Famed for its wildlife, scenery, mystical standing stones and rich Gaelic culture, and folklore such as stories of water horses, sea creatures and ‘seers’ that could predict the future , the Isle of Lewis is the largest of the Outer Hebridean islands.  Though it is not actually an island, as it is connected by land to the isle of Harris, it is a place steeped in history and culture that goes back thousands of years.

I had been travelling across the Outer Hebrides alone until today as I had arranged to meet a friend who was to fly into Stornoway Airport, after which we would continue to explore Lewis.

Making way from Harris to Lewis brought with it new landscapes and new experiences as I passed lochs and stopped along the way to watch buzzards soaring and deer in the forests.

As I approached the airport the weather changed and the beautiful blue skies and sunshine that I was accustomed to turned into grey clouds and rain. After a stop for coffee and provisions we made our way up towards Tolsta where we walked along the cliffs and past Garry Beach. Following on from this we headed down the A858 crossing to the west of Lewis where we visited the Callanish standing stones. This stone circle, which consists of 13 stones surrounding a central stone that is just under 5 meters high, was erected in the Neolithic period and Callanish is one of the more remote stone circles in the British Isles

‘The stones are known as 'Fir Bhreig' meaning the false men in Gaelic, it is possible they were looked upon as petrified people in the distant past. Legend suggests that the stones were giants, turned to stone by St Kieran when they would not convert to Christianity.

The stones were also said to have a spectral visitation on the dawn of the Midsummer Solstice. A shinning figure is said to walk down Northern avenue heralded by the call of a Cuckoo. This may be a folk memory of astronomical alignments or seasonal ritual at the site.’
((http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/western-isles/featured-sites/callanais-callanish-stone-circle.html)

By now the weather had cleared, so after a quick stop in the ‘Inn Between’ cafe for a drink, we headed to Uig sands where we were to camp that night. On the way we came across Gallon Head, a hotel nestled on the cliffs on the most westerly point of Lewis, where they had an extremely enticing menu so we decided to stop for dinner to sample the seafood on offer. With a feast of mussels and langoustine we called it a night and headed to set up camp for the night, to discover not only a few other campers at the site, but a whole load of highland castle. 

The next day the weather was a tad unsettled with the wind and rain coming in as we packed up the tents. We made our way toward Great Bernera, where we visited a reconstruction of an Iron Age house near the beach, and walked over to the north coast to a seabird colony. Here there was a great view across to Little Bernera, a small neighbouring island as sea kayakers cruised the coast line and razorbills, snipes and gannets flew about noisily. The rest of the day was spent exploring the area, watching the wildlife and generally experiencing a wide variety of things that Lewis has to offer. Before we knew it, it was late evening and so we looked at where to pitch that night, deciding on Eilean Fraoich Campsite near Shawbost. The camp site was small and friendly, with the majority of people staying there in campervans  and offered good facilities, including a lovely little kitchen and sitting room where we brewed up  and stayed for a while.

Awaking to better weather we headed up to the northern tip of the island to the Butt of Lewis where the lighthouse stands high on the cliffs. Built in 1862 by the Stevenson brothers (one of whom son’s was the famous author Robert Louis Stevenson), and standing at 37m high, it has been protecting the ships at sea ever since.

With it being such an exposed part of the Island it was incredibly windy but the impressive rock faces, cliffs, and views out to see were amazing, and to stand there and think that the only thing between us and America was the ocean was astounding. When we could not take the wind anymore we drove back toward Port Nis, a lovely fishing village.

As we continued to drive back inland, passing lochs and in the middle of nowhere we came across a pub. Having decided to stop for a drink we got chatting to the owner and his friend, who had offered for us to camp in the Pub garden if we needed to. Once this was decided, the drinks were flowing and we actually decided to stay in the hotel in the end which was a nice experience having been camping for over a week!

Refreshed and ready to continue on the way the next day we were actually invited on a fishing trip with the land lord and co. And went out to sea on a small fishing boat where we caught mackerel and watched the wildlife. This is another thing that makes the islands as special as they are, the locals are so friendly and helpful, and it was really great of them to allow us to be go fishing with them.

Once back on terra firma it was time to waved goodbye and head down to Harris where the Hebridean came to an end, as we hopped on the ferry and sailed to Uig on the mainland of Scotland.

