Saturday 12/05/07

Fairly sunny start to the day. What also started early in the morning was the cruiseliner season. The Arielle, built in 1971, lies anchored off the lighthouse. Our Dutch guests consult me on their onward journey, which will take them through Skye to Kyle. There, they will pick up a train to Inverness, expected time of arrival there 7.20pm. Advised them to arrange their accommodation at Kyle, as the TIC in Inverness closes at 6pm. A daytrip to Orkney is not possible until June 2nd. I go into town after 10 o’clock to take pictures of the Arielle and the second liner, the Explorer. This lies tied up along the side of pier no 3, with no discernible activity on board. The Arielle ferries many of her 900 passengers ashore in tenders. No coaches are ready for them, so Stornoway is jampacked with anoraks. Several light showers com by, but on the whole, it’s a reasonably nice day. Upload all the picture of last week’s journeys which takes quite some time. Supper is lasagne. The Arielle departs for Tobermory at 8.10pm. Sun sets 90 minutes later, but there is still light in the north at 11pm.