In so many ways. Pat and Dave, close friends from the other side of the valley, have had friends staying and wherever they went this week they found the sun (and kept telling us!). So yesterday CJ was feeling good (by his standards) so we decided to go over to the West side of the Island to Uig and Reef and Valtos for their fabulous views, machair and beaches and see if the promised sun would make an appearance. We had to do a bit of chasing but we did manage some sun.
Uig is not the place to try and get a cup of morning coffee however we remembered that last year we had had an excellent coffee from the machine in the café facility at the Uig Community Cooperative Shop which is an example of the considerable achievements of a small remote population and provides a range of retail facilities including a post office and petrol station as well as a community meeting hall.
Then we went to the tiny township of Cliff:
Then we walked on Reef sands
Where holiday makers at the camping ground there were fishing off the rocks
Someone or two in the township of Carishader has a sense of humour:
As we came up to the old schoolhouse in Loch Croistean which is now a very friendly café we came across a pair of eagles soaring high above the valley:
All in all it was a Very Good Day.
GB, your beautiful post made me realise how much I miss the sea. Can I come and stay, please? I won't be any troble. Oh - and I promise to leave the horse behind.
ReplyDeleteMy house sits overlooking the sea and the Minch to the mainland of Scotland: see here for one of the many shots I've shown of the view. You'd be very welcome Frances. I don't have facilities for Titches but there are plenty of stables on the Island so I'm sure someone would provide him with B&B.
DeleteFrances, take the horse, then I'll stay too and look after him/her, while you're doing the islands.
DeleteThe township of Cliff is gorgeous! Especially with the sun and blue sky turning the water that beautiful shade.
ReplyDeleteLisa on a day like that every township on Lewis is beautiful.
DeleteThat search produced great results, even good coffee. I'd love to see some of the sun and blue skies you found, it has been so wet here. Ah well, at least it's not cold when it's raining.
ReplyDeleteThat's the difference Pauline. On Friday even with that sun I was wearing a warm vest(gilet) and a Berghaus jacket with a quilted lining in the cold wind.
DeleteWhat absolutely beautiful shells and fragments of shells. I think it was on Raasay that I was utterly captivated by the stones, rather than shells. Never seen anything like them. And it is years since I have seen such wonderful sand.
ReplyDeleteMost of the sand on the Island's beaches has some shell like this photo as well as lots of very fine sand. Some of the shoreline has pebble beaches too - particularly in unsheltered areas on the West coast.
DeleteIt's wonderful anytime but superb on a sunny day. A good job they are few and far between or the coast would be covered in high rise hotels.
ReplyDeleteI think that same thought Adrian every time that the sun shines and I'm wishing for more of it.
DeleteConsidering how high up the eagles were soaring you did well to get such good photos! At a very rough guestimate I'd say they were 450 feet above us and not circling particularly slowly! I like the fishing shot as well.
ReplyDeleteThe co-operative is the only place I've ever had hazelnut flavoured coffee. I can recommend it.
And the sand, Jenny, was truly wonderful. It is my favourite beach on the island (despite being comparatively popular).
Thanks again, GB, for taking me there and arranging the sunshine.
I can claim no credit for the sunshine and I enjoyed the day as much as you did.
DeleteGreat pictures, as always! Love the one of the reef sand, it looks like a piece of precious fabric adorned with gems and jewels.
ReplyDeleteThe coop place looks so nice, neat and tidy.
Am I the only one to find the "scarecrows" (I know they are not scarecrows, but I lack of a better term) creepy?
No, Meike, I think they are creepy too. I'm not sure that I can think of e better term either.
DeleteFriends have now gone - saiing off on the ferry on sparkling blue waters. So now I am staying put at home for a bit. Hope you are enjoying the beautiful blue skies across the valley again. Perhaps we should stay home more often!!
ReplyDeleteYes Pat I revelled in the blue skies and the warmth on Saturday and Sunday too. Shame that 'normality' has returned today (Monday).
DeleteWhat beautiful scenery!! Absolutely divine. I could sit on the cliff and soak in that scene for ever. Sigh....
ReplyDeleteOne of the things about living with such beauty all the time, Liz, is that one has to be careful not to take it for granted. I sometimes am afraid that I do.
DeleteThe sea views are wonderful and that last house looks absolutely charming against the blue sky. What really fascinates me though is that reef sand, I've never seen shells in such bright colour. I can only hope CJ got down even closer to the ground as he seems to be in the habit of doing... ;) I'd like to see one of those red shells up close and know what it is! And those oblong thingys too.
ReplyDeleteThe oblong thingies are Razor Shells - probably Ensis siliqua q.v. I have a close up of the very pink one. I'll email you.
DeleteSuch beauty...so peaceful.
ReplyDeleteLoved the "jewels" adorning the sand and the eagles up on high (450ft?) really? That's fantastic.
I think the "scarecrows" were cheering on GB athletes for the Olympics....they did good.
I'm impressed with the Coop shop and services....loved the fact that there is turbine wind energy too.
Yes the eagles were little specks when I took the photos so I was pretty lucky. They came a bit closer several times but as soon as I was out of the car they soared up again; so beautifully and so effortlessly. The Olympics - didn't they do well!
DeleteLovely photos. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol
DeleteI thought I'd left a comment here... What I want to say is that I love the old school cafe. I would like to live there.
ReplyDeleteWell, Katherine, when I came to the Island nearly 4 decades ago one of my tasks was to dispose of old schools and schoolhouses (this one was both the school and schoolhouse) . This one was a bane of my life because it lay empty for years and no one wanted it. It is solid and is wonderful for it's present use.
DeleteOH MY. You had to 'dispose' of them! Could anyone have bought them? Were they expensive? Are there any empty houses left?
ReplyDeleteYes Katherine, anyone could have but no one wanted them at the time. Some have made very good houses.
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