We stayed four nights in Portree, waiting for the opportunity to go somewhere else. We spent the first night on one of the local harbour association moorings, which are set incredibly close together. We had a yacht very close to us that first night, but it did not touch us, and left in the morning. The next night we had another yacht on the other side of us, and the wind went light. Suddenly we heard the sound of a mooring buoy, not ours, knocking on the hull towards the rear of the boat. Ju suggested that we drop back on to that buoy, as then we would be at a safe distance from the neighbouring yacht, by now unattended. So without using the engine, we simply picked up one buoy and dropped the other, and within a few minutes the one we were on became a dot in the distance! Puzzling!

Anyway Ju suggested that as strong northerlies were again forecast we would do well to move to the former HIE moorings over in the north-east corner of the harbour, so we moved there for the third and fourth nights. While in Portree we needed a new Camping Gaz cylinder, for which we had to walk miles out the Dunvegan Road to a unit in an industrial estate. Good exercise, for two pairs of legs that don't get that much use on the boat! On the third evening a dinghy approached us, and it proved to be Fiona, an old pal from the Craignish Boat Club and the RHYC, she was on board the only other yacht to arrive that day! We had a good blether about possible destinations, the weather, the usual stuff yachties talk about!

On Wednesday morning the sun was shining, steam was rising from the dodgers as it had rained heavily in the night. The weather forecast had had a threatening gale force 8 in Hebrides for two days, but there was virtually no wind in Portree harbour, and we could see the Cuillins in perfect detail, uncovered by cloud for once!

So we decided to go north, and set course for Gairloch. This was a spectacular journey almost entirely in sunshine, past the high rocky cliffs of Skye, that hide a sea eagles' nest, and with the long island of Raasay on the left. We passed the smaller island of Rona and altered course towards Gairloch, noting all the time that there were severe rain squalls in Loch Torridon and further south. We motorsailed all the way, as the wind stayed light, around 6 or 7 knots, dropped the main on entering the loch in case a sudden squall hit us, and headed over to Flowerdale Bay, where there is a pontoon and small harbour. Ju phoned the harbourmaster who said there was a space behind another yacht, port-side-to. So we crept into the small harbour, did a handbrake turn and slotted nicely into the space between the yacht and a fishing boat. Sorted! (See photo)Soon we had shore power going, and were off along to the boat club for a shower. Luxury! We made it back to the boat before fairly heavy rain set in, and debated whether we should have dinner in the pub, or just eat on board.

This is our first visit here, so there was a Talisker moment when we arrived!