The guesthouse was fine apart from the thick winter duvets which were excessive for early October. We soon overheated, took them out of their covers and slept under the duvet covers and bedspread. The breakfast was standard b&b, nothing much for vegans but eggs for us. We were in luck, as the ferry was running to schedule and the 09:55 departure time civilised.
We docked an hour later in Tiree, a windy island and especially so today. The seven mile ride to the end of the road at Hynish afforded a taste of the island and was long enough for the conditions, full sun but a biting wind which was behind us for the outward leg. Our target was the Alan Stevenson House restaurant with rooms, where we’d considered staying last night. Mushroom flatbread followed by ginger cake and ice cream made for a satisfactory lunch and a bottle of River Leven dark ale accompanied mine.
My rear gear cable had broken on the way, which made the return ride against the wind even more of a struggle. We were surprised how much motor traffic was on the road, necessitating much tedious waiting in passing places, and some motorists were too impatient to wait. We were in plenty of time for the ferry to Oban and were glad to sit out the wait in the warmth.
The ferry was a little behind schedule and we docked about 15 minutes late, around 21:30, and rode the short distance to the SYHA hostel. The room we’d booked and cancelled had been taken so we settled for two doubles.