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larry
Member
Member #: 96 Posts 3
Registered: 29-12-2002 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 24-5-2003 at 09:23 |
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herides
i was thinking of visiting the hebrides after my finals, does anyone know the best places to go and is there any particular advice?
tiree must be good but there must be loads of other better places.
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justal
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| posted on 25-5-2003 at 06:22 |
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Have you seen the info on this site???
take a look here: http://www.forces-of-nature.co.uk/hebrides_frames.htm
I've spent quite a bit of time in the Outer Hebrides (Barra, South Uist, Benbecula, North Uist, Berneray, Harris and Lewis), and all of
them are excellent for surfing, windsurfing and other 'Forces-of-Nature' sports.... The best place I've ever been, with probably the
most consistent surf in Europe, beautiful beaches, ridiculously friendly people and no crowding.
Take a look through the link above for some more specific info and take a look here
for some photos (Just click on the relevant island from the menu on the
left). Also have a look here for the diary of our
last trip there.
I had an e-mail from Louise Emery yesterday asking me for some detialed info on windsurfing in the Outer Hebrides, so I'm about to
write to her and will post the info here as well. Her exact words were:
quote:
Myself, Shawna Cropas and Camilla French are planning a windsurf travel feature?ùon the Outer Hebrides. We all compete on the UKWA and
PWA Wave and Freestyle Tour and are hoping to raise the profile of the sport and show the windsurf world that there is more to Scottish
windsurfing than Tiree.
?ù
The article will be published in Boards Magazine, Windsport (Canadian Mag)?ùand Windsurf (USA Mag).
We are also hoping to get the article into women's mags, pushing the lifestyle angle and maybe getting more chicks to windsurf.
Animal will be providing sponsorship along with the Scottish Tourist Board.
More chicks sounds good to me!!! 
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
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justal
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| posted on 26-5-2003 at 07:06 |
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Here you go Larry this is what I sent to Lousie Emery::
Barra:
Traigh Mhor.
This is the beach on the Norhtern peninsula of barra. It provides some nice flat wtare blasting or bump and jump conditions and is a
pretty cool place to hang out. Don't wander around on the beach at low tide, or leave kit strewn across the sands though as the beach
is used as a landing strip for the inter-island aeroplane!
Triagh Eais.
This beach is just across the dunes from Traigh Mhor and has more potential for wave-sailing or surfing. Its quite a big sandy beach
backed by dunes. Access with kit is a little more difficult, but its not too far to carry small kit from Triagh Mhor. It picks up a
fair amount of swell but the wve quality is affected by winds with any W in them so its usually your normal cross-onshore UK
wave-sailing.
Vatersay:
Vatersay is a seperate island joined to Barra by a causeway, but its well worth driving across just to take a look. There are two
beaches which almost jpin each other, being seperated by a normal isthmus of land. Facing east is Vatersay Bay, a beautiful beach with
shletered flat water blasting sailing opportunities. Facing West is the more lively beach (I'm not sure of its name), but it picks up a
fair amount of swell and would be pretty good for surfing. It may be a little two small and confined for decent winsurfing though.
Some of the smaller beaches along the West Coast of Barra get some good surf too.
South Uist.
West Coast.
Basically, the whole of the West Coast of S. Uist is one long sandy beach backed by sand dunes, so you could sail anywhere along here
and your only restrictions would be one of access. Facing West the beaches along hre do get some swell, but they don't seem to get as
much as those further North in the Outer Hebrides. Your best bet would probably be to go out at How More (Tobha Mhor), where there is a
little river and you get better quality waves breaking on the sand banks formed by the river. Another access point is further South
pretty much opposite the road from Lochboisdale. You can camp right on the beach along this Western Coast of S. Uist, ut although its a
lovely place, don't linger too long as better waves await the further north you go!
Loch Bee.
OK, not suitable for wave-sailing but its a fairly big expanse of flat, freshwater that is perfect for intermediates. Although it looks
deep, its only waist to chest deep so is perfect for those trying to perfect their gybes or the latest freestyle move.
Benbecula.
Whatch out, as you might miss Benbecula as you drive north, but it does have a decent beach for surfing and windsurfing. From
Lionacleit, you first come to Stinky Bay which can be OK for B&J sailing, although there is a lot of seaweed here most of the time.
Culla is better for surfing when everywhere else is just too big, but can also provide some good cross-shore wave-sailing conditions
when there is big swell.
North Uist.
There are quite a few surfing options on North Uist and some windsurfing ones too.
Valley Strand:
For the intermediates, high tide at Valley Strand is perfect. Blue seas, flat to choppy water and shallow (hopefully with the sun
shining!).
Baleshare:
A pebble backed beach on a small island of its own on the West Coast of North Uist. Can offer some good wave-sailing conditions.
