent and will get a few more days on Skye on the way back. Weather is fantastic right now.

 

[Jammi]

Scottish roads are more drivable than Cornish! At least they have passing places instead of 10ft walls/hedges!