Today was an exploration of the southern part of the Outer Hebrides - the islands of Berneray, North Uist and Benbecula. I was up early to see the sun rise while I finished my blog of the day before, lighting a warm peat fire in John's Bunkhouse. This old stone building where we stayed the night has been renovated into a beautiful lodging by the waters of Cockle Bay that literally wash up on the doorstep. It is one of the most unique places we had yet slept in and a place I could easily call home. We started out to see as much as we could of the countryside, following the few signs we could to new discoveries. We also wanted to get an idea of this bleak but beautiful area where my great grandfather lived and worked, likely in or around the village of Kirkibost, or on the island of the same name. Our first stop was at a Neolithic chambered cairn, typical of those built by farming communities on N. Uist. It has a small burial chamber inside but a recent collapse of the stone roof has made it impossible to get up close to examine. Moving on along A865 beach after beach beckoned, seemingly around every bend, and it was only a short walk over a grassy knoll or across a farmer's field to the most captivating views we could imagine. The best was yet to come though.
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| lost on the peat hills of N Uist |
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| the old and the new, Kirkibost |
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| thatched cottage, N Uist |
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| typical roads on the islands |
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| miles and miles of treeless landscape |
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| one of many beaches on N Uist |
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| dipping our toes in the N Atlantic |
Because we had been advised to check out a very special place on Berneray we retraced our drive back across the causeway between the two islands and, after following the narrowest of roads for a mile, we were treated to the highlight of the day - West Beach! The pictures and videos I took of this magical beach cannot do it justice - white sand, towering sand dunes, crystal clear emerald-colored water and totally deserted. We almost felt like we were the last people on earth and we could hear nothing but the gentle lapping of the water and the sharp cry of plovers and curlews overhead in the azure sky. Unfortunately we had to finally leave and point the car southeast toward our next destination, the island of Benbecula and the village of Balivanich. Hopefully we would be able to find someplace to eat on this late Sunday afternoon. GWS
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| West Beach, Berneray, Outer Hebrides |
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| supper? |
