I am in love with an Isle called Lewis. Well technically it’s an isle-land incorporating the counties of Lewis and Harris; although they’re both called an Isle on their own (Isle of Lewis and the Isle of Harris). I guess that makes sense because an Isle could be ‘for’ many different places. So from now on, I am going to tell Scots that I come from the Island of Queensland. Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, true.
Lewis and Harris is the biggish island to the left where you can just see the word Stornaway. The bit of land to the right is wee mainland Scotland.
After my last post on Saturday (after arriving on Lewis) I managed to hire a car for my Sunday driving. And drive I did – 150 miles in fact (all up £42 = £26 for hire and £16 for petrol). But before my Sunday adventures I took the car to the supermarket to pick up Saturday dinner and Sunday snacks. What a great feeling to be in a car again!!!!!!! After cooking my stirfry back at the hostel (got all these veggies for 20p as because they close Sunday, they get rid of old stuff for really cheap), I was enjoying my book infront of the heater when the other two backpackers rocked up. Dan from Ireland and Vinnie from England. These two wanted to go out for a beer so we headed off to the only pub open by this time (12pm). Was a pretty crazy place with about 99% of the inhabitants off their faces. Lots of crazy dancing, ladies falling off their high-heels, arguments (thank god I can't understand some of the Scottish accents and Gaelic), and drink-spilling. However, the band was good and my Scottish-brewed Tennants went down a treat.
Next morning, I left town and drove north-west to get to what is known as the Western road that transfers through many of the towns with important archaeological areas. I saw the Arnol blackhouses – a ruin and reconstructed blackhouse from Viking times.
The car outside the backbackers (& Dan)
Sheep with different colour spots...
The Arnol blackhouse - small windows and 3ft thick walls to keep in the heat. The roof has beams but they use little wood as it's so rare. Thatch held down with ropes (& nets sometimes) and stones. The original blackhouses have doors that are only about 4 1/2 feet high. The newer ones, like the one I stayed it at Garenin, have been updated to have 2m high doorways.
I then continued south along the coast and turned off at Shawbost and headed to the shore. Ambling down the little track I saw the 2nd person I’d seen since leaving Stornaway – had to wait for him to amble a bit further off the road before I could continue to the beach. Here I made a cheese and ham sandwich and ate looking at the beach and seaweed.
The next stop in my journey was the blackhouse village near Carloway, where there are about 9 houses that have been refitted out as holiday accommodation. Quite nice really. I went for a walk up over the peat bogs along the coast for about an hour. My bog-jumping skills have greatly improved I think (although my more than damp shoes might disagree). The rain was around, on and off, but all in all the driving around was quite easy. I had a cute little Vauxhall Corsa, which I think is actually like the Barina? It was a cool car (petrol, 1.2L) and very easy to drive. Was also good that all the townsfolk were in church for the morning and then again at 6pm. Meant there were few on the road. Although considering the small population, it might have been just like any other day really.
After my last post on Saturday (after arriving on Lewis) I managed to hire a car for my Sunday driving. And drive I did – 150 miles in fact (all up £42 = £26 for hire and £16 for petrol). But before my Sunday adventures I took the car to the supermarket to pick up Saturday dinner and Sunday snacks. What a great feeling to be in a car again!!!!!!! After cooking my stirfry back at the hostel (got all these veggies for 20p as because they close Sunday, they get rid of old stuff for really cheap), I was enjoying my book infront of the heater when the other two backpackers rocked up. Dan from Ireland and Vinnie from England. These two wanted to go out for a beer so we headed off to the only pub open by this time (12pm). Was a pretty crazy place with about 99% of the inhabitants off their faces. Lots of crazy dancing, ladies falling off their high-heels, arguments (thank god I can't understand some of the Scottish accents and Gaelic), and drink-spilling. However, the band was good and my Scottish-brewed Tennants went down a treat.
Next morning, I left town and drove north-west to get to what is known as the Western road that transfers through many of the towns with important archaeological areas. I saw the Arnol blackhouses – a ruin and reconstructed blackhouse from Viking times.
The car outside the backbackers (& Dan)
Sheep with different colour spots...
The Arnol blackhouse - small windows and 3ft thick walls to keep in the heat. The roof has beams but they use little wood as it's so rare. Thatch held down with ropes (& nets sometimes) and stones. The original blackhouses have doors that are only about 4 1/2 feet high. The newer ones, like the one I stayed it at Garenin, have been updated to have 2m high doorways.
I then continued south along the coast and turned off at Shawbost and headed to the shore. Ambling down the little track I saw the 2nd person I’d seen since leaving Stornaway – had to wait for him to amble a bit further off the road before I could continue to the beach. Here I made a cheese and ham sandwich and ate looking at the beach and seaweed.
The next stop in my journey was the blackhouse village near Carloway, where there are about 9 houses that have been refitted out as holiday accommodation. Quite nice really. I went for a walk up over the peat bogs along the coast for about an hour. My bog-jumping skills have greatly improved I think (although my more than damp shoes might disagree). The rain was around, on and off, but all in all the driving around was quite easy. I had a cute little Vauxhall Corsa, which I think is actually like the Barina? It was a cool car (petrol, 1.2L) and very easy to drive. Was also good that all the townsfolk were in church for the morning and then again at 6pm. Meant there were few on the road. Although considering the small population, it might have been just like any other day really.
