Back on the CalMac Ferry to Skye and Jamie’s Christmas Eve Master Plan 24th Dec 2019
- Karen Partridge
- Dec 24, 2019
- 3 min read
I was awake from 1.00am and couldn’t get back to sleep so I got up and watched a bit of Netflix - Jamie Oliver’s Master Plan for Christmas Eve (some good ideas for prep ahead) and an episode of The Crown. Then I went back upstairs to bed but just lay awake until Vince woke up around 6.30am. We were surprised when we came downstairs to not only find Aad already up, but Mike (a notoriously “Not A Morning Person”) who had also started some toast for our breakfast.
By 7.30am we were packed and ready to go, but first we need to get some warm water to defrost the windscreen and back windows which were completely frozen solid.
Soon on the road we made a detour off to the right, about 12 miles out of Lewis we were so excited to see the Callanish Standing Stones - an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. They were erected in the late Neolithic era, and were believed to be a focus for ritual activity during the Bronze Age - like Stonehenge but on a smaller scale. Aad however, was convinced they were really pillar of a wooden building that had perished.
We had to park the car at the bottom of the hill and walk up it due to the 15% steep incline and frozen ground. I had to use my hiking poles to ensure I didn’t slip and injure myself further.
It was an impressive site, and although we hoped for the morning sunlight, the dense cloud cover prevented it. Vince suggested we do a YaYa Vlog with Morag in the stones, and after about 4 or 5 takes I lost my lollie with him because of the hand signals he kept giving me that I didn’t understand. He got the whole thing on video but I told him that’s never to get uploaded!!!! It did give us all a good laugh later back at Willie McLeods watching it.
After the stones it was all steam head back to the Ferry Terminal as we had to check in by 11.05am. We got there at 10.40am (time to spare) so I popped into the Harris Tweed Factory and bout Morag a little coat to keep her chest warm (so she doesn’t get sick again) and also a white Aran Knit Cardigan for myself for Christmas - thanks to my generous husband. I used to have one as a child and thought it would also keep me warm on Skye.
The return journey was just the original in reverse, again on the “Hebrides” and we arrived in Uig at 1.30pm.
We went to Rankin’s in Uig (the local store) run by Jillian and Mike, where I picked up a few extra supplies for Christmas dinner. Vince had seen a jar of duck fat and thought to himself who would ever want that, only to find a jar in our crate coming home (for the turkey and roast potatoes)!
On our half hour trip back home to Willie’s we were fortunate to see another Eagle - near Kilmore this time and we were met by Darky, one of our new friend Alan's sheepdogs.
I banned everyone from the kitchen whilst I put Jamie’s Master Plan into action (it took me 3 hours non stop). Vince and Mike went out to do some Astro Photography and Vince is now in love with Tractors!!!!
We had an early night - hardly surprising given I had been awake since 1.00am
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