My primary purpose for the Scottish trip was to lead two ORCA surveys on CalMac ferries to the Western Isles. I had only been on these routes as a passenger and I was looking forward to the opportunity to survey on them. The office team put me in touch with one of the Scottish Team Leaders, Bill Anderson, to have a chat about both routes. I followed that up with further conversations when I met up with Jan Storie, my first Saga ORCA Team Leader. Both sets of advice were really helpful, given I hadn't surveyed on these routes before.
The first survey route was a morning return trip from Uig, on North Skye, across to Lochmaddy, on North Uist. This was followed by an afternoon return crossing from Uig to Tarbert, on Harris. The survey was a success with a Minke Whale, a distant unidentified Whale blow, thirty Short-beaked Common Dolphins and two unidentified Dolphins. The survey team was made up of two surveyors on their first survey, with Cristina only on her second survey. It was a really successful survey, with all of the team quickly picked up the survey and bridge protocols and everybody quickly gelled as a team. Given it was a busy survey, I needed to focus on mentoring the team and so the camera didn't leave its bag.
The day wasn't over for Uzume and myself when we disembarked, as our second survey was leaving from Mallaig the following morning. It was a one hundred and sixty mile drive between the ports, via Fort William. It is possible to knock one hundred miles off that route by taking the short ferry crossing from Armadale, on Skye, to Mallaig. Unfortunately, that ferry doesn't run in the evenings. I finally dropped Uzume in her hostel in Mallaig about eleven that evening. I was reluctant to pay for a second night in a hostel and after a bit of searching I found a quiet-looking layby next to a coastal bay at Loch nan Uamh, for a good night's sleep in the Focus Hotel. I awoke the following morning about six to find flat calm conditions in the bay. There was a Grey Seal that was hauled out on some rocks in the bay. While I was having breakfast and brewing a hot drink, I saw an Otter swimming close to the layby. I quickly dashed for the camera and managed to get a few photos, before it swam out of view.
Once I had finished breakfast, it was a thirteen mile trip back into Mallaig. I managed to find a nearby on road parking spot close to the CalMac terminal and I walked down to meet the rest of the ORCA survey team. This was a more experienced team with Neil Ross, who was starting his Team Leader training, Jane Forsyth, an experienced surveyor and Uzume excited to be on her second survey in two days. It was another great survey team which again gelled well together.
The crossing from Mallaig to Lochboisdale on South Uist is a longer crossing, which allows about two and a half hours of surveying each way. It proved to be even busier than the first survey, with sixteen Minke Whales, fifty-eight Short-beaked Common Dolphins, an unidentified Dolphin, nine Harbour Porpoises and a Grey Seal. Again, the camera didn't have the chance to leave its bag.
It had been a great couple of surveys, with the bonus Otter in-between. I will be volunteering to survey on these routes in future years. I would like to thank the CalMac for allowing the ORCA survey teams onto the bridges. It was time to head back to the Central Highlands, as the weather forecast for the next two days looked good for catching up with the Scottish Dragonflies. It was getting on for midnight, when I pulled the car back into the Beinn Eighe layby, that I had slept in three nights earlier.