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Scotland - Harris and Lewis
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....Day 4 Continued: The ferry dropped us off in
Tarbert, from where we turned south onto the Island of Harris.
Harris looks just like....well, I suppose what the moon would look like if
lichen grew there. The west coast had some beautiful beaches,
so I had to go in - despite the temperature. The drive
around the entire island didn't take too long. About midway down is
the town of
Leverburgh, where the founder of Unilever tried to install a
modern industrial economy -
definitely a must-read story! At the southern tip stands
St Clements church, where Crotach
MacLeod, 8th Chief of the Clan MacLeod
is buried.
As we drove north towards the island of Lewis, we noticed that if the many sheep here ever militarized like their cousins on Skye, that the very small human population would be in BIG trouble. The sheep crossing sign was hilarious. Lewis has a totally different, and equally weird landscape. There are lakes, mountains, and valleys - all covered in peat. As we approached, we could see the Callanish Stones (another "thin place") from a distance, and our B&B is next door. Day 5: Things started a little differently. BEFORE the daily artery-clogger, we headed to see the Callanish Stones at dawn. Alas, day never broke through the clouds. Nobody is quite sure why they are there, but they are old, and creepy. Back into the car, and over to Dun Carloway, an Iron Age "broch" or tower-fort. Onwards to the black houses, where people scraped out a tough living for centuries...and as recently as 1974. We actually watched somebody make Harris Tweed - all spun by hand. One of the houses is now a hostel (apparently quite a nice one!). In terms of modern houses, Lewis was quite a contrast to Skye in that all the houses here were a drab grey, often cinderblock, where on Sky they were invariable whitewashed. Also noteworthy is that though many had sunrooms on the far side, not a single place had windows looking out at the spectacular views. From the black houses we drove to the "Butt of Lewis" which is the well-named northern tip of the island. The waves were wild, and there is nothing but open water between that point and the North Pole (barring a few fish and some ice). Surprisingly, we also found a lovely sand beach right around the corner. From there we drove to Stornoway, which is actually a very nice little city. Day 6 back in the Highlands...
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