2022 Trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland (Day 32 Isle of Lewis/Isle of Harris/Berneray, Outer Hebrides, Scotland)

 

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. 

Gress beach, Isle of Lewis

spectacularly colored secret caves at the Butt of Lewis

Lighthouse, Butt of Lewis

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

Shawbost Norse mill and kiln

Standing Stones of Callandish

peat in the wet bogs

the beaches of South Harris

ferry to Berneray and North Uist

Scampi and chips

coal and gas

our Airbnb, Berneray

2022 Trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland (Day 31 Uig, Isle of Skye/Gress, Isle of Lewis, Scotland)

 

When we left Staffin the next morning we stayed on the A855, a wonderfully challenging road around the top of the island to Uig where we were catching the ferry to the Isle of Lewis on the Outer Hebrides. The scenery was beyond imagination and it was hard for me to concentrate on the road, the temptation to stop every mile and take photos hard to restrain. We did stop at a pullout near the small settlement of Duntulm and walked along the mossy grass to a rocky promontory to see the fragmentary remains of   Duntulm Castle. By the windy hillside ruin there was a cairn commemorating the MacArthurs, the hereditary pipers to the MacDonald clan. The castle is believed to have been fortified in the Iron Age, later refortified by the Norse and subsequently by their successors the MacLeods of Skye. Not much left now though, most of it fallen into the sea or been carted off to be used for local building projects. After Duntulm we came across a very interesting museum, the Skye Museum of Island Life which was actually a preserved crofter's village, celebrating in part the life of Flora MacDonald whose grave we walked up to nearby. She was a member of the MacDonalds of Sleat who helped Charles Edward Stuart evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and very famous in Scottish history.  Keeping an eye on the clock, as we had to catch the 2PM Cal Mac ferry to Tarbert, we next headed on our way to the Uig pier, twenty minutes away. The sun was hot overhead and there was still the promise of good weather for the Hebrides! We were headed to Gress next, near the top of the island of Lewis to meet up with our next host and looking forward to the next three days in this magical place.   GWS

remains of Duntulm castle, near Duntulm, Isle of Skye

Skye Museum of Island Life

monument to Flora MacDonald, Kilmuir

on our way to the Outer Hebrides!

our wonderful Airbnb in Gress, Isle of Lewis

2022 Trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland (Day 30 Steffin, Isle of Skye Scotland)

 

I decided to take the northern route (A835) out of Inverness to avoid the traffic around Loch Ness when we left for our next Airbnb, arriving in Kyle of Lochalsh just after lunch. We crossed the bridge onto Skye, staying on the A87 to Staffin.  But along the way we made a few stops to stretch our legs, the first at Rogie Falls, a series of waterfalls on the Black Water river which we found after a delightful ten minute walk through a varied and very peaceful woodland. A little later I pulled into a spot honoring Donald Murchison, a Colonel in the Highland Army of 1715. The simple grey granite obelisk lies on a little rocky headland overlooking Loch Alsh, peaceful and nice views of the water. We met a nice elderly Scottish couple enjoying their lunch at our next stop on Loch Carron who wished us safe travels and, as we couldn't check in till 7PM in our Airbnb, we drove to one of the spots on Skye I had highlighted to visit, The Old Man of Storr. This rocky hill overlooking the Sound of Raasay was in an absolutely surreal setting and although we didn't go all the way to the top, the views were breathtaking. Unfortunately all the pine woodland had been cut down in the past few years and the lower part of the climb resembled a battlefield, the remains of the old trees scattered about like white and bleached corpses. Sad. There were the usual gaggle of tourists but as the walk up was over an hour and a half we soon all spread out and we had the trail to ourselves after a bit. The walk down was often just as scary but rewarding.

