Trip to the Outer Hebrides - Episode 1

On the Road To The Isles.  It seemed like a great idea, a break from routine.
I would set up a wee music tour of the Western Isles and the Highlands, a busman's holiday playing small intimate venues.
Just a simple set up, two guitars and a keyboard.  We would make new friends and take in lots of scenery.  Nae bother!
Touring with the band usually means traveling abroad, hectic schedules and big halls.
Playing in the duo with Rob van Sante, the band sound man and fine singer and guitarist, would be low key, relaxing and fun.
I arranged it all at the beginning of the year and timed it to coincide with time off from the band.  The trip to the
Isles wasn't meant to start in Thurso.........I'm not that daft......no actually I am.  A chance phone
call just two days before setting off for Oban and the ferry to South Uist and I discovered to my horror the
Thurso date was for the upcoming Tuesday NOT the following one.  I couldn't understand it!
How had I mixed up the dates? A hurried look at the CalMac timetable showed it was possible to get to
Eriskay from Thurso for the day after but only by driving overnight to catch the morning ferry
from Skye to North Uist then drive down to Eriskay.  I broke the bad news to Rob.  He shrugged his shoulders
resignedly.  Tuesday came and off we set for Thurso, pulling up at five in the evening outside our
venue, the Pentland Hotel.  We were to have spent the night here.  It was driech outside and already I was
dreading the journey to come.  We set up our gear just as Frank Charlton from Wildcat Productions arrived.
Wildcat was set up by Frank and a few friends to bring back live acoustic music to Thurso, home to a thriving
folk club and folk festival back in the '80s.  Wildcat members pay £10 monthly and every few weeks they have 
a concert which each member and one guest can attend free.  Non-members pay £6 to £8 to see a show.  
It's a great idea that ensures there is regular live music in their own backyard without the hassle of traveling down 
to Inverness.  Seven hours later and we're about to hit the road.  We've had a grand night and everybody's gone home. 
Strong coffee and biscuits set us up.  It was a surreal journey.  I remember moonlight breaking through the 
clouds like a searchlight on the sea off Berriedale, the eerie green and yellow eyes of deer blinking in the dark on the 
single track road to Lochcarron and the hills of Skye looming up at us after dawn.  After the toll bridge I 
dozed off and woke up as we approached Uig.  Four hours to wait.  Several dozes later and Uig was stirring.