[Closed] Talk to me about Tiree.

Flat (apart from the big golf ball),Sunny,Windy....very windy.Awesome surf.Holds the worlds longest running annual windsurfing event,the Tiree Wave Classic.I've been to it a quite few times.

my claim to fame is that myself and a mate were the first ever windsurfers on the Island (in 85 or 86) and organised (with a lot of help), to stage the Scottish Funboard Cup, which was the predecessor of the Tiree Wave Classic there......

long as you dont overnight at the shithole that is smiddys backpackers in corpach all will be good

I was there for 2 nights at the end of April. Incredible place, everyone super friendly - a car even drove all our bags from one part of the island to the other for us as we were on bikes. You can camp absolutely anywhere. Just find a nice spot, ask the nearest house (who will offer you a spot in their garden / shower / anything you want) and enjoy. The coop is good for beer and ice and everything else. There are endless white beaches with blue water, it's another world. Hard to believe it's in the same county as me!

Camping spot number 1:

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Camping spot number 2:

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Token sunset:

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I can easily tell you where camping spot number 2 is because it's in the cleavage of what looks like some tits in the NE of the island.

Chris

Somewhat tenous link there Trailrat...

Might have been pretty close on the Windsurfing front iainc but seeing as it's your main claim to fame and all that I'll give you it 😉

Been visiting the island for over 45 years and it's still my favourite place on earth - your kids will absolutely love it SBZ. Wild camping just about anywhere is good but Caolos opp Coll ( Sound of Gunna) is a personal favourite as is 'The Green' But it's all good.

I'm going back next week for a few days - bikes, no cars, maybe hire some gear from Willie and get out for a blast. First time in 5 or 6 years and I can hardly wait...

lovely pics, making we want to go back now.

I was next door in Coll the other week, but no time to visit Tiree. HB - memory on which yr might be a bit fuzzy, but I remember me and my mate Gordon getting quizzed by the locals about our wave boards as they hadn't seen them before. 😀 That autumn we got the Edinburgh windsurfing shop (Brian Stark ? I think) and Andy who then went on to set up 7th Wave in Glasgow to stage the Scottish Funboard Cup there and the following yr Tad from Vitamin C came on board ( we had a bit of board sponsorship from him for our wave boards) and it became the Wave Classic....oh the reminiscing 🙂 makes me wanna go windsurfing again !

Yeah they probably hadnt seen a Waveboard - 85 I think I had just bought /was just learning on a humungous Alpha long board and had taken it out there on spec. Still remember lugging it back up the beach at Balephuil but I could Waterstart like a pro by the end of the week 😉

I remember all these guys -isn't Andy (Groom?) or his ex 7th Wave business partner (name escapes me) still involved in the WC? I more or less jacked it all in about 5 years ago but like you this has really put me in the mood.

On a related note - anywhere that we can get wetsuits for a 3 and a 4yr old? Something relatively inexpensive, but not crap.

sbz - Tesco or Decathlon

Some of the information is a little out of date but there is plenty here - http://www.windsurf.me.uk/articles/locations-a-holidays/36-tiree-revisited.html

Massive respect to iainc. As a windsurfer and former owner of a tad shaped Vit Sea board.

uew-r - cheers 😀

I had a 255 custom that Tad made up specific to port tack out starboard in for West of Scotland - I remember dooodling the paint job on a bit of paper and being amazed when i saw it in real life - it was like a big Splicer bar (remember them), on a light blue background - even had my name on it !!!

Mine had some classics early 90's neon colours.

More here

http://www.isleoftiree.com/

Willie @ Wild Diamond (on the island) should be able to hire or sell you gear but check beforehand as they are very small sizes.

Can tell you much, my dad was born and brought up there, I spoke my first words on the island - 'more sheepies', every native of the island has turned down mouths and bushy eyebrows, it's lovely.

Came across this whilst looking for something else:

http://www.sealga.co.uk/windsurf_frame.htm

Can't really add too much to the above, but it really is a stunning/friendly/hospitable place. I've never camped on the island(as I'm normally there for work and stay in the stunning rockvale guest house!) but do you not need to pay to wild camp on the machair these days?

Should we take the car over? Bikes are unfortunately not an option on this trip.

Yep, deffo take the car, although its a very small place not everyting is in walking distance.

Tiree is my favourite place in scotland. Even more than lewis and harris.

It just has a lovely feel to it. And none of this windsurfing malarky. Kitesurfing is where its at 😀 There are beaches for every wind direction.

And the wildlife can be stuning if u get lucky, saw a pod of dolphins, basking sharks and loads of seals last year.

On the island the now and spotted a few tents beside the beach not far from the public toilets at Scarinish, its been a pretty wet and wild night so that can't have been fun.

SBZ, you really do need a car if your not biking, another option you have is hire a car here, it might be slightly cheaper?

Just back from a long weekend - sunburnt. Tiree seldom fails to deliver...

mtk is correct - you might struggle on foot / with bikes if your kids are as young as 3 and 4. However, if you could get a loan of or hire a double trailer for them I'd strongly urge taking the bike. You can hire both bikes and cars on the island. Marti Larg (Gott bay) has bikes, Kites, Kayaks and now a Land yacht which I had a very pleasurable afternoon blasting about on. Someone else is hiring Konas incl a Tandem. SUP might have a quicker learning curve than Kitesurfing if you want to get out on the water.

I've been a few times including camping with my Dad when I was a wee boy but recently we've rented a house in Crossapol for the young family.

I would make the effort to take bikes as it's really great for cycling with the kids. We've used a tag-a-long and trailer for our two. We've taken the car over but mainly used it for transporting the stuff to the house then just use bikes.

It's a great place, very wind but often very sunny. You can get fried if you're not careful.

Some obligatory pics:

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondouglas/3704525241/ ]View to Gott Bay[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jondouglas/ ]alanach_d[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3704567301_3a408afa32.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3704567301_3a408afa32.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondouglas/3704567301/ ]Typical View on Tiree[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jondouglas/ ]alanach_d[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3704580397_fa92cd450b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3704580397_fa92cd450b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondouglas/3704580397/ ]Looking to Rum & Skye from Hynish[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jondouglas/ ]alanach_d[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3704555471_ac89ba802c.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3704555471_ac89ba802c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondouglas/3704555471/ ]Kids' at Play[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jondouglas/ ]alanach_d[/url], on Flickr

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondouglas/3699289028/ ]Transport[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jondouglas/ ]alanach_d[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3736529598_4cbe1b1759.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3736529598_4cbe1b1759.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/jondouglas/3736529598/ ]Balevullin[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/jondouglas/ ]alanach_d[/url], on Flickr

Ended up taking the bikes over and put the kids in the trailer. Camped in the dunes near the lodge for a couple of nights and another night near the beach by toilets in Scarinish - it was fine in our tent. It is a truly magnificent place and plans are already in place to go back.

There is something special about being able to swim in the sea and have a two mile long white sand beach all to yourself.

The ring'n'ride bus service is useful also.