Anybody got a *very* rough idea of ferry prices to Lewis?

[comstock]

I'm thinking of Uig (skye) to Tarbet (south lewis) return out of season, me and a car.

Even a ball park figure would do, I've *no* idea at all :confused:

Just considering possible itineries for early '06

[Pickman's model]

did you think of googling?

cos if you had you'd have found this:

http://www.calmac.co.uk/summer-harris-timetable.html

[Here we go]

Just considering possible itineries for early '06

Some bad storms up that way in early '05 :eek:

[pogofish]

I'm literally just back from there - I took a motorbike (although given the weather at times, a submarine would have been a better choice!) & that was £53 return on a 5-day ticket, Uig to Tarbert. A car & one passenger would be twice that. If you want to do cheaper, McBraynes & another firm do a variety of day-trips to the main sights - Different ones on different days, Rodel & N Uist on Mondays & Wed, Callanish, Arnol & Stornoway on Saturdays for @£25. There is a decent, basic & relatively (for Skye) midgie-free camp site @2mins walk from the boat in Uig with free showers for £4.50 a night, a youth hostel a couple of miles away & the pub by the dock does a cracking pint of Celtic Black Ale & a bloody strong brew called "Berserker" which is far too easy to drink :o :D For food, I can recommend MacQuien (tall celtic tatooed guy) & his filled rolls at the cafe by the ferry terminal - £2.10 for two fillings & all the tea/coffee you can drink. If you fish, he is also a mine of very useful information ;)

The cost of getting there is more than offset by the low cost of accomodation once there. There are only two small official camp sites on the island - At Shawbost & Stornoway, £6 & £6.50 a night respectively (showers extra). Shawbost is pretty midge free but if the wind is off the Atlantic (most of the time it seems), nothing will keep the rain out of your tent (good sheltered beaches nearby though) but whilst Stornoway is more sheltered, it isn't very pretty, you have a view to the airport on one side & on the other, some sort of secure unit. Midgies are pretty bad but early season will be OK. Stornoway has recently discovered cafe-bars etc but the Coffee Pot cafe by the ferry dock will do you proud with more sensible locally produced food & better prices. There are also cheap showers at the public bogs by the fishing boat dock. After that, the official line is "find yourself a beach & pitch-up" :) So long as you are on common grazing land/peatland (ie unfenced) & not directly on an ancient monument/SSSI or under somebodys window, they won't mind at all - Luskintyre has bogs by the beach & at Baltos, near Aird Uige, the community has established a cracking little free site on their lovely reef-beach with good toilets & most historic sites etc leave their bogs open at night for people camping in the area to use. The flipside of this is that it is simply good manners to use the community-owned stores, petrol stations (cheaper anyway, don't use the main road one at Tarbert :eek: ) or sink a few in the local pub. Genuinely they seem pleased to see visitors so take time for a chat & you will soon be directed to all sorts of off the tracks places that have fantastic views/history etc. There are a few bunkhouses which were advertising prices in the £6.50-£10 range. Even overnighting in your car-up in public car parks away from towns is fine there.

Respect the Sabbath, even the non-religious find a day's downtime a good thing & right or wrong, its part of the culture there anyway.

The road from Tarbert to Stornoway is undergoing major woadworks & upgrading - Especially over Clisham & it will be nice when they finish it but FTM it & the three other shorter stretches are a scary mess of mud, rocks, spilled diesel, construction traffic & kamikazee sheep. That & heavy rain are not a nice combination on two wheels but when it clears, the light & landscape are utterly breathtaking. The Peat Road from Stornoway to somewhere near Carloway is quite an experience.

[comstock]

Thanks for that excellent post Pogofish :)

I will make a copy for reference. Cheers! :)