Lewis has its own unique experience as do all the island in the Outer Hebrides and each brought its own special adventure. From its history to the wildlife, the gorgeous beaches to the magnificent and varied landscapes and its individuality and friendliness of the locals, I still haven’t even scratched the service of the things to see and do on each island. The Outer Hebridean Islands are a place to inspire, explore and experience, and I will never forget this adventure, and can’t wait to get back out there!

The next destination on the Hebridean adventure was the Isle of Harris, home to a rich history, the famous Harris Tweed and fantastic mountain scenery.

Having spent the night wild camping near on the coast on Berneray, I packed up before driving over to Lochmaddy where I was to get the ferry across the Sound of Harris to the Island, which technically isn’t an island as it is connected by land to Lewis.

On arrival to the harbour I noticed a sign stating showers, which was a real bonus as I was still covered in salt from the swim in the sea the day before. After a hot shower I popped into the harbour cafe for a breakfast of fresh salmon and scrambled egg whilst I watched otters out on the rocks.

Later on my ferry arrived to take me away to Harris where the views of its mountain range were on full display. It wasn’t long after I left the ferry that I noticed a large bird of prey soaring over a wooded area. Seeming to be much larger than a buzzard, I stopped the car and grabbed the binoculars only to see the beautiful sight of a golden eagle soaring majestically above. A great sign, and already I knew I was going to love Harris! 

I spent the afternoon and into the evening driving around taking the views in before making my way to the Horgabost wild campsite, which has all the pros of wild camping (there are no wardens and payment is made via an honesty box) but with the added facilities of showers on sight. I pitched up by the sea again and watched the sunset over Taransay which is the island off the west coast of Harris famed for the TV show Ship Wrecked. I had a peaceful night though the coastal wind brought in a bit of a chill.

The next morning I awoke and got out the tent only to be welcomed by the most beautiful view across to the islands under blue skies. I left Horgabost and made my way to the town of Leverburgh driving past the beautiful, colourful blankets of wild flowers on the machair. I stopped off at the Seallam visitors centre & museum as I had read that they featured an exhibition about St Kilda and its history, which has fascinated me since I read about it a couple years earlier.

The museum was small but full of books, photographs and even a film about St Kilda and how they survived on the island in pretty harsh conditions. It went on to explain the run up to their evacuation in the 1930 which brought an end to island being inhabited as it had been for many years. It is a sad story really but there is something so enchanting and fascinating about the island I just wanted to read more about it and one day go there. It is now a nature reserve that houses a huge bird colony and you can take a rib boat there as part of the wild life tours.

Before I knew it was midday so drove to Leverburgh to get some lunch at the Anchorage Inn down by the pier where I had mussels which had been caught that morning. That’s another thing I love about the islands is the fresh seafood. From huge crab claws, to lobster to mussels and fish, they know how to catch it and how to cook it.

With my belly full and energy levels up there was only one thing to do next and that was to climb the Outer Hebrides highest peak – An Cliseam (799m). The peak itself dominates the landscape as is identifiable by its cone shape. I parked up, grabbed the map and began to ascend. The going is fairly steep with the walk in quite marshy, which then leads to a steep incline which is rather rocky and it is a fair scramble at the top. There are other routes up which are easier but take longer so I continued with the direct ‘straight up’ route. As I climbed I kept checking the skies for eagles and to take in the breath taking views around me. Before long I was at the top and the views were out of this world. 

As I stood there and did a full 360 degree turn I was nearly bowled over by how incredible the sights were before me. It was one of the most beautiful things I had seen and words cannot describe the feeling of standing on this mountain and looking out across the whole of the Outer Hebridean Islands.

To add to this experience I then noticed a sort of silhouette way out to the west, taking to my binoculars I realised, with extreme excitement, that it was in fact St Kilda in all its mystical glory. This, I found out later, is not a common event as conditions need to be perfect in order to see it from the Outer Hebrides which made it all the more magical an experience.

Having not seen a soul on my approach to the peak and its ascent I was just about to set up my camera in position and put it on self timer to take a photo of me at the summit. Next thing I know I hear voices only to then see two heads poke up over the rocks. It was a couple who had ascended off the ridge from the west of the peak, and as they too had not seen anyone else on their walk, they too were as surprised to see me as I was to see them! 

As we chatted we discovered that we were actually from the North West of the UK, which goes to show what a small world it is! After we took photos for each other we said our farewells and I made my way down back to the car, spotting a sea eagle on the descent.