Hosta:
The place to head to for wave-sailing is Hosta which picks up more than its fair share of swell, but is a little too enclosed really
for windsurfing.
Sollas:
A beach that would be perfect for wave-sailing if it weren't for the difficulty of access...It is possible to get fairly close by
driving around the eastern edge of valley Strand though and a land-rover would get you practically onto the beach. I haven't sailed
there, but it should be good.
There are also quite a few beaches around the Northern end of North Uist that can be seen on the way to the causeway that joins N. uist
and berneray. Some of these look really good for 'island crusiing' with some really nice views, small islands to sail around and it
would be simple to sail across to Berneray from them too.
Berneray:
Bernerya is one of my favourite islands with a gorgeous beach on its east coast overlooking the Sound of Harris... This would be a god
spot to launch from for some island crusing in the sound. On the West and north Coast is a huge sweep of sand backed by sand dunes
whcih should provide excellent wave-sailing conditions.
Harris.
Once you get to Harris, the places to windsurf / surf are all fairly self explanatory. You can't really miss the beaches in South
Harris. Scarasta is the swell puller. Horgabost is Ok too and fro here you could sail across to Taransay and be your own little
'Castaway'
I guess theres no reason why you couldn't sail in any of the big Lochs on Harris, but the wind would have to be in just the right
direction and wold still be very gusty I'm sure.
Lewis.
The biggest of the islands and with lots to offer, although everything is fairly well spaced out, so expect a lot of driving if the
conditions keep changing.
Uig Peninsula.
Miles out to the West are some absolutely stunning beaches. U
Uig:
Uig sands itself provides good flat water sailing at high tide and some waves at low tide if theres a big swell.
Cliff:
Cliff gets as much swell as anyone cold possibly want, but the high cliffs around it would make it less than perfect for windsurfing..
Although on its day I'm sure its good.
There is a place with a campsite just around the corner (North) of Cliff that has a stunning beach and some good B&J conditions
along with a few islands to sail out to, I've forgotten its name at the moment though, but its the only place with a campsite...Hang
on, its called Traigh na Beiriegh.
Theres also a really good surf spot South of Cliff called something like Murghastod??
NW Lewis.
There are lots of small beaches along the bottom half of the NW coast of Lewis that hold some good surf, then it opens out a bit and
becomes a rocky coastline with loads of rocky reef breaks. I've seen some HUGE surf here (a solid 15 foot easily with 25-30 foot
faces!!... I didn't venture out in it). As well as the surfing, theres no reason why you shouldn't be able to sail anywhere along this
coast. Barabhas is probably the best place though.
Further North is Eoropie which is the most well known surf break on Lewis. Beach break waves with some power basically and although I
haven't sailed there, it should be good.
NE Lewis.
There are a few beaches aling the NE coast of Lewis that are worth checking when the West coast is WAY too big for mere mortals.
Traigh Chuil and Traigh Mhor are the ones to head for and I've sailed them in smallish waves and B&J conditions.
Stornoway:
The Ishtmus of land that joins Lewis to the Eye Peninsula has beaches on both sides, the one to the Noprth is accessible and would
probably be good for B&J sailing. I've only ever seen it when the West Coast was taking a real battering though and the tide was
high. It had a 4 foot ridiculously fast sucky righthander that looked like it would eat surfers for breakfast, so I headed elsewhere
that day. I wasn't surfable and wold have pulverised windsurfng kit before you even got off the beach!!! I'm sure it would be good on
lower tides and in slightly less mad conditions though.
And thats about it. there are of course LOADS of places I haven't mentioned, and probably loads that i don't even know about. Part of
the fun is that of exploration. The locals are REALLY friendly...I don't think we bought a drink the whole time we were there (Not so
much on Lewis and Harris, but the Uist are lovely). Camping is cool and easy. we just parked up on a beach everynight . Showers can be
found in the swimming pool on Benbecula and also at most of the ferry ports.
Don't encourage too many people to go there though!! We want to keep it beautiful and unspoilt, so although its perfect for some
windsurfers, those looking for more apres-windsurf excitement should avoid it. As far as I'm concerned though, if you want to chill out
and slow down in an 'adventure sports' playground, but not surrounded by others of like-mind then it can't be beaten. Others may find
it just a little to 'in the middle of bloody nowhere'!!
Al.
URL: Pixelwave Design - Website Design Wales
Shop: Website Templates
Personal Weblog: A Simple Life of Luxury in West Wales
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larry
Member
Member #: 96 Posts 3
Registered: 29-12-2002 Member Is Offline Mood:
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| posted on 26-5-2003 at 07:52 |
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thanks
thanks very much, i can't wait to go, and trust me we will not be bringing up crowds to spoil the area, remoteness is what we are
after.
camila - if you see this, maybe we'll bump into each other when we are up there; or are you beyond your uni buddies!!!! only kidding,
would be cool to go for a sail again.
larry
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