25th May 2024

Day started dry. Hurrah. Actually, became a very nice day with mainly sun.  Though we did get caught out during lunch when it became foggy with some low flying cloud.

We started off looking for the Stac a’Phris. Parked in the nearest car park at Dailbeag beach, didn’t realise it was a long walk to get to Stac a’Phris.  Suddenly realized this was not happening, a brand-new fence across the fields stopped any progress. The map at the car park showed we had been on the correct route. Some wire cutters are required for this walk. I thought in Scotland you had the right to roam.

The beach and rocks were stunning, so I photographed them. 

Disappointed, we drove on North and stopped to look at the show Black House at Arnol.  Very quaint. It even had a peat fired fire on the centre with a kettle. Needless to say, it was very smokey in the room. Love the beds with their curtains around them. 

There was also a white house nearby. After the land reforms, the crofters could invest in better homes.  Still, they had no damp proof courses, but at least the livestock did not sleep in the same building.  Single story. The house contained the cattle, in one section, and the family in the other section. Fire in the middle of the room.  Some houses had a third room for storage.

The white house, these were more modern house and replaced the black house when crofters were allowed to live and stay on the land without being turfed out  at the whim of the landowner.

The Black House was inundated with starlings who did not like us, so shrieked and squawked. They were bringing in food for their nestlings.  Some lived in the chimney of the black house, and others in the crannies of the stone walls. What a din.

Still heading North, we stopped at the Clach An Truishal Standing Stone. At 20ft, four times R’s Rosemary height. Met a couple who were completing the Hebridian Way on bicycles. Seemed they were friends. They were doing it with a car and a van, and two bikes.  Driving to the destination in both vehicles, piggybacking the route. Driving back and picking up the other vehicle.  They said they were doing a lot of driving.

On northwards for lunch at the The Breakwater in Barr a’ Yard, Port of Ness, Isle of Lewis HS2 0XA. 

Here the cloud and mist came in for a while, we thought this was the end of the day.  Had a can of Iron Bru, well I am in Scotland.

Next on up to the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse.  Brick built lighthouse. Lots of Gannets and Fulmars with the odd shag.

Drove back home, filling up with diesel. We had done over 520 miles on the islands.  Navigation error on sat nav, had us going on a 20 mile detour, Why does google maps not do U-turns.??.

At campsite, lovely meal, and our Welsh neighbours with the 1940s bike were proficient in German and conversed with the German campers about bikes. Apparently our Welsh neighbour he was a real  Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, and had worked in the building industry in Germany for eight years 

We packed aways as many items as we could for a fast getaway early in the morning. We had to be checked in at the ferry before 7.15, so needed to leave at 6.30, giving us 15 minutes lee way.  So alarm set for 5 minutes to 6 to do the final dismantle and quiet pack away.

Birds Photographed

• Common Starling
• Northern Fulmar
• Yellow legged gull

Track