By the time I got back to the car it was early evening so I looked at the map for an area to pitch up for the night. I spotted a road that leads to a dead-end by a beach which looked over toward the west so seemed like a great place to catch a sunset. I took the road which took me straight into what seemed a miniature castle grounds. I slowed down to look for a place to turn around, thinking I had taken a wrong turn only to discover that, no, I was on the right track, it just a had a random mini castle to the side of it!

 The road ended at another gorgeous beach toward the south and here there was a large flat grassed area that over looked the cliffs. I pitched in what seemed to be in a massive warren as there were little rabbits hopping around everywhere. They didn’t seem to mind me being there so I pitched up, had dinner and sat in the chair watching the gannets dive-bombing out to sea and read a book about St Kilda that I had got from the museum earlier as the sky turned from pink to a rich gold as the sun set.

Though I have only spent a short time on Harris I feel I have made the most of the time here exploring and experiencing what it has to offer. It, like each of the Outer Hebrides islands, it has its own unique aspect including the mountainous landscape that provides some epic views. With such high, craggy peaks it provides a great habitat for birds of prey, including the golden and sea eagles that I had seen earlier.

I've not only gained some great memories, explore amazing areas and experienced what nature has to offer on this island...
 
  I've also gained a rather fabulous Harris Tweed handbag! 

Having had a lovely night’s sleep at Shellbay Campsite on South Uist I awoke to another day of glorious sunshine, blue skies and the fell in the air that it was going to be a scorcher of a day.

Once I had packed up and had a chat and a cup of tea provided by a lovely couple in a motor home (whom I think felt a bit sorry for me as I had been staying in a tiny tent and living out of a car), I waved good bye to Alan, the friendly campsite owner and headed to Lochmaddy. Here I popped into the lovely arts and crafts shop and grabbed a coffee which I drank whilst overlooking the harbour.

I then drove up to Berneray, stopping off at points to get out and have a look around finding a great camping spot for later that evening, and stopped at the ferry point to watch the ferries crossing to the Isle of Harris. I took a look around Berneray and had lunch at the Lobster Pot Inn which consisted of smoked saltar salmon salad whilst I took time to read a book I had bought in the arts and crafts shop earlier.

With the sun shining I went up Borgh (85m) to sit in the sun for a while before continuing on in the car to the north east of Berneray where I ascended Bein Ghainche which led to the north coast where I sat and watched the Gannets and Manx Shearwaters dive bomb into the sea, with views to Harris behind them. Further up I gained more height on Beinn Shieibhe where I was welcomed by a panoramic view of the Outer Hebridean Islands and could even see the ghostly silhouette of St Kilda, the now nature reserve where once people lived.

It was the hottest part of the day by this point so as I was by on an island with the most beautiful beaches it seemed only right to head down to the sea for a swim. I had come prepared as I even had my snorkel and flippers with me and before long I was diving into the waters off the coast of North Uist. Though the sun was hot the water wasn’t but it made for a refreshing experience.

Once I was dried off and dressed got back into the car to drive over to the west coast of North Uist where I stopped by a forested nature reserve and walked around for an hour or so. Before long I spotted a buzzard soaring low above me carrying something in its talons, and so stopped to watch for a while. Suddenly a falcon came into sight and headed straight for the buzzard, and as I looked on wondering what it was planning to do, it took whatever the buzzard was carrying right from it and flew away at a hefty pace. The buzzard didn’t put up a fight but was at this point so close above me that I could almost make out the look of shock and confusion on the poor bird’s face!

On my way back through the woodland I came across a young stag grazing which I sat and watched for a while without it seemingly knowing I was there, unlike the buzzard that again was hovering above me, at a fairly low distance again, though I suspected he was either looking for his stolen food or was awaiting answers from me as to where the hell it flew off to.

Having experienced these great wildlife sightings I assumed I was on a roll so headed to another nature reserve ran by the RSPB called Balranald Reserve. This was different to the forest landscape of the other reserve as it involved a walk across farm land passing fields which were alive with lapwings, arctic terns, whoopers and Oyster catchers. I kept my wits about me for arctic Skuas having once had a scary experience with them on the isle of Canna. Here I had a good walk around in the evening sun before thinking about where I was to wild camp that night. I soon remembered the spot by the coast on Berneray so headed back that way. On arrival I came across a couple of camper vans that had camped up, and thought that perhaps my spot had been bagged already. Parking up and walking over to the secluded spot I was pleased to see it was unoccupied and so dropped by bags, pitched up, got the dinner on and enjoyed a cider as, once again, I watches another glorious Hebridean sunset in front of me.

