Lewis Island Scotland
Newcastle Scotland1. Our Strands
Scotland's Isles must be one of Britain's best kept mysteries. All I needed was a little bit of sun to make it look great - and the Hebrew isles of Lewis and Harris couldn't have done a better show for my first island tour of Scotland. From a technical point of view a land mass, but divided into two isles, Lewis and Harris are at the head of the Outer Hebrides off the western coastline of Scotland.
So, as a sneak peek and while I'm working on my gigantic bunch of photographs (damn, you two are so photogenic!), here are nine of my falling in romance with the islands of Lewis and Harris. It is not difficult to understand why the Harris western coastline has so many "best places in the world".
Luskentyre is the show's celebrity, but both of them are littered with a mixture of protected inlets, sand dune and cliffy inlets, so you will have no trouble to find your ideal one. You will be intrigued by the Hebrides if you are interested in the past or archeology at all. They can take a trip through the last few thousand years without ever having to leave the Lewis western shore.
There are many different sceneries packed in a very small space. Lewis center has mile-long shallow bogs that reminds me of Iceland. The coastline is surrounded by sand and cliffs. Then, the street down to Harris is different again, it winds up and down, with a panorama view down to the lakes and indents.
Flavours are currently gourmets of the season, but Lewis and Harris are old-timers in this field. There is an amazing choice of restaurants and drinks as well as many small regional manufacturers. Afterwards we followed the Hebrides Trail Ecat Road, one of the island's favorites, with blood sausage, smoke filled seafood, clams, cheese as well as a glass of Harris Gin and Abhainn Dearg malt.
Like the Gaelic that is still used on the Hebrides, the archipelago keeps its tradition united. In addition to folk songs, you can see contemporary artwork and photographs at the An Lanntair artistic center in Stornoway. As much as I like a good sandstrand, it's just as enchanting when ripples hit the cliff.
Butt of Lewis has some serious rocks up to 80ft high. It has a wind speed of 100 metres per hour and the Guinness Book of Records called it the UK's most windy place - just think of the magnitude of these waters! Without Highland-Coo you can't have a Scotch island outpost - our home came with some of these photographing people.
In addition to cattle, you can also see wild animals such as elk and otter as well as seal, dolphin and whale off the shore. The people of the island are rightly proud of their homes and everyone we meet wanted to give us hints about their favorite places. There is something about the landscape of Lewis and Harris that makes you want a brush (even if you are as desperate as I am!), so it's no wonder that many gifted craftsmen and craftsmen are at home on the isles.
The best known is Harris Tweed - which must be handwoven at home in the Hebrides to be called. However, the island has much to offer. At Luskentyre Beach on a bright Saturday in the mid of August we even had a maximum of 25 other persons. Out of Stornoway the streets are calm and there is so much room to discover - abandoned bays, lakes and outcrops.
Did I convince you to put the Lewis and Harris Isles on your itinerary?