Day 5 – 30th July 2013

Today I had a free day, so while I was out the night before on my way back to supper, I picked up a couple tourist pamphlets down at the dock for days out adventures. It was a nice sunny day with a few clouds, so I left the hostel and headed down to the pier – which given that the hostel was right across the street from the stone beach. Two of my travel companions from the tour – Thea and Wade – were also going on the same boat ride out to the Summer Islands that I was going on, which was nice. While we were waiting for the boat to disembark, I took the chance to take a couple of shots.

Shore Street, Ullapool. © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

Ullapool docks. © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

Ferry to Summer Islands, © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

As we headed out to the islands, there were a few sections of shoreline where seals were lying on the rocks, enjoying the sunshine.

Ferry to Summer Islands © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

As we continued on, there was a little cave in the rocks, so the tour boat captain directed the boat right up to the cavern.

A little cavern in the rocks, Summer Islands, © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

We arrived in the Summer Islands, at the small Ardnagoine pier, where we had stopped for an hour and a half lunch break.

Summer Islands Post Office, Summer Islands, Scotland. © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

Summer Islands, Scotland. © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

Summer Islands, Scotland. © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

As we were returning to Ullapool, the clouds were rolling in more as we got closer.

Returning to Ullapool, UK. © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

When we got back to the dock, it was almost 2pm and the hostel wasn’t going to be open until 4pm (they close between 10am – 4pm each day for cleaning, so I wandered about a bit to the post office to mail off a few postcards, and then found a tea shop and stopped off for some soup and a biscuit, and read for a while before heading back to the hostel’s quiet room until they officially reopened. As the afternoon got later, I looked out the window just before the rain was going to start and saw this beautiful view.

Ullapool, UK. © J. Lynn Stapleton, 30th July 2013

It was a quiet evening, I headed up the road a bit to a tourist shop to pick up a new umbrella – my other one got left somewhere – and then further up the road to the Ferry Boat Inn (FBI) pub for delicious supper and interesting chat up at the bar with a couple from Australia. When I got back, I went and got a shower and ready for the night, so that I wouldn’t have to cue for the showers in the morning. Got my devices charged up and headed to bed. I was joining the Outer Hebrides Tour in the morning.