Kite buggying the outer hebrides

Hmm now here is an advantage of Scottish beaches. There aren't many. But Scottish beaches are empty, meaning that they are incredible for Kite Buggying.
This is a sport that I've recently taken up. In fact we have taken it up as a family (well my Mum hasn't had the courage just yet). It is not an easy sport it seems hence the need for huge, empty beaches.
Flying a 5 metre kite is one thing, it is relatively easy. You learn where the power zone is and if you are quite small, you learn to avoid this as much as possible. (Thats the other thing about kiting in Scotland, there's plenty of wind). Then the excitment comes as you go to sit in a buggy that is supposed to take you up and down the beach. So you put the kite into the power position and then shreek. Yup you're heading off very rapidly towards the end of the beach and you realise you'll never get back. You've to head accross the wind... NO not into the sea... help! Ah right, time to slow down. Ah yes, I remember something about that in the book. Um, put the kite slightly behind me. Brilliant I'm slowing, I'm stopping, oh Jesus, I'M GOING BACKWARDS! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

The Outer Hebrides

"Now, where on earth are the Outer Hebrides?" I hear you say. Well they are on the West Coast of Scotland, not anywhere near Mongolia, outer or inner. I'm not going to give too detailed instructions as I would only like the more intrepid to actually get there. Last winter the winds in the Outer Hebrides reached 130 miles an hour. The waves picked up 5-6 ton (or do I mean tonne) boulders and chucked them about like pebbles. Fishing boats sitting snuggly on the harbour hard being repaired, were throw off, through crash barriers, into the water. This is not a place for the faint hearted.

However there are many many reasons why this is the best place on earth.
I'd like to show you a picture of what we had for dinner one night while we were there. (um well I will when it's working)

Another really exciting part of this place is how deserted it is. Hence the speal about the winters there, I don't really want other people to go, I just like bragging. Although every word about the winter is true. I'm going to tell you all about this, but another time...

What this is all about

This Blog is all about Scotland, well in reality it is all about me and what I think of Scotland and here you have to bear in mind that I am Scotish. And what is worse, I am a Scot who at the moment lives out of Scotland, and they are supposed to be the most patriotic of all. But how could you not love this country of differences. And it is, Glasgow is a different planet from Edinburgh, and if you compare that to the Highlands and Islands then you're in a different universe.














This, for those who know, is Aberdeenshire, my home and you really could get no better