Sailing in the wake of Para Handy

Sunday 9 September 2012

THE Isles of Wonder are not so much Britain in all its celebratory Olympic splendour, but more the islands dotted around the west coast of Scotland.

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A paddle steamer and a push-bike are a passport to the wonderful isles. By Russell Leadbetter

Jane Ann Liston, of St Andrews, came to know and love them in the course of a two-week-long sojourn, courtesy of the paddle-steamer Waverley ... and her Brompton folding bicycle.

She visited Coll, Tiree, Iona and Staffa, called in at Colonsay, Mull, Skye and Raasay, came within touching distance of Arran, Bute, the Cumbraes, Islay, Gigha, Jura, Rum, Eigg, Muck, and for good measure sighted, in the summer haze, Canna, Lewis, Harris, the Uists and Barra. As if all that were not enough, she also dropped in on Campbeltown, Oban and Fort William; saw four of Scotland's most striking sights in Glencoe, Ben Nevis, Eilean Donan Castle and Loch Torridon; and visited the most remote pub on the British mainland – the Old Forge at Inverie, in Knoydart, Mallaig.

"It was a trip I'd had at the back of my mind for a while and when the opportunity arose I took it," she says. "Then I found out about the Friends of Waverley membership scheme [offering discounts and unlimited travel]. I'd also decided I wanted to see Gigha and thought: 'Let's see if we can combine the two.' It was a marvellous experience and I would really want to do it again."Jane Ann's attitude is typical of those Scots who are choosing to see more of their country rather than jetting abroad. It helped that Scotland's unpredictable weather delivered near-constant sunshine, and that the two weeks went off almost flawlessly. She spent the nights in B&Bs across the Highlands and Islands, but virtually the only irritating moment came at the Glasgow hotel where she stayed at the start of the trip."I was going to pay the £32 bill in cash – that way, I can keep track of my finances – and they said it was the law, I needed to provide photo ID. That is nonsense. I have no driving licence, and was staying within the UK, but I was supposed to have photo ID? Fortunately, I had my passport."Arran was partially hidden by cloud but the weather later brightened. "The Paps of Jura were clear, and someone pointed out the interesting tide at the Sound of Islay – if you fell in there you wouldn't come out. It's like Corryvreckan in that respect."The Old Forge on Knoydart was visited on the kind of beautiful day when the ship's red, white and black funnels stood out against a blue sky, making Jane Ann almost think she was in the Mediterranean. She used her bike to beat the rush to the bar, where pints had been lined up in anticipation. Souvenir Old Forge T-shirts were quickly put up for sale, too.One day was taken up with visiting what is known as 'four lochs and a whirlpool' – Crinan, Melfort, Shuna and Craignish, and Corryvreckan. Next came Fort William, up Loch Linnhe, where the passengers could glimpse Ben Nevis and Glencoe. "The big advantage of seeing these places from on board a ship was, of course, that there were no midges."A ship-to-ship transfer let passengers go onto Iona by means of a small ferry. Next stop was Tiree, where a local pub seemed to have been taken by surprise by the Waverley's arrival and could offer the passengers no food. She laughs as she recalls how the owner of a nearby shop opened her door to tell a hungry passenger firmly: "No, this shop is closed," and shut the door again.Early one morning, Jane Ann left her B&B near Oban and cycled to Connel Ferry railway station to catch the Waverley at Mallaig. The train got to Mallaig five minutes before the ship was due to sail. "It was a bit tricky finding the Connel station because it's not signposted on the main road at all. At Mallaig, the Waverley was sailing a little behind schedule, so all was well." After she complained to Transport Scotland, a sign on the trunk road for Connel Ferry Station is to be erected.The paddle steamer called in at Skye and Kyle of Lochalsh, and the following morning at Broadford and Raasay. "That was the day we could see the outer isles – Lewis and Harris – from north of Skye.At Raasay, the passengers saw the house where Johnson and Boswell stayed, and the home of poet Sorley Maclean. Other highlights of the trip were cruising Loch Torridon, an area of outstanding natural beauty, and a stunning view over Loch Tarbert on her subsequent post-Gigha cycle to Claonaig."Going abroad on holiday is obviously a matter of taste, but all of these islands are on our own doorstep," Jane Ann says. "My two-week trip just seemed to be such a wonderful way of seeing them all. You meet a lot of people on board the Waverley, too – it carries several hundred passengers – and there's a real mixture of people. But you all get quite pally, and there's a real sense of cameraderie."I noticed that everyone came off the ship smiling. The Waverley has that affect on people. But as far as the Isles of Wonder are concerned, I would say they're the western isles of Scotland. The whole trip can be summed up in Para Handy's words: 'Chust sublime.'"For details of PS Waverley's sailings go to http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/scotland.htm or telephone 0845 130 4647

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Sailing in the wake of Para Handy

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