Tuesday 4 September 2007

 Durness - Ullapool 104km / 65mi

We are heading south today. Near Kinlochbervie we turn right onto a narrow single lane road towards Blairmore, where we start out on a walk to Sandwood Beach. It is an easy track through a beautiful area surrounded by mountains, lakes and lots of heather. The view on the peaks is magnificent. The area came into the possession of the John Muir Trust in 1993, whose aim it is to maintain ecologically valuable areas.  Especially for birds like the many types of Sandpipers and Plovers this area is very important as a nesting ground. Like many parts of the Scottish Highlands this area was once populated by small crofters. After a couple of failed harvests they were driven of their land by the land owners in 1847. The land owners wanted to use the land for raising sheep. Many crofters migrated to the cities, England  and America.  Our walk leads to Sandwood Beach, a mile long stretch of beach (at high tide). At low tide the beach is twice as big. The beach is surrounded by cliffs, in the distance lies Cape Wrath, with the northernmost light house of Scotland. There is a slight drizzle. We walk the same 4 miles back to the car park. We eat our sandwiches before we drive on to Ullapool.  It is a beautiful drive along lochs, kyles, mountains and the like. Around 2.30pm we arrive in Ullapool. We stay in the Ceilidh Place, a remarkable hotel cum book shop, pub and art gallery.  Upstairs is a large lounge where you can read in all quiet, enjoying a drink. Ullapool is a nice, but small port town. We walk around a bit and have a pint in the Ferry Boat Inn (locally known as the FBI) on the quayside with a view on the Loch Broom. At night we have dinner at the hotel. The food is okay and the atmosphere pleasantly informal. Later at night we have a drink in the Arch Inn, another waterfront pub. 

Weather: changing all the time 14°C/57°F.

Wednesday 5 September 2007

 Ullapool - Stornoway 2:45 hrs. by ferry

At breakfast Erik takes his first plate of Scottish porridge. He says it tastes much like a traditional porridge he knew back home in the North of the Netherlands. After breakfast we go into town and ask for some nice car tours in the area at the Tourist Information Centre. The weather is really bad today and outdoor activities are definitely not on today.   They send us on a tour around the Coigach peninsula, with its nice mountain range and narrow one lane roads. Every 100 yards or so there is a waiting bay. We stop briefly a the fish smoker near Achiltibuie. Not much of a sight. Through the windows you can see a bit of the smoking area and the packing room. The shop, however, sells delicious smoked salmon. From the peninsula we should have a view of the Summer Isles, but the weather is so bad that we do not see a thing. The Loch is cloaked in a dense fog. We also give the Hydroponicum a miss. It is a "Garden of the Future" where flowers, plants and vegetables are grown without soil, growing only on sunbeams. They grow strawberries, lettuce, figs and even bananas here. We drive back to Ullapool and get instantly bored. The weather is bad and the town so small. 

Around 3.30 we check in for the crossing to the Isle of Lewis (Leodhas). The boat comes in around 4.30 and within 45 minutes we are seaborne. The ferry operated by  Caledonian MacBrayne (also known as CalMac) is a bit worn down. The company operates quite a number of ferry lines between the Scottish Islands and the mainland.  After 2 hours and 45 minutes were are there. Then it is another 15 minutes drive to Broadbay House Guest House near the hamlet of Back. That turns out to be a luxury B&B. The room is very comfortable and tastefully decorated. We have a balcony with sea view and the room is fitted with "all mod cons". I am taken in by the gadgets like a flatscreen tv, hifi equipment and to top it all a docking station for my iPod, so that we can listen to my music collection in hifi. We have late night drink in the lounge before we head to bed.    

 Weather: rain all day 16°C/60°F

Thursday 6 September 2007

 Breakfast is superb. Kippers, eggs and anything else we want. All with a marvelous view of the beach and the Broad Bay. There is even a good pair of binoculars on hand to keep an eye on the sea birds. 

We start the morning with coffee in Stornoway (or Steornabhagh), the main town which is not very memorable. We notice that the road signs in Gaelic are much more prominent than on the mainland. Throughout the Highlands you see a lot of Gaelic signs, but usually secondary to English. Here it is the other way around. Often the English translations are not there at all, which can be confusing at road junctions. On the radio we can listen to  BBC Radio Scotland's Gaelic service. We withdraw some cash in town. Scotland has its own bank notes. More saw every major Scottish retail bank issues its own branded bank notes. They are the same value as English pounds sterling and are legal tender throughout the UK, but you'll have a hard time spending them when you get too far south of the border. Tougher still to change them overseas. It is not possible. 