As I sat there looking over to the isle of Boreray and Lingeigh I recalled the day and the things I had seen, from the landscapes, to the views and the huge range of wildlife. And also the culture that features on this island from the evidence of Gaelic days of yore to the current Hebridian arts, crafts and music.

Having experienced the incredible sights that Barra provided I was keen to see what else the islands of the Outer Hebrides had to offer, and so I hopped on the ferry that travels from north Barra to the small island of Eriskay, home to the infamous ‘Eriskay wild ponies’ (that I later discovered  lived up to the ‘wild’ part!). It didn’t take long before I caught sight of more of the Island’s wildlife, as when the ferry was about to set sail I noticed two otters diving & fishing near the harbour, and a short time later we passed a small colony of seals sunbathing on the rocks.

The journey to Eriskay didn’t take long and I was soon on terra firma where I spent an hour or so driving around the island taking in the views across to Lingeigh & Funday Islands as well as looking ahead to South Uist, the next Island on my Scottish island hopping tour!

Whereas I had to get a ferry to Eriskay, the way to get from the Island to South Uist is pretty simple by the fact that the two islands are connected by a causeway.  My first impression of the area was a good one as I approached a sign just before the causeway that stated ‘Caution! Otters Crossing’, which is a nice break from the usual ‘Cows crossing’ signs you see on the mainland.

As I entered South Uist the contrast in landscape was quite remarkable in comparison to Barra and Eriksay. The terrain was very flat, so flat that it kind of reminded me of Kansas (think tumble weeds a-blowing & the Wizard of Oz, though before they got to the Yellow Brick Road). However as I left the west coast and moved more inland the landscaped changed as a number of peaks, from Leathabhal (182m), Aiserbheinn (112m), Triuirebheinn )357) to the more dominant mountains of Beinn Mhor (620m) & Hecla (606m).

At this point I decided to venture off the A865 to explore the more rugged, ‘wild country’ terrain in the hope of spotting some eagles that have been known to venture around here. Unfortunately it was not meant to be as no eagles were spotted, though there were plenty of other raptors including buzzards, hawks and falcons, and also a marsh harrier bombing down on its unsuspecting prey.

Along this road is where I had my first experience with Eriskay ponies, as they were blocking the road ahead of me. As I slowly approached they continued to come toward me and before I knew it they had surrounded the car. One proceeded to stick its head through the open window and tried to steal my hat whilst the rest started to have a domestic. As I looked in to my rear view mirror I noticed one of the ponies staring back at me with a wild look in his eye. Next thing I knew he had give the back of the car a kick! I guess his way of telling me to move on; needless to say I took the hint and continued down the road.

South Uist also features Loch Druidibeag, a really good RSPB nature reserve that again has a huge selection of bird and wildlife.  From waders on the loch, to birds of prey soaring above, as well as the smaller birds, it made a nice contrast to the huge variety of sea life and sea birds that I had been seeing on the islands.

My next stop was Benbecula were I made a visit an arts and crafts cafe along the way and taking time to explore the area and all its wildlife that it has on offer.

As the evening drew on I made my way to Shellbay campsite where I was greeted to a warm welcome by Alan the owner. Having wild camped for 4 nights it was a nice change to be on a campsite with hot showers, amenities and people and it was also near the beach, so I still had the experience of sleeping by the sea (of which by this time I had been accustomed!).

After the tent was up and dinner was eaten I decided to go for a bike ride to catch the sunset from the west coast ,which was incredible and remains to be one of the best sunsets I have ever seen to this day. At about 11pm the sky turned from a pinky violet to a deep burnt orange and then to a magnificent glow as the sun slowly slipped behind the horizon.

I cycled around passing a small quaint graveyard and stopped off at various points to go down to the shore.  As I headed back to the campsite I thought about all the incredible things I had seen on South Uist, and the variety that the landscape has to offer. 

I pretty much fell into a deep peaceful sleep only to be awoken by a man’s voice saying ‘Time to get up!’ Half asleep and a tad confused I glanced at the clock that displayed the time as 4.10am and wondered who the man was talking to and why they would be getting up at this time of the morning. The explanation came soon after as another voice joined him and they continued to discuss how to put their tent down. Turns out they had to catch the early ferry from Lochmaddy to return home after a weekend of fishing!

South Uist is an incredible place with so much to explore and such a contrast in landscapes. My only regret is not bagging a couple of peaks on the Isle whilst I was there but fear not, it just gives me another excuse to go back there!!

