Day thirty-three - Friday

Late start, decided to do some work in the flat as not worth going into A&E for just an hour or two. Before long it was time to pick up my parents and sister from the airport – they’ve come over for a long weekend to visit and see some of the island! The airport’s only 10mins away by car from the hospital, and the road goes right past the end of the runway. Unlike Barra, where the plane lands on the flat sands of the beach, Stornoway has a proper tarmac runway! Stopped in the carpark and waited to watch the plane come in to land. Wondered over to the airport building, pretty swish! Watched the pilot taxi the plane into position - would be such an awesome job. Funny bit when one of the high vis airport people went to the front of the plane with a tied up roll of paper and knocked on the bottom of the cockpit. Then the pilot stuck his hand out through a hole (which I hadn’t noticed, presumably has a cover for when they’re flying) to pick it up – maybe the flight plan for the next flight...

Mum and Dad coming down the steps of the plane

Everyone arrived, piled into car and drove back to the hospital accomodation. Food, coffee and then headed up the east coast of Lewis to Tolsta, and the famous Traigh Mhor beach. Weather was pretty gloomy but dry – that is until we pulled up in the carpark when right on time it started raining! Wasn’t going to put us off though, and after a few minutes waiting it cleared up. The beach was incredible – long stretch of perfect golden sand, backed with machair grassy dunes, all facing the turquoise blue ocean. Windy! Walked along the tide line trying not to step on the numerous colourless jelly fish marooned on the sands. Further up some people were flying a kite, but other than them we had the beach to ourselves.

Wondering along I was watching my feet for jellyfish until Mum’s shout alerted us to a pod of porpoise about 50m out from the beach! Watched them surfacing for a while, swimming parallel to the beach, gracefully appearing out of the waves to show off their fins and get a breath of air. Wildlife watching was interrupted by impending rain however, and despite cutting the walk short we were still caught out in the rain on the way back to the car. Pretty heavy, so by the time we got back to the car we were soaked! Driving back to Stornoway it intensified into a torrential downpour, windscreen wipers on max for a time...

Porpoise!

Checked into Heb Hostel, the place my family were staying for the next 3 nights. Seemed like a really nice place, clean and friendly. The guidebook they’d brought said that once you’d visited the tourist info and stocked up on food at a supermarket there wasn’t much more on offer in Stornoway, so after ticking off the first we took a trip round the massive Co-Op to pick up supplies for the weekend. Ate some fantastic fish and chips from the Church Street Chip Shop, delicious batter and buttery mushy peas! After a few beers back at the hostel everyone was pretty shattered so turned in for an early night.