Peatbog - lovely stuff!
Me clambering for a better view of the vertical cliff-faces. My travel insurance was still valid then, don't worry.
After my walk I continued south and found Dun Carloway – a broch, which is an old housey/forty-type thing dating back to the Iron Age. I climbed up some of the stairs and looked out over the loch. And then I thought ‘S**t I hope this thing doesn’t collapse’. There was noone around of course, so my thoughts bounced between ‘this is great, I can do what I want’ and ‘If I fall off a cliff [or through these old broch stairs] noone is here to save me’. All the visitor centres are closed on Sundays – however, I think it’s great that people can still get in to see the sites).
After leaving the broch (in the rain), I arrived at the famous and archaeologically very significant Callanish Stones, just as the weather was clearing (for a bit at least). I was the only person there too, just as the sun came though, albeit weakly. But it was enough to form a FULL rainbow behind the stones. I was amazingly happy at this moment. One of the coolest experiences I’ve had so far on this trip. I know they’re just stones, raised up by some loonies for some lunatic reason but they are the work of three to five thousand years old loonies!!! After that almost religious experience (well I am on one of the most staunchly protestant islands in Scotland) I carried on to travel to some of the picturesque beaches of the island.
After my walk I continued south and found Dun Carloway – a broch, which is an old housey/forty-type thing dating back to the Iron Age. I climbed up some of the stairs and looked out over the loch. And then I thought ‘S**t I hope this thing doesn’t collapse’. There was noone around of course, so my thoughts bounced between ‘this is great, I can do what I want’ and ‘If I fall off a cliff [or through these old broch stairs] noone is here to save me’. All the visitor centres are closed on Sundays – however, I think it’s great that people can still get in to see the sites).
After leaving the broch (in the rain), I arrived at the famous and archaeologically very significant Callanish Stones, just as the weather was clearing (for a bit at least). I was the only person there too, just as the sun came though, albeit weakly. But it was enough to form a FULL rainbow behind the stones. I was amazingly happy at this moment. One of the coolest experiences I’ve had so far on this trip. I know they’re just stones, raised up by some loonies for some lunatic reason but they are the work of three to five thousand years old loonies!!! After that almost religious experience (well I am on one of the most staunchly protestant islands in Scotland) I carried on to travel to some of the picturesque beaches of the island.
Dun Carloway Broch
Me on one of the levels in the broch, after going up some tiny corridor.
The stunning Callanish stones (don't get engaged near standing stones, apparently they're cursed. And i met a guy who believes this as his fiance recently left him for no reason!)
Did some cliff-edge driving, Kythera style, with blind corners and the occasional passing place, but didn’t panic too much as I knew IF I encountered anyone it would be wee Scottish people rather than crazy malacka-yelling Greeks (sorry Vince J). I could see that the beaches would be stunning when the sun was out. And if the water temperature was doubled! (The Isle of Lewis is the same latitude as Siberia and Nthern Canada but is kept mostly snow-free by the warm waters from the east coast of America).
After some beach-going (ie. Walking over the sand and rocks and looking at the seabirds) with a friendly dog that decided I needed his company, I drove further south along the coast towards what are apparently the most scenic cliffs on Lewis (Mangurstadh). The road however didn’t really go along the edge so I couldn’t get a great view. But it was a lovely afternoon anyway.
Did some cliff-edge driving, Kythera style, with blind corners and the occasional passing place, but didn’t panic too much as I knew IF I encountered anyone it would be wee Scottish people rather than crazy malacka-yelling Greeks (sorry Vince J). I could see that the beaches would be stunning when the sun was out. And if the water temperature was doubled! (The Isle of Lewis is the same latitude as Siberia and Nthern Canada but is kept mostly snow-free by the warm waters from the east coast of America).
After some beach-going (ie. Walking over the sand and rocks and looking at the seabirds) with a friendly dog that decided I needed his company, I drove further south along the coast towards what are apparently the most scenic cliffs on Lewis (Mangurstadh). The road however didn’t really go along the edge so I couldn’t get a great view. But it was a lovely afternoon anyway.
Me in front of Valtos (Bhaltos in Gaelic) beach - woohoo blue sky!!
My rocky sunset perch over Margeriata village.
At 5:45pm, as it was starting to get darker, I left to join a couple of backpackers who I’d met in Stornaway on Saturday night, back at the hostel blackhouse of the Garenin blackhouse village. I had their beer too, so I knew where I had to be Sunday night. Was a nice place and would be brilliant in the summer as it's right next to the beach.
Went for a walk in the Lews castle grounds here in Stornaway today. Saw lots of birds and met a couple of nice locals. Couldn't believe that I saw seals in the harbour too!! Amazing stuff.
Went for a walk in the Lews castle grounds here in Stornaway today. Saw lots of birds and met a couple of nice locals. Couldn't believe that I saw seals in the harbour too!! Amazing stuff.
Lews castle - uninhabited and not open for the public yet but there are plans to fix it up. The grounds were great to walk around and I saw a couple of pics of whats-his-name hanging out in his royal gardens in the 1800s.
A seal in the harbour. (Can see zoomed in - will edit and update photo at later date)
Some migrating birds - can actually see them decently when I zoom on my camera... Trust me.
1 comment:
Have you been playing with photoshop or are those sheep in the middle of a game of paintball?
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