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Highland Adventure – August 2013 Day 4

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Crack of Dawn, Wednesday 14th August saw Susan and I get ready for our unplanned but much anticipated trip to the Western Isles, namely Isle of Lewis.  The idea of the trip came about on our previous visit to Ullapool.  At the ferry terminal the clerk informed us of a “Grand Tour of Lewis” at a cost of £30.50 which we immediately put on our “Places to visit on this adventure”.  At 06:30 we set off for Ullapool a hour and 15 minutes from our base.  Yes we would be early, but I’m like that I’d rather get there early so there is no pressure in finding parking, it also gives me a margin of safety for any unforeseen event.  As it was we had a good trip up to Ullapool just in time for a nice shot of daybreak over Loch Broom

Daybreak @ Loch Broom, Ullapool

Our ferry was due to leave at 09:30 and we had to be at the terminal for 09:15, we had arrived at 07:30 – the time soon passed and the MV Isle of Lewis docked at 09:00. Having waited for ferries before I was really impressed with CalMac’s organisation of disembarkation, preparation and embarkation, all was done very smoothly. On board our ferry we managed to get a seat at the observation deck looking forward. Promptly on time we set sail for the Isle of Lewis our Island Adventure was now firmly on.  After a two hour crossing we approached the harbour of Stornoway:

Stornoway Harbour and Lews Castle

the weather for the day was to be showery, but what the heck, we were approaching a part of Scotland neither of us had been to before. We were soon off the boat and onto our coach for the “Grand Tour of Lewis”.  As we set off the first of the days showers came down – Ah well we were in a nice bus and we had got the front seat :) .  Our first stop was the Standing Stones of Calanais (Callanish Standing Stones), thankfully the rain had ceased by then, a pattern for the rest of the day.

Callanish Standing Stones

The Visitor centre is well worth visiting for the amount of information and history of these stones and there discovery. Our next stop was to be at Dun Carolway and the remains of a 1st century BC Broch

Dun Carloway Broch

Gearrannan Blackhouse Village

Blackhouses were the typical crofters house on the Islands. Stone walls, no windows and with a thatched roof over a peat rafter.  The thatch was held down by netting weighed by boulders.  The name derived from the fact that the thatch would turn black as the year went on.

Harris Tweed

Harris tweed is protected by statute – to be termed Harris Tween and given the Globe mark it must be of virgin wool, dyed and prepared in mills of Harris and Lewis.  The cloth must be woven by small weavers on their traditional treadle looms.  One such weaver is at the Blackhouse Village.

The weaver at work and his loom. As we boarded the bus for our return to Stornoway and dinner the rain started again thus limiting the opportunity for more shots. We were due back at Stornoway for 17:30 and our return ferry was 08:30.  Ideally this time would have been used for a walk around Lews castle gardens then a slow walk to the ferry terminal, with dinner on the ferry.  As it turned out the rain was more persistent, no longer a shower but a full blown drenching, we decided to have a leisurely meal at the Royal Hotel, in the aptly named Boat Shed restaurantWe had a great meal of Haunch of Venison with potato and mixed veg.  I can recommend a meal there, we were never made to feel unwelcome, no rush to get us out.  Eventually we did have to vacate and made our way through the teeming rain to the ferry terminal. Our ferry departed on time and I decided to have a snooze.  I was surprised when I woke up that we were approaching Ullapool and would soon be en-route to the caravan.  Tomorrow (Thursday) would be a lazy day I thought.



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