Something a bit different in the far west coast....

gerarddwatts

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I've alluded in other threads to my latest trip ....a weeks fishing(?) in the west coast of Lewis. Such a spectacular spot that it's probably worth a thread of its own with some pix.

Over the years at Persie we have become firm friends with the family of the lad that first came there 22 years ago to cook for the bosses family week.
We are fortunate enough to be invited on some of their fishing trips...I was up with them a couple of weeks ago on the River Polla , off Loch Eriboll on thefar north coast. I have often joined them for a few days on my bike...this May on South Uist for example.
But this trip includes wifey and 2 spaniels.
So Volvo was loaded up and left home at 5am, up the A9 to Ullapool.
We stopped for a refreshment at Harry Gows bakery in the car park just north of the Kessock Bridge....highly recommended by the way...
On to the delayed....fog...ferrry over to Stornoway.
Quick dash through Stornoway.....not the prettiest town in Scotland....and over to our home for the next week....the lodge at Hamanavay.
This lies at the far end of an 8 mile unmade private track....no problem for the V90 Crosscountry
Pix to follow!
 
So where is it?

The nearest place folk may know is Callanish where the stones are....
Bu before you get to Callanish turn left , past Uig bay, and the 8 miles through the hills...
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So whats thebig attraction? Fish. Sea trout and salmon. Lots of them. And the reason they are there? No bastard fish farms. Disgusting filthy toxic shitty things.
They attract enormous numbers of sea lice, which infest and kill young sea trout and salmon as they head out to sea. Fish farm companies use all sorts of foul chemicals in the cages to kill sea lice but pretty ineffective. The un eaten food, plus tons of salmon shite, plus a chemical cocktail, poison the sea bed under and near the cages. The wild fish are mostly wiped out on west coast rivers because thats where the cages are. Then theres a storm and the cages get burst, the fish in the cages escape and breed with the wild fish, thus ruining forever the genetic integrity of the wild fish. It's a total scandal, encouraged by the Scottish Government. Sadly the farm companies are mostly scandinavian, doing in Scotland what they are not allowed to do at home, and then sending the profits to Norway. Awful.
 
Great spot, I tried to go down the track a few years ago and found a locked gate a mile later, just round a corner going down a hill. Not perfect!
 
I'll get some pix of the house later....in themeantime it is a comfy well finished and equipped house to sleep 8. Ithas a genny for electric, and sattelite wifi......
 
A view from the drawing room window...and my bedroom window..

A couple of the boys went out yesterday and caught shedloads of mackerel, as well as bumping into a couple of locals(?) scallop diving, who swapped mackerels for scallops....seems fair....so a delicious starter was produced....couldn't be fresher!

At night those same mackerel encouraged a pod of dolphins into the bay below the house...very entertaining for half an hour
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This part of the world escaped the heatwave of the last week or so, but needs some rain. Today, Mon, wascooler and a bit of wet air, but the breeze wasn't really enough to defeat the beasties...down by the house anyhow....just about to venture up the hill, but the swines made getting rod flees etc ready a bit of a chore....what to try first?
 
Looks a fantastic spot Gerard.
 
What a wonderful thread Gerrard. I do love the highlands.

Following with interest, lots of pics please.

:thumb2
 
Apparently this is pretty much a hind forest, with the stags coming in at the rut, end of Sept, Oct. Then the place will be alive with roaring.
There is a gaelic name for Sept 24th(I think)...the day of the roaring


The first ones bought their chums...just outside the windie!
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