With James starting school this year, we had the unusual situation of going on holiday in August. We were off again with Granny and Grandad and it saw us heading back to the Outer Hebrides. Were were having a week on the Isle of Harris and then a week to ourselves on the Isle of Eriskay.
We were getting the ferry at 9am on the Saturday morning from Skye which meant leaving home around 11pm the night before. Lyns drove the first couple of hours and then I took over and drove through the night. It was an epic drive through the dark of night in the rain, especially once we arrived in Loch Lomond and it became single track roads. Luckily, by the time the sun was coming up we were driving into beautiful weather, such a shame that was one of the few days we got sunshine throughout the holiday. Not that it mattered.
We landed in Harris with a few hours to spare before we could get into the cottage. To make the most of this time, we went and did some exploring. We found a lovely beach, which, unfortunately the weather did not allow us to get out of the car to explore and also a lovely little art gallery. The gallery did a lot of very beautiful glass work which took Lyn’s fancy. The artist also did workshops which turned out to only be £25pp so Lyns booked herself, James and Granny into one for later in the week.
After this it was time to head to the cottage. It was very near to the Harris Tweed shop we had visited the year before. It turned out to be a lovely cottage with a stunning conservatory which I spent many an hour in watching the view go by.
Our Cottage
So remote, yet only fifteen minutes from the ferry
Over the course of the week, we had very few days of weather that was good all day. Luckily, the first day was one of these days, albeit rather windy. We had promised James lots of trips to the beach so he decided that going to the beach was in order. None of us disagreed as it was a good way to blow away the cobwebs. Luskentyre beach is absolutely amazing, mile upon mile of golden sand and turquoise seas. If there had not been a gale blowing, it could have been any where in the Med.
James and I had a whale of a time running into the sea. Today he was not feeling hugely brave and ended up only getting wet up to his knees, apart from the odd splash. This would not last all the week!
Monday saw the weather forecast set to be blustery showers so we headed to the Isle of Lewis where there was a little more to do. We drove along the west coast doing some general exploring. We had been to the Callenish Stones the year before so this time we drove right past them. After a couple of false starts, we ended up at Gearrannan Blackhouse Village where you can actually stay, not this holiday though.
We started by having lunch and whilst it was a small menu, it was very tasty.
The village cost a few pounds to go into and explore. Whilst not very large, only a couple of houses to look in, it was better value than Arnol Blackhouse, a few miles further up the coast. I can still not get my head round the fact that these houses were lived in until well into the 1970s, the last black houses populated in the Western Isles. Whilst the rest of the country had lived through the swinging sixties, people were still living in these very primitive dwellings.
We were lucky as whilst we were there, a gentleman was demonstrating how the loom worked. James was really intrigued and was mesmerised watching the shuttle scurrying backwards and forwards. Turned out that Grandad knew the gentleman doing the demonstration, a small world.
After exploring the houses, we had a walk round the surrounding area. Had the weather been nicer, we could have walked down to the beach, but it was not to be.
Tuesday saw the return of the beautiful weather. When the weather is like this, there is no finer place to go on holiday. Brilliant white sandy beaches, with mountains that run down into the sea, simply stunning.
James wanted to go to the beach again so off we went. Granny and Grandad had different plans so, unfortunately, we headed off without them. We headed to Hunish, the beach we had discovered during our explore on the Saturday. The roads, whilst picturesque, are hugely twisty and turns, certainly not for the faint hearted. The sixteen miles or so took the best part of forty minutes. At the beach there is a modern, and very clean, toilet block with indoor seating and hot showers. These came in very useful later in the day.
We parked up and headed down to the beach. It was not a good start as no sooner than we had got the beach tent up, we were sheltering in it from the rain. Luckily, it was only a brief shower and that was the last we saw of it.
After digging a few holes and making a couple of sand castles, we all went for a splash in the sea. This time there was no holding anyone back. By the time we dragged James out of the sea, he was turning blue, and headed up for a hot shower and a change of clothes, we were all soaked through but bursting with smiles and laughter.
After we had warmed up and had a hot drink from the drinks van, we went for an explore. My opinion is that this area is even more stunning than Luskentyre as here there were meadows of beautiful flowers and well as mountains al around. We also spotted what looked like an amazing walk along the hill side to a remote beach. Far to far to do with James at the moment but in a few years time it would be amazing.
I think James summed it up when he declared it the best day ever. It surely was an amazing day and we all had so much fun.
Wednesday turned out to be the complete opposite to Tuesday as the weather was truly horrendous. I have never seen rain like it before! On the drive back to the cottage at the end of the day, the rain was bouncing back off the road onto the windscreen so it was coming at you from every direction. Truly amazing unless you are driving.
Due to the fact that weather forecast was so bad, we decided to take a drive out to a part of Lewis we had never been to before. After what seemed like a lifetime, about two hours, made to seem longer due to the weather, we arrived in Breanais. Here the views are renown and I am sure they would have been had we have been able to see anything. We headed back to the community centre in Uig for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. Interestingly, earlier in the week we had watched a Gerald Butler film, called The Vanishing, about three lighthouse keepers who had vanished and were never found. They were based out of a small village not far from Uig and the Community Centre had several displays on it.
Plotting the route for the day
Making sure we stick to his route
With the weather having set in for the remainder of the week we decided that Thursday we would stay close to the cottage. Lynsey, James and Granny headed to a local art gallery to do a glass masterclass workshop. Grandad and I headed to Harris Distillery, home of Harris Gin. If you have not tried it, you should do! Served with a slice of red grapefruit, yummy. We had tried to do the tour last year when we had been in the Hebrides but did not manage to get on one. This year we had booked in advance.
The tour was really good, lasting about an hour and covered both where they are with their whiskey, it’ll be done when it is done, and their gin. It was a really informative tour with several samples as well as a visit to Grandad’s version of heaven, the storage room.
Different colours representing different flavour profiles
Local sugar sea kelp that gives the gin its distinctive flavour
Grandad wishing he could be set loose with a straw
After we got home granny and grandad kindly offered to look after James for a couple of hours so Lyns and I could go for a drive and explore some of the coast. Having been to the Island a few times now, we knew where our favourite spots are so we jumped into the car and shot off. The waves were amazing, so so powerful. This short interlude, pretty much summed up the holiday as, in the space of an hour, we had driving rain, gales and brilliant sunshine.
Friday was a James day and with the weather being poor, no surprise there, we headed over to the soft play area in Stornoway, after a lazy morning.
The height of sophistication
That brought the first week of our holiday to a close. It had been a lovely and relaxing week with a good combination of things to do and relaxation. Saturday morning saw us wave goodbye to granny and grandad and head off on a new adventure. We were heading to the Isle of Eriskay at the bottom of South Uist, somewhere we had not been before, a real adventure for all of us…