The next morning Marie and I walked down to the Gress beach, ten minutes from our Airbnb. It was very windy and overcast but it felt good to stretch our legs before breakfast. The Highland cattle in the field we passed came up to see who was out so early on such a blustery day. We were reluctant to leave our very kind host Chrissie but we took away some lovely memories of this special lady and her dog Archie - the evening we arrived she made a peat fire in her living room for us! From Gress we drove up to the Butt of Lewis at the very top of the island, exploring the sandy beach and the lighthouse perched above the menacing and very steep and dangerous cliffs, crowded with nesting seabirds. Heading back south on the A858 we looked for signs indicating standing stones that were believed to be erected thousands of years ago, the most famous on the island at Callandish.
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| Gress beach, Isle of Lewis |
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| spectacularly colored secret caves at the Butt of Lewis |
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| Lighthouse, Butt of Lewis |
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| the Trussel stone |
We also walked through a field of grazing sheep to to an old reconstructed thatched Norse mill and kiln by the village of Shawbost. This spot used to be home to as many as 200 small horizontal wheel mills, active till the 1930s. The road to Tarbert where we crossed over to South Harris, the home of Harris Tweed, was spellbinding and we stopped often to take in the spectacular scenery, dodging the numerous sheep and lambs grazing at the very edge of the road or crossing suddenly in front of us. Wherever we drove dark lines of cultivated peat were visible, in places recently cut from the ground. All this partially composed vegetable matter, cut out of the wet acidic bogs and fens that roll away into the distance, is still used for fuel here on the Hebrides. Soon great expanses of golden sand beaches came into view around the Sound of Taransay, taking our breath away again and again. The road to Leverburgh narrowed even more as we got close to the ferry terminal and I was glad we had left some time to spare so we could enjoy some unforgettable sights on this incredible part of Scotland. It was twelve hours since we strolled the beach in Gress and, to end another long day, we watched the sun go down on the beach by the Airbnb. GWS
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| Shawbost Norse mill and kiln |
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| Standing Stones of Callandish |
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| peat in the wet bogs |
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| the beaches of South Harris |
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| ferry to Berneray and North Uist |
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| Scampi and chips |
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| coal and gas |
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| our Airbnb, Berneray |
