we woke to blue, blue skies.

visited the church and the schoolroom but we were lured again by the hills and we headed up again - this time to the spur on the west side heading towards Soay.

long views across the ocean in all directions, the cliffs dropping away below, the grassy slopes of glen mor to the other side, watching the weather come in across the sea, seeing the birds spiralling in the updrafts.

back to eat and prepare for the return. we set off at 5 on near to perfect seas - a strange shared experience of sitting close together with 11 people on a small boat in a vast ocean, too noisy to talk. the sea was glass at leverburgh so i signed up to stay in the boat as far as stornoway - a blue sky calm sea ride up the Minch past the sun setting over the hills of Harris. 110 miles of speedboating.