The Outer Hebrides - twice the size of Shetland with only a few thousand more people, about 210 km long with a population of 26,900 - 15 inhabited islands and over 50 uninhabited islands. It is known for a milder climate than most of Scotland and its beaches!
Phoebe was perfect for exploring the Outer Hebrides. We went from Stornoway on Lewis and Harris, the largest island, all the way south to tiny Vatersay and back up to Stornoway. Phoebe took us to eight of the main islands, via ferries. This is Phoebe waiting to get on a ferry to Barra which was delayed by fog. We believe there was a view of the sea dotted with rocky islands - invisible ones.
and causeways,
along often narrow roads beside beaches. Driving on these roads is like choreography or playing chicken, to see who stops first at a "passing place" to let the other go through.
over rocky mountains
and plains of monotonous peat,
past lochs of fresh water and sea lochs. It is often difficult to know which is which as so much of the coastline consists of deep inlets.
We saw lots of history and lots of barren rocky terrain and flat expanses of grassy farms dotted with lochs and lochans (big and small lakes or sea inlets) and houses spread out over the flat land. It became a bit boring at times, and seemed a bleak, dreary place to live in, but there were some gems. The place grew on us.
Stornoway - the largest town of 7,600 people, and our entry and exit point via ferry 2 1/2 hours from Ullapool on the mainland - a nice little harbour town with good facilities.
Lewis Castle with 260 hectares of accessible gardens including most of the island's trees, on one side of the harbour.
It was a beautiful still evening for a stroll along the shoreline of the castle grounds, until the midgees started nipping.
To be continued...
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