Outer Hebrides 5 - Lewis and Harris

 26 – 31 May

Turn to stone

From the next site (Eilean Fraoich) we set off in the rain to the Gerranan Blackhouse village, not as grand as it sounds as several of the houses are now holiday lets. However, the elderly gentleman demonstrating weaving on a 70-year-old loom was really interesting - he produced three inches of tweed in a matter of minutes - and in contrast the film showed how complicated and lengthy the set-up is. 

A short distance further on was Dun Carloway Broch, the remains of a dwelling / stronghold probably dating from the first century AD.

Despite the lack of shops there are frequent opportunities to buy crafts, eggs and treats from roadside cupboards, usually with an honesty box for payment. We stopped at a more elaborate set up, Dancing Flower Crafts, where the lady made items to sell from Harris Tweed, along with photographs, pretty glassware and other knick-nacks. We came away with a small Tweed pouch which we thought would be useful to hang in the van. Finally, we called in at the Arnol Blackhouse which depicted an earlier period than Gerranan, with its peat fire burning in the middle of one room. 

The benefits of the fire were that it killed bugs, cured meat and fish and did something to the thatch which made it good fertiliser when the roof was replaced. We also learned that when a new type of house with lime-mortared walls was introduced from the mainland 150 years ago, it was called a whitehouse and the term blackhouse was applied to older houses on Lewis.

On our way to the next site (Ardroil Beach aka Uig Sands, located immediately behind the dunes) we visited the Callenish Standing Stones and did a detour across a photogenic double bridge onto Great Bernera. The ever-narrowing road finally took us to Bosta Beach and an Iron Age house.

Callanish Stones

Bosta Beach

From the site we had a lovely walk across the enormous beach with its pink-hued boulders and saw the carving of a chessman representing the Uig Chessmen carved from walrus ivory from the 12th century, which were found nearby and believed to have come from Norway. 

We were sorry not to get to the Mangersta Stacks, but parking didn't look possible for the van and the road wasn't suitable for cycling.

It was then time to head back south to Harris via Stornoway, allowing us to revisit the Woodland Cafe. We detoured off the main road to the Ravenspoint Visitor Centre, which had an interesting museum about this area of East Lewes. The Chariots, mini submarines, were tested here during WW2 but because this stretch of water is partially fed by freshwater, the buoyancy was adversely affected and so the project had to be moved elsewhere.

The site at Lickisto is located 2.5 winding miles from the main road through rocky hills which have been described as resembling a lunar landscape! The photo speaks for itself.

While there we visited Tarbert, where there is a Harris Tweed shop and the Harris distillery, source of Harris Gin (infused with sugar kelp) and Hearach malt whisky. John had already tried and approved the peaty malt and Louise said the gin is superb so both were begging to be purchased. To dodge a rain shower we popped into the fortnightly (Friday) craft market and were amazed at the range and quality of the goods there. More money was spent after which we decided we had given the Tarbert community enough financial support and moved on.

We discovered that a French style camping aire has recently been established about a mile from Tarbert and we were sorry this had escaped our attention.

Continuing along the same road we had hoped to have a walk at Eilean Glas on the island of Scalpay but having negotiated the narrow, single track winding road with blind summits, we found that there was insufficient parking for the likes of us and had to head back again.

Plan B was to stop for a walk at Lacasdail Lochs which we had passed on the outward leg. However, fate intervened. Before we arrived there I got out of the van to take a photo and stumbled in a hole in the ground, causing a painful ankle. So that put paid to walking for the day.