I awoke this morning refreshed from yesterdays hectic day by a sound sleep, a quick look on the blog revealed 10 times my normal traffic and a wealth of sympathy in the many comments awaiting moderation from allover the world. The snow was almost gone though the road quite slippy from what was left and it took me a good half hour to wind my way down ‘Calum’s road’ and beyond to the ferry terminal. After firing up the Loch Striven’s Volvo main engines, Lister generator and doing all the usual start up checks we departed Raasay at 8:00 am with the usual batch of Monday morning commuters and school children and headed for Sconser. Normally Monday morning at Sconser is chaos with an army of Hi Viz jackets marching down the slip and the crocodile of white vans and assorted cars in the single ferry traffic lane leaving it’s tail on the main road. Today there were just a handful of workers and room left on the car deck, as the knock on effect of the weekends disaster started to take effect. The handful of police, CID and reporters being poor compensation for the usual 20 or so workmen. I spent pretty much all of the day in the engine room cleaning up after the dry docking and now I’m going to sit down in front of the fire with a glass of wine. It’s exactly 8 years today since I got married at Raasay House and in the not too distant future I’d like to be celebrating at least one of our anniversaries there, who knows perhaps the 10th!
So I’ll leave you with a couple of pictures from the ‘hot seat’ courtesy of David Carslaw.
The blue lounge
A sad sight
Life at the end of the road 
Hi Paul,
I am reading your website since one year mostly every day.
But today I am very shocked to hear about the fire at Raasay House.
I am really sad.
I have planned to spent next summer again at a new Raasay House and I was very happy to see the refurbishing goes on. And now everything has gone. I am really really sad.
Susanne
Comment by Susanne — January 22, 2009 @ 11:40 am
Hi Paul,
This is just to say that all of us from Holoman House have been deeply shocked by the fire and are so grateful to you for your report and photos. I have a copy of a photo of my late stepfather’s( Basil Reckitt) first wife sitting at the window sewing in the room which was above the front porch with the railing. The view of the Cuillins behind her has always been a favourite of mine. It was thanks to this great building that they discovered Raasay when it was a hotel. They loved it so much that when Holoman came up for sale they were quick to buy it. That was nearly 50 years ago….Although always an ‘offcomden’, I (and the rest of my sisters and mother) love Raasay deeply and somehow Raasay House has been a particular link for me with my father (as he came to be having bravely taken me on aged 6!) and so particularly upsetting now that he has passed away also…I sincerely hope that you will have your 10th wedding anniversary at the place – never forget that where there is fire a phoenix will be found! All the best to you and friends up there and if you get short of a sheep or two there are several to be found here in the Yorkshire Dales! Jo
Comment by Jo Reckitt Mahler — January 23, 2009 @ 8:43 pm
Hi Jo and glad you enjoy the blog. I know what you mean about the views we stayed above the cafe on our wedding night and I’ll never forget the snow on Glamaig and the stormy seas. When I was clam diving if the weather was too rough to work I’d take my son to the mother and toddler group in Mrs Woods room where I could watch the rough seas and look at my boat safely tied alongside the pier at Clachan. Like you say it would be good to celebrate our 10th anniversary there.
Regards, Paul
Comment by lifeattheendoftheroad — January 24, 2009 @ 7:28 pm