Fiona, just for your and anyone else's info, there's links to most of the non-Calmac ferries if you use the timetables search function; it's very useful.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
April looks a good month to set off. 3 or 4 days to see the islands then on to Skye and up the west coast. When we get to John o groans we can then decide wether to go down east coast or retrace our west coast route.
More daylight in April and possibility of some nice weather.
Noted school hol's in April.
Just check - some sites open at Easter, which is almost mid April in 2020.
I hope you report back afterwards because I think your 3-4 days for islands is very ambitious. Scooting around Mull alone needs 2 minimum. But you’ve already said that you don’t have a strict time limit, so it doesn’t matter at all.
Loved the “John o’groans” typo. You won’t need more than a day there unless you’re going to leave the MH & get over to Orkney while you’re that close.
Brother in law thinks Skye is the most beautiful place he's ever been to.
I would like to stick to west coast as much as poss. I imagine the views & scenery on the west coast will be outstanding.
Yes, the west is very nice, but I feel it has become (like the lake district) a victim of it's own success. I'm glad I saw it before the NC500 came along.
I've only visited Skye once and it was the wettest place I have ever stayed (Glencoe was a close second). It was an expensive site and although we were OK in the van, several tents were flooded and the occupants took to sheltering in the loo block, so that became unusable. We really had four seasons in one day - for 2 days!
------------- Two drifters off to see the world.
I'm tired of reality, so I'm off to look for a good fantasy.