After my October visit to my brother and
sister-in-law (blog posts still to come) my God-daughter, partner and their 4-year old came up to
see me from the other side of darkest Manchester. I apologise for
mentioning the name of That Place which is at the other end of the Lancashire
Road to the fair city of my birth.
It
really was great to see them even though, for various reasons including
the English schools half-term only being a week long, their visit was
short.
They were fortunate with the ferries and young Joshua even enjoyed the ferry journeys.
The
weather wasn't too bad either (for Lewis) and we got to see beaches and
the Arnol Blackhouse and the Garenin Blackhouse village. Everyone was disappointed, though, to find that we couldn't go inside the
blackhouses at either place because they were closed.
However
the beaches and the Callanish Standing Stones were open! So was the
Callanish Visitor Centre where we had a very enjoyable lunch.
I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and so, I think did my visitors.
Haste ye back!
I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and so, I think did my visitors.
Haste ye back!
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| At Garry Sands - Traigh Ghearradha - Stacs and pools (full of little fish) |
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| Sand is interesting |
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| Chasing a ball is even more interesting |
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| Traigh Mhor |
It's good to see folk properly attired for the beach. Non of the shorts and T-shirt nonsense.
ReplyDeleteYes, Adrian, it was pretty chilly.
DeleteWinter is my very favorite time to go to the beach. No other people, lots of great storm-brought treasures to find, no need to leave your bits hanging in the breeze...
Deleteohhh that Callanish stones - that's somewhere I'd love to visit.
ReplyDeleteAmy, they are absolutely fascinating on so many levels. If you ever happen to be in Scotland do pop over!
DeleteThese photos could be postcards, just gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kay. Many of my photos do become post cards or note cards. The latter are my favoured means of communicating as a rule.
DeleteInteresting to see a very nice beach and people wearing winter coats.
ReplyDeleteRed, it's very common here - sometimes even in summer. It's what keeps our beaches free of hordes of sun worshippers.
DeleteI love your reply Geeb.
DeleteThank you, Kate.
DeleteThose beaches are spectacular; they look perfect for beachcombing (always one of my favourite pastimes).
ReplyDeleteOddly, Cro, in my many beach walks over the last four decades, I've seen very few things of significant interest. I've not thought about it before but now I wonder why. Perhaps the beaches on the Atlantic side of the Island are more productive.
DeleteI agree with Cro about the spectacular beaches and Kay about the postcard quality of your pictures! I don't doubt your visitors enjoyed their visit just as much as you did. Strange that the blackhouses were all closed. Didn't they (whoever "they" are) expect visitors during mid-term school holidays?
ReplyDeleteMeike, The Arnol Blackhouse is run by Historic Scotland and closes on a Wednesday in the winter. (and Sunday all year). A Trust runs Garenin and closes the museum blackhouse for the winter. It is now mainly used for high-end holiday accommodation. It is, nevertheless, always worth a visit just to see what an old village looked like.
DeleteI do wish that we (2 plus dog) could have been there. But that would have made the place too crowded.
ReplyDeletePotty, it's actually large enough for another couple of people and a dog so long as a third couple doesn't turn up. Then It would be called crowded.
DeleteWonderful photos...and a wonderful catch-up, albeit it brief. :)
ReplyDeleteYes it was wonderful, Lee. Hopefully next time it will be less brief and in warmer weather.
DeleteYou have beautiful beaches too but it looks awfully cold.Cute little fellow and its a great photo of him on the sand. Its fun to have visitors.
ReplyDeleteDiane, it was a chilly day that day with a stiff northerly breeze.
DeleteGorgeous scenery and photos. The interesting sand is adorable!
ReplyDeleteYes, Maywyn, we have really gorgeous scenery in the Islands.
DeleteGreat photos as always Graham and I notice that your beaches are as clean of debris as were those in Co. Clare. Yet as a boy, I recall visiting the beaches of Somerset that bordered the Bristol Channel. With the sole purpose of collecting driftwood for the fire.
ReplyDeleteHeron, I only occasionally see wood washed up on the beaches near me although more comes up on the west side of the Island.
DeleteAre the blackhouses where the Africans live? Calling them that hardly encourages integration in my view.
ReplyDeleteA rather odd comment, YP, if I may say so.
DeleteAs Frank Carson said, "It's the way I tell 'em!"
DeleteBlackhouses were so named not because of the fact that they were in the early days smoke filled and had small windows, but because they were compared to new houses being built in the late 1800’s which were called ‘white houses’. The new ‘white houses’ were designed to separate humans from their livestock and animals.
DeleteThe design of a blackhouse originates back several thousand years, as does the constructional method. The building consists of two concentric dry stone walls with a gap between them filled with earth or peat. The roof was either thatched or made up of turfs and constructed upon a wooden frame. The frame was supported by the inner wall, which gave the characteristic look of a shelf around the outside of the building. As the roofing material had to withstand quite extreme weather conditions at times, the roofing material was often secured down by using netting with large stones tied at the ends.
Unbelievably, some of the blackhouses were still inhabited until the middle 1970’s, although it has to be said some blackhouses had fireplaces and chimneys, instead of the chimney free traditional construction.
On Lewis, the best examples to view are at Gearrannan, where it is possible to see a range of houses all in one place. The centre has a Museum and cafe as well as well renovated blackhouses.
Also at Arnol there is a blackhouse renovated by Historic Scotland Grid Reference: MB310492
Lovely to be walking with you and your God-thingys. That last view could be a painting. And I haven't forgotten yours Geeb. The sea one, as well as the desiderata one. x
ReplyDeleteKate, the last one in the form which is in my kitchen with the two boys on the gate soon will be a picture. Gosh. I'd forgotten about Desiderata.
DeleteWonderful photos and conveying (I imagine) both the kind of weather you had and the general atmosphere of a vast beach like that. Love the footprints in the sand :) In Sweden too (thinking of your blackhouse villages now) a lot of tourist sites that are popular in summer will be shut or have very reduced opening hours in winter.
ReplyDeleteIt always looks so beautiful in Lewis. I have not visited that particular island but every time i go to the Scottish islands I am taken aback by their beauty, the clarity of the water, wonderful colours, etc. I am sure they had a lovely time!
ReplyDelete