Lochmaddy / Tarbert

[Allen]

Anyone had any experience of mooring boats at either Lochmaddy on North Uist or Tarbert on Harris?

Allen

[Brian]

Sorry Allen, my experience is limited to the island of Barra and Loch Roag and Stornaway on Lewis.
But Peter Foster and Murray Mcloud will surely be able to help (who post here as seafariskye also at http://www.seafari.co.uk/ and http://www.seatrek.co.uk/ respectively).

Pretty picture of Murray attached...

[Alan]

Allen,

A beautiful part of the world - We're off to Lewis for a long weekend (via air rather than RIB) at the end of May. No knowledge of mooring at Tarbet (leastways not the one on Harris) but we did stay last year at the Rodel Hotel at the Southernmost tip of Harris. Fantastic place with a really nice sheltered anchorage and harbour. Might be worth well if you are looking for somewhere nice to stay? My other recommendation if you make it to the West Coast of Lewis is a B&B (although that term really doesn't do it justice) called Baile na Cille near Timsgarry. The most fantastic beach outside and the most wonderful eccentric owner/chef.

http://www.rodelhotel.co.uk/
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/randjgollin/

Cheers,
Alan

[jwalker]

Originally posted by Allen
Anyone had any experience of mooring boats at either Lochmaddy on North Uist or Tarbert on Harris?

Allen

Yup, Lochmaddy has visitors' moorings. You need to get ashore though. There is also a small sheltered harbour which the locals use and I'm sure you be able to moor alongside someone.

Not sure about diesel fuel but I have friends who've bought it from the fishermen in the harbour on Berneray. I believe too, it's available at a very good price on Scaplay. Again from fishermen. All this I'll fully suss this summer.
But, for others who might need petrol in Lochmaddy, it is possible to travel through the wee harbour and across a wee bay (150mts), beach the bow of the boat and climb up the banking right to the petrol pump just 20mts from the shore. You need something in which to carry it. The shop will let you fill up with multiple journeys up/down the bank and then you can square up when finished.

I don't know about the situation in East Loch Tarbert ( the main ferry side) but I've no doubt you will find something. On the west side there is a small jetty which mostly dries and across from that there is a wee pier. You can anchor is this area too.

Hope this is some help.

Edit. Not to negate what Alan has said but be careful of the bay at Rodel it looks a lot better from land than it really is!

[Allen]

That didn't take long - thank you all!

I'm just trying to tie in a reasonable berth close to a reasonable hotel with good food close to the Sound of Harris. I have a good range so fuel shouldn't be an issue.

Allen

[Big Jim]

Hi For local Lochmaddy knowledge, you could try contacting Naill Johnson at Uist Outdoor Center in Lochmaddy

www.uistoutdoorcentre.co.uk

Naill might be away in Antarctica just now though but someone at the centre should be able to help you out with mooring info.

Agree with JW about the petrol supplies from local garage!

Food not bad in Lochmaddy Hotel

Hope this Helps

[jwalker]

Originally posted by Allen
That didn't take long - thank you all!

I'm just trying to tie in a reasonable berth close to a reasonable hotel with good food close to the Sound of Harris. I have a good range so fuel shouldn't be an issue.

Allen

You should have mentioned that earlier. You can moor against the end of the pier in Leverburgh. It never dries and costs nothing. Then you are right in the middle of the sound. Don't know about hotels but there's a bunk house.
Make sure you visit Taransay. If you're there in the summer, we should be just around the corner on North Uist. It's also likely to be a St Kilda year. Haven't been for a couple of years and getting withdrawals.

Taransay

[Allen]

The beach looks spectacular. All the more so now that those castaways are no longer in residence!

Leverborugh sounds good, but the bunk house sounds as though it falls below our standards! Rodel could be the place, but the establishment run by the eccentric chef does have a certain appeal.

JW - we will be up there this summer and St Kilda is on the agenda, but as yet haven't fixed dates.

Many thanks to you all for your help.

Allen