My Hebridean adventure began with a ferry journey to Barra, the most southern island of the Outer Hebrides. Leaving the Oban on the mainland we made our way through the Sound of Mull passing the island under blue skies & sunshine.  Though the journey is fairly long (just over 5 hours) it soon flew by as I spent most of the journey out, on deck watching the ocean go by and a pod of 12 or so dolphins as they swam alongside the boat, putting on an incredible acrobatic display.

This is what I love about the area of the West Coast of Scotland, you never know just what you will see but it is without a doubt going to be amazing.

Arriving into Castlebay ferry port, passing by Kisimul castle (a medieval castle that stands on its own rocky islet in the bay just off the coast of Barra) the Island’s highest peak of was visible just behind the township. It was now early evening and so I made my way off the boat and drove over the causeway to Vatersay to look for the perfect pitch for the tent. It wasn’t long before I came across Triagh Siar beach which looked like the perfect place to set up home for the night. Once the tent was pitched and before the evening lost too much light, I took a walk along the beach, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the sea mist that suddenly came in, creating a thick blanket of fog preventing me from seeing much. It was a really weird sensation of walking through another world.

This created an extremely eerie atmosphere and as I walked along the sand alone I had the fright of my life when a shape suddenly came out of the mist. Fortunately it was not a sea goblin but in fact a cow, meandering around by the sea. As darkness arrived I made my way back to the tent for some sleep.

The next day I woke up to the incredible sight of crystal blue sea and golden sands before I got on my way exploring Vatersay, which is an island connected to Barra via a causeway. I headed to the South of the island and walked over a couple of small peaks (Beinn Chuidhir & Am Meall) and grass land before coming to a beautiful beach where I sat and watched Oyster Catchers, shags and a herd of cows with calves sunbathing on the sand!

Just after midday I across to Barra and drove around the whole of the Island, stopping off at various spots to take in the scenery of the golden beaches on the east coast, the sea life and the standing stones. Making my way up one of the highest peaks Ben Tangabhal (332m) on the Island in the heat of the sunshine I found a spot and taking in the views of the whole of the island, looking down to Halaman bay.

After a while I descended back to the car and continued to drive the west coast up to the north of the island where Barra Aiport is and watched as a plane came to land on their airstrip; a long strip of golden sand which is arguably one of the best airports in the UK.

As evening approached I headed back down the West coast to Cleit where I spotted another perfect pitch for the night in the sand dunes by another amazing beach.  I hadn’t seen anyone around so I literally had the beach to myself – or so I thought. Once the tent was up I cooked dinner and sat looking out to sea whilst I ate only to notice something bobbing not too far out in the water.

In closer inspection I realised it was a seal, who seemed to be bobbing in the sea looking right at me. I headed closer to the shore to get a better look and there he was just looking over to me. I made my way onto a rocky outcrop in the sea and sat there a while watching as the seal watched me. He seemed as intrigued with me as I was with him and after a while slowly closer and closer. Next thing I knew there was another seal head bobbing up and down in the water, and then there was the three of us – just looking at each other yet at ease in each other’s company – them bobbing in the sae and me on sat on the rocks near the shore.

Whilst I was sat here I looked over to the other side of the beach and spotted some really big boulders at the base of a peak, which I later found to be Beinn Cleit (206m). I made my way back to the beach and walked across to these boulders all the time watching on as the seals followed me. Now this could have been coincidence you may say, but I walked up and down that beach numerous times and all the time the seals would follow me and stay there bobbing looking right at me.

This was an amazing experience in itself as I felt really comforted by the presence of these creatures in an otherwise lonesome place. My exploration around the boulders brought its own incredible experience as I found that by going through a small, low tunnel in the boulder it brought you out into small, beautiful bay – completely hidden from view and had the most magical atmosphere. I sat here for a while pondering, whilst taking in the atmosphere and looking out to the seals who were still bobbing about looking at me. As the light faded so the mist returned so I made my way back over the beach giving a final wave to the seals as I headed to my tent, feeling so lucky that I was in this amazing place.

I awoke the next day to beautiful clear skies and another amazing view out to sea, thinking I could quite happily stay here forever. After breakfast and tent packed up I headed to the ferry point at Aird Mhor where I would be saying goodbye to Barra as I continued my Hebridean adventure on to Eriksay.

For a small island Barra has so much beauty and features some of the best beaches and coastlines I have ever seen, add to this the abundance of sea life and birds it really is a special place. Next time I'm leaving the car on the mainland and take the plane in!