suspension bridge, Rogie Falls

Loch Alsh

Loch Carron

Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye

 We next went to see Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls, just up the road from the Storr, as we followed the coast and ancient cliffs of the Trotternish Peninsula.  I stopped here to visit 90 meter Kilt Rock which they say looks similar to a pleated kilt, made up of basalt columns resting on a sandstone base at the water edge. From our viewpoint I didn't see the resemblance but there was a strong wind blowing and a haunting tone appeared to come from below, sounding a bit like an organ. Just off to the left was the waterfall plummeting from the top of the cliffs to the rock-laden coast below. Then it was a short drive to Steffin where we ordered a great take out dinner at the Hungry Gull (Scottish poutine with haggis!) and a couple of locally brewed Skye beers. Last stop of many was An Corran Beach, an out of the way black basalt sand beach where dinosaur footprints could be found if you were lucky. It didn't take me long to find one - skepticism not withstanding I am sure it is. Checkout the picture and use your imagination. Our Airbnb was a much welcomed sight when we pulled into the driveway. It had been an exceptionally long day and we now had to rest up for our next adventure - the Outer Hebrides.  GWS

Mealt waterfall

An Corran Beach, Staffin

early evening Steffin, the end of another long day

2022 Trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland (Day 28-29 Balmoral/Fort Augustus/Foyers/Inverness CastkeInverness, Scotland)

 

Our destination after leaving Aberdeen was straight west into the Cairngorms National Park, past Ballater, cross the river Dee and through the gates of Balmoral Castle, the summer home of the royal family since 1852. Bought by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, the castle was completed in 1856, the working estate covering over 50,000 acres and actually belonging to the crown, unlike the Royal palaces. It is constructed of local granite, and full of gardens that were not yet in flower when we were there. It was nice to visit and see how the other half live for a month in summer, but other than the ballroom, we couldn't see much of the interior. Like most of the higher elevations in the UK I noticed a lot of trees down from Storm Arwen that passed through here in November of last year. It was a gorgeous day though and we enjoyed the walk under huge 100 year old pine trees that hadn't been toppled by Arwen, and Eunice a few months later. After leaving we stopped at the Royal Lochnagar Distillery, just a mile away for a sample and a bit of local history. On to Inverness then, through the wild but breathtaking and challenging roads of the Highlands and over the Monadhliath Mountains, till we could see the waters of the Moray Firth and the city below. 

Balmoral castle

Royal Lochnagar distillery,

the Hills of Cromdale, Highlands

Inverness is the largest city and cultural capital of the Highlands but we were here first to visit the famous Loch Ness and its castle Urquhart. Yet another beautiful day greeted us as we drove the A82 to the castle, stopping on the way to capture the fog still on the Loch but quickly dissipating in the warm sun. From its vantage point overlooking Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle dominated this region for centuries, It was probably the site of a Pictish hill-fort and may have been the scene for St Columba's encounter with a Pictish chief in the 6th century. So little is known of this place that we really had to use our imagination as we walked about the ruins. We do know that around 1230 the Durward family was granted the lordship of Urquhart and soon built the first castle and over the next three centuries remodeled to become a royal residence. Both Edward I of England and Robert the Bruce ravaged it during the Wars of Independence. The MacDonald Islemen raided here often in the 1400 and 1500s and the Jacobites laid siege during the Rising of 1689-90. The setting was perfect, the morning air crisp and clear and the views of the rugged landscape captivating. Until the tourists starting arriving in droves. Thankfully we had enjoyed our visit here and it was time to head along the Loch to the next village of Fort Augustus. This very small town lies on the 60-mile long Caledonian Canal, halfway between Inverness and Fort William. We had lunch here before going back to Inverness on the other side of the Loch, the B862 the most narrow road we have yet driven, often resembling no more than a wide sidewalk! At the village of Foyers we walked through the pine woods to see the waterfall but as it had been so dry this year it was no more than a trickle. Before shopping at the local Tesco for supper we stopped off at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Although it is small it showcased the unique history and culture of the city and the Scottish Highlands very well and we were much impressed. We even found a Turner painting of the city so I was happy. And, after a long day in this area, thankfully no mention at all of a monster in the lake.  GWS

Caledonian locks at Fort Augustus

Fall of Foyers, Foyers, Scotland

view from the the B852

Inverness Castle

Inverness and the River Ness

the old pipes of Kintail, late 18th century, Inverness Museum

J W Turner, Inverness from the River Ness