Marketing Groups

April 28, 2008 on 5:32 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

I have had one of those days when I have been playing catch up and all these interesting letters and e-mails surface when you clear the desk.

I was particularly struck by two marketing groups one is Hidden Lewis which is a group I belong to and its aim is to promote the things to do and see in Lewis and the other is Winter Harris, which I have an entry on which is to promote visitors to Harris in the off season, although I suspect there is also the aim to get people to come year round.

These small marketing projects are great examples of how the internet can help ‘the long tail’ effect generate business for people like us who live on the periphery.

Tim Pickering
http://www.canoehebrides.com
Living in the world's biggest adventure playground - The Outer Hebrides CanoeHebrides.com - Sea kayaking Expeditions BikeHebrides.com -Quality Mountain Bike Hire

West Coast Paddling

April 21, 2008 on 9:31 pm | In Sea Kayaking | No Comments

Before the weekend’s paddling there is great news today, the Scottish Government have seen sense and not granted permission for the wholesale industrialisation of the Lewis landscape.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7358315.stm

We had probably one of the best paddles I have ever been on this Sunday. With the easterly winds blowing for the last week we have almost no swell running into the west coast. This allows the exploration of the wilder sections of coast and they don’t get much wilder than the coast around Mangasta.

So we launched from Mangasta beach and headed north through the sea stacks, rocky skerries and caves, below Screaming Geo where there were some climbers having an equally awesome day up andround Mangasta Island.

The island has a cave which passes right through the middle, it is just a boats width and there was just too much swell to go through, at least if you wanted to still be in the boat at the other end and not swimming in smashed fibreglass.

With wall to wall bule sky and blazing sun we pulled up on a tiny beach at the bottom of a boulder beach and had some lunch, it was difficult to leave but Aird Breanish was calling.

The character of the coast here changes and doesn’t have the huge soaring cliffs, it is equally unfriendly but it is the slooping rocks and the sucking holes which appear at the bottom when the waves slide back which bring the terror. There a miriad of passages and sea stakes to paddle round and explore.

This is a very exposed headland with no escapes but as you round it you arrive at a white sand beach tucked at the back of a corner, time for more coffee and if you are wearing a dry suit a swim!?!

Hauling out at the end the sun was so warm while the run back was fetching the cars there was some sleeping in the sun to be caught.

Tim Pickering
http://www.canoehebrides.com
Living in the world's biggest adventure playground - The Outer Hebrides CanoeHebrides.com - Sea kayaking Expeditions BikeHebrides.com -Quality Mountain Bike Hire

Kelp Warriors in Harris

April 10, 2008 on 9:15 pm | In Sea Kayaking | No Comments

After a week in Uist grounded by bad weather it didn’t bode well for Saturday’s paddle with more wind and snow showers forecast. So when I drove off the ferry and up to Am Bothan (the bunk house in Leverburgh) to met Ruari it was blowing well and bitterly cold.

After Benny had fed us with strong coffee to steel us for the weather, we put in at the back of his house in the bays of Harris. It was straight into the gates of hell except it was cold not hot and the wind was howling. Once we were out of the bay we found some shelter from the cliffs and the sun came out. It could have been spring but for the stinging pain every time the water touched your skin.

We headed south and pulled out for a bite to eat at Lingabay, I had never been there in a boat before and wow is the only way I can describe it. The back of the island has a lagoon with a sandy bottom and the contrast of the azure water next to the brown of the rocks with the snow capped mountains behind was just what I needed after a hard week inside. Ruari was telling us how they mined the felspar for explosives during the war there and then we were overflown by a juvenile sea eagle.

Paddling out was interesting battling through the kelp.

We poked into Rodel and with the big spring tides, it was time to jump out of the boat for a short portage into Loch Rodel and then on to Renish Point.

Round the point we were faced with the wind in our faces and by now it was freshening and to say it was a hard slog would not be putting too strong a case. I was exhausted and hurting by the time we reached the Anchorage. Thank goodness they were open for the first time this season and so tea and buns was the order of the day. Benny was hungry so it was a large slice of chocolate cake, scampi and chips and then more chocolate cake.

A great day paddling an unexpected gem.

Tim Pickering
http://www.canoehebrides.com
Living in the world's biggest adventure playground - The Outer Hebrides CanoeHebrides.com - Sea kayaking Expeditions BikeHebrides.com -Quality Mountain Bike Hire

A Dinner of Two Halves

April 4, 2008 on 9:00 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

After a week in Uist eating out each evening I am ready to go home to pasta, there are only some many meals out you can have. It has been a ‘meal’ of two halves with using the Dark Island Hotel (the DI) and then the Orasay Inn and finally Langass Lodge for my culinary tour.

After being out running I was looking forwards to a good meal and  beer but the DI I am sorry to say was not a shining example of cusine. One meal was swimming in gravy into which they must have spilt the salt pot. And sadly none of my three meals were the ‘great food’ of the web site.

The Orasay Inn began to restore my spirits in the food of Uist and the fish was well cooked and tasty. I had been wanting to go out paddling but the weather wasn’t great as I needed to take the camera so the meal helped to salvage the day.

Finally as I headed north today, I decided I would stop at Langass Lodge, I have heard much about it but never quite made it there. As I needed to stop and look at the neolithic sites and take some pictures, I thought it would be a good opportunity. The place starts well with a great ambience and then a friendly welcome. The fish which was fresh from Barra was very tasty and a fitting end to a walk on the hill.

Tim Pickering
http://www.canoehebrides.com
Living in the world's biggest adventure playground - The Outer Hebrides CanoeHebrides.com - Sea kayaking Expeditions BikeHebrides.com -Quality Mountain Bike Hire