We drive northernmost point of Lewis, to  Port Nis (Port of Ness) a port town with a beach. Quite near is an old Norse 12th century church, Teampull Mholuaidh or St Moluag's Church, that has been restored to its former glory in  1912. We carry on to Rubba Robhanais (Butt of Lewis) a viewing point with cliffs and a light house. The site is always called in BBC Radio 4 shipping forecasts.  

From  Port Nis we drive to Arnol, where we visit a Black House (or Taigh Dubh). This is a traditional house with peat covered roof, a hearth in the middle of the living room without a chimney. This way the smoke can keep out the midges. Farm animals also had their space inside the house, while the potatoes and grain were stored in a shed. The last occupant of this black house moved out reluctantly in 1964 and only after the local council had arranged something for her animals. On the other side of the road is a ruined Black House and a White House (or Taigh Geal) where the occupants moved to in 1920. The house is open for visitors with the 1960s furniture still in place. 

We carry towards Gearrannan (Garenin), an open air museum consisting of a Black Houses village. There is a café in the first house, while the others are open to visitors. and some are even in use as tourist accommodation. We have lunch here before we drive on to Dun Charlabhaigh Broch (Carloway Broch) a well preserved fortified tower dwelling dating back to the beginning of the first century. The Broch stands on a hill top overlooking the sea. The Scottish Atlantic coast is dotted with around 500 brochs, but is this is best kept one. The building consists of two concentric round walls with only one very low entrance. The building probably offered protection against Roman slave traders. 

Next on our tour is Calanais (Callanish), where the famous standing stones stand in a circle with rows of stones pointing north and south. The complex dates back to 3000 BC. There a total of 50 stones. The site is set beautifully against the backdrop of a lake. What the purpose of the stones may have been is not entirely clear. Scientists agree that the stones were put together by consecutive generations and a calendar function is a very probable explanation. It would have been important for agriculture. The likeness of the layout with a Celtic cross and the presence of a nearby tomb are no longer deemed relevant, but were a fertile source of speculations about extraterrestrial intervention and human offerings. Many stones stand in line with solar or stellar positions.  

Finally were drive to Uig. This hamlet is a bit remote on the west coast, accessible by a one lane road only. The road ends in a long canyon leading towards the beach. This is where a cow did a historic discovery in 1831: 92 figurines were uncovered of which 78 were Viking chess pieces cut from walrus ivory. The original pieces are now on display in the  Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and the British Museum in London. The community centre here has a small exhibition with replicas.  We drive back to the Guest House for drink with a view. On a rock in the middle of the bay we see a group of seals enjoying the sunshine. At night we have a great dinner. Our host Ian turns out to be a good chef.  

 Weather : dry with sunny spells 18°C/65°F

Friday 7 September 2007

Stornoway - Tarbert - Isle of Skye 72 km / 45mi

We drive south towards Tarbert, on the isle of Harris (Na Hearadh). Harris is physically connected to Lewis. We drive around the island, through a rough, impressive landscape, which is at times hidden from view by heavy rains and low cloud. We end up in Rognadal (Rodel), where the St Clemens Kirk is the only attraction. Inside the church we find the graves of a couple chiefs of the McCleod clan. The church was built in 1520. I climb the tower. In the façade of the tower we see a figure representing a Sheila-na-gig, the Old Irish Goddess of Birth and Death. She is usually depicted grinning while opening up her vagina with both hands. On this church - quite unusual - she is accompanied by a brother showing off his genitals. The church was saved from ruin in 1873 by the Duchess of Dunmore. 

We eat in the Rodel hotel just behind  the church. The village is very small and we find ourselves virtually at the end of the world. We drive back to Tarbert (An Tairbeart) and have a look round there, write some post cards and drink tea in the First Fruits  tea room. At 4pm the CalMac ferry sails out to Uig on the Isle of Skye. 1 hour and 40 minutes later we arrive on Skye. From Uig we take a very narrow mountain road through the Quirang forest to Staffin, on the other side of the island. It is extremely foggy and we can hardly see a thing. Our B&B, Old Mission House is located in tiny Staffin, a Gaelic speaking community. The B&B used to be the vicarage belonging to the next door Free Church. Looking for a restaurant is not that easy. There is a hotel, Glenview, 6 miles south, but it turns out to be fully booked. We drive back 12 miles north to Flodigarry Country House Hotel, only to find it closed because of a private function. Our saviour in this area deprived of pubs (!) is a training centre of some kind with a cafeteria. We take a hamburger, after which we head back to the B&B owned by Nick and Kevin.