To far-flung outposts of Empire. This trip was characterised by no less than three trips on the Fort William to Mallaig route, out-and-back on the Jacobite and then out again on the service train for a night at the Station Hotel in Mallaig. Then ferry to Armadale on Skye, bus to Uig and another ferry to Tarbet on Harris. Bus to Stornoway, ferry the next day to Ullapool and bus to Inverness for the train home. Variety or what?

Another new experience was witnessing the naval might of the free world exercising across the full width of the Minch, whilst our MacBraynes ferry innocently tried to run the blockade to the mainland. A couple of Mark XII torpedoes (or were they only seals?) across the bows and the captain agreed that perhaps might was right after all, and backed the foretops'ls (or whatever captains do in mechanical ships) to gave way to the flotilla approaching out of the sun.