Skye 2005

Hitch-hiking to Skye

Thursday, 13 October 2005 00:00

Two fantastic things:

(1) Hitch-hiking

I left Tiree yesterday morning at 10am, hoping to hitch all the way to Mallaig before the departure of the last ferry to Armadale (at 5:45pm). A tallish order. Well, I made it, with 5 minutes to spare! Things weren't looking good at Fort William, standing in the rain at 4:20pm with 46 miles still to go. In fact, as I stood on board the ferry I couldn't quite believe I'd made it.

At times of stress, pressure or helplessness, I think you can experience a heightened awareness or state of mind. I certainly had it for most of the day yesterday. It is (for me at least) an unusual experience to put yourself completely into the hands of fate. Lady Luck was obviously happy for me to get to Skye last night. There were a good few times yesterday when I felt that hitching was a ridiculous idea. As it played out, I'm now well-chuffed that I even attempted it.