Travel

Having just got back from that exact trip I can offer you the following advice

 Arisaig - No campsite as such but a chap was camped in the bay near to the ferry terminal, he had pitched in the dark and struck camp at dawn though as it was nearish buildings.  If you get the late train up there, you'll probably do the same.

If you look on here http://www.isleofmuck.com/ under accommodation you can find the Yurt, the same lady Ruth lets you pitch nearby.  There is a compost toilet and a burn to collect water but it is brown and near livestock, you'll need a water filter.  You can wild camp on the island anyway and I suggest you do that as there are many cracking spots on the North Coast.  As the island is so small the sea breeze all but does away with the midges.   Wild camping near the boat may be possible but the North coast is only 15 minute walk and if you're on the "campsite" Ruth will transport your bags to and from the ferry.

Eigg http://www.isleofeigg.net/ have a look under accomodation.  There is a campsite.  Again however wild camping is allowed.  There is a good flat area near the singing sands which happens to be one of the best beaches I've ever seen.  Again water collection from a burn, more wild so you may not need a filter.  The campsite is not near the boat, although if you get on the boat and turn right away from the cafe/shop/bar you can camp on the other side of the bay, about 5 minutes away.  I stayed in the Smiddy which is a posh bothy with electric and a stove.  2 Minutes from the boat and very reasonable.  The midges were ok but on a calm warm night you'll be eaten alive, it's blowy quite a bit though.

All fantastic places.

Arisaig you've a selection by the beach, clicky.  We've used two of them, both nice.  Here's one...

By the sandy beach at Arisaig is relatively midge free.

Inland it isn't so good

"how do you find recumbents?"

Just open the garage door and there they are

B'boom tssss!

Ours are tourers and for my particular needs touring I wouldn't swap mine for anything else I've yet come across.  It's more comfortable, has better pilot view, is more comfortable, carries bags better and is more comfortable.  The comfort isn't so much for the backside but from no weight on the wrists/arms and no need to look upwards to see where you're going while at the same time not catching the wind like you would in a bolt-upright posture that would similarly take weight off arms and wrists.

The favourite assumption is it must be Terribly Dangerous because being so low you'll be invisible, but I'm higher than, say, a Lotus Elise, and I don't think I've heard anyone criticise those as death traps because of their invisibility.  In fact, I tend to notice Elises quite well and the same goes for my 'bent with a pretty clear "WTF Factor" meaning lots of space.

Recumbents are not a functional class of bike which is, I think, a lot of the problem with wider acceptance.  People buy racers to race, tourers to tour, folders if they want to fold them, commuters to commute... recumbents do what, exactly?  As above, ours are tourers first and foremost, and that's more important than their being recumbents.  So if you're in the market for a functional class of bike assess recumbent possibilities for that function alongside more conventional possibilities and if they'll do what you want in budget then audition and see what you think.  Auditioning is very important (and another part of the problem for aceptance, there aren't that many dealers) because two different 'bents will probably be far more different than two different uprights. A lot of uprights in the same basic class are pretty much interchangeable aside from the component mix but 'bents can have very different handling.

Round town I much prefer my Moulton TSR or Brom and Roos prefers her hub-geared hybrid, but for touring our particular models suit what we like very well.

Pete.

The bar/cafe at the ferry jetty on Eigg sometimes has live music.  You can pick up groceries at the little shop in the same building; they have a bizarre variety of food considering the size of the community.  I stayed at the campsite 5 mins along from the jetty for a couple of nights - basic but fine and I liked the bar/cafe!

David

thanks david----campsite near boat is just what i want -  +bar/cafe -bonus------hope the wind dies down next week---------------------peter---can you remember the name of your camp site-------off now to add extra guylines to tent justincase----regards lr

Can't remember the name, but there's a whole load in a line up the beach.  The one there's the picture of was the furthest North in the set on the map I linked to, we just turned up and pitched with no pre-booking in August.

Other one we used was the next one down, that was pre-booked as it was a big party of sea-kayakers.  Either are good for launching from.

Pete.