Thursday had arrived and with storm Debi brewing up, a few parts around the Scottish islands were showing signs the storm would arrive slightly later than anticipated. With tides being nigh on perfect a window had opened up on the weather front. This meant one thing: a chance to skip up to the heart of the Highlands in search of the elusive common skate.
A quick pit stop on the way to load up on frozen bait and we were ready to take on our quest for the long weekend ahead of us. Mark from Alreet Rigs & Baits always supplies us at short notice on all our trips away with the best bait we can get up here in the north-east. We punched the postcode into the Satnav and we were off with no time to spare; the music was blaring and the time was flying. Banter of the last few trips was the topic of conversation for most of the trip, reminiscing of past catches and, of course, the stories of previous skate caught and the ones that got away. The scenery never disappoints, regardless of the time of year. Whether it be summer or winter the backdrops of mountains in the distance, with carpets of trees surrounding them, always
