Lewis and Harris are NOT islands! There is no water separating them. Jim, the owner of the B/B told us that the division is purely Religious, and that most of Lewis is Protestant, and Harris is Catholic.
Lee tried the local Black Pudding at breakfast, (I can't stand it), and we had all day to get down to Tarbert, on Harris, for the next ferry trip back to the mainland and Skye. Thought we wanted to see a few of the local ancient or historic sites, but even tho you can get to them, because it was Sunday, all the visitor centres attached were closed. Still, we had an interesting time at a Black House, which gives an idea of how they lived in ancient times. It was a shame not to be able to see inside, but you can still smell the smoke from the fires that were lit inside the dwellings. They were simply black from the smoke and the soot.
Then we went on to The Gearrannan - Blackhouse Village, which sits above a small cove, and was only vacated in the middle 1970's. They have thatched roofs, lashed down with rope and heavy rocks, and look quite cosy, (some of the doors were open and we think they are rented out to holiday makers, and seem to have plumbing, etc. You'd pay heaps of money to have a holiday site like this, overlooking a beach etc.)
The next stop was to find and see the Callanish Standing Stones, and the day lent itself to the mystique and eeriness of the site. Again, the visitor place was closed, but we could still walk up to see them. They are all the eerie moody things you imagine, and the rocks are so worn and eroded from the weather. Our photo's don't really capture it well, but the silence all around made it very atmosphoric. Then the rain hit and we had to scramble back to the car for shelter.
There were other groups of stones nearby, and you can see them quite plainly from the car. If not for the weather, we would have spent much more time here.
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| These two larger photo's were taken within minutes of each other, and how the "mood" changes. |
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