Scotland Days 2 & 3

The next day I was going on a tour of the West side of Lewis with Margaret Joan. Our first stop was at the Callanish Stones. These are ancient standing stones that may predate Stonehenge, and access to them is completely unrestricted. They are on top of a hill, and the weather that day was extremely windy, so we didn't stay too long, but I got some lovely pictures. They are all Gneiss stone from Lewis and are very awe-inpiring. After that we drove to the Dun Carloway Broch. This is another ancient stone structure on a hill that was built as a fortified residence and dates to the last centure BC. After that we went to see the Blackhouse village at Gearrannan, but since it is off-season, we couldn't get a look at any of them. However, these are rentable and there is even a hostel there that you can stay in. The location is absolutely beautiful and it is known for it's seaside walks. Next we drove onto the Arnol Blackhouse. At one