Fáilte
In Lochinver
Iomramh 2011.
Lochinver
1st June 2011.
Lochinver also known as Assynt, or Assainte this being the parish name.
Immediately after breakfast, work commenced on extracting the boat’s batteries, which when examined were found to have no water – hopefully replenishing the water and recharging will solve the problem.
Breandán has decided to leave and return to Ireland so Danny and I helped him bring his stuff to the bus depot, from where he was to depart for Ullapool and I was sorry to see him go.
Pádraig and Ken brought the two heavy batteries up to the pier head where Don came to bring them into town in his van.
The weather, by the way was absolutely foul, but it has cleared up a bit now (afternoon).
Lochinver seems to be in a cul-de-sac with no main through road. It has a newsagent, church two restaurants, two hotels, and post office and as far as I can see about a hundred houses. I was impressed when I saw that such a small community had their own ‘Village Hall’ and then found this Community Centre, with a big sports facility, etc, and where a woman told me the Community had just taken over a 40/50,000 hectare estate to be managed by themselves as an amenity. They have also taken over the local seaman’s mission for some other venture. Very enterprising!
We learned from last night and had the dinner eaten by 9.00pm and early to the pub, which was very pleasant.
After getting the weather forecast this morning, it was decided that the weather was too bad to put to sea, so we will wait till tomorrow, have an early start and do the full 180 miles to Shetland. This means that Orkney, with all its Papar sites will be missed.
Shetland at 180 miles is the longest single distance, so far and will take 36 hours sailing with three hour watches.
Spent the day walking in Assynt woodlands, availing of the shower and internet facilities in the Community Centre and re-installing the boat’s batteries.
Word came that this was ‘music night’ in the local pub and Irish were especially welcome, Even though we got to the pub early, we met people coming home who were disappointed that we ‘hadn’t turned up’. The local group consisted of three fiddle players, one of whom Eddie Strachan was particularly good and had often been to Ireland, including Willie Clancy Week. There was also a German/French group. Pádraig’s ballads were well rewarded when we all got free drinks from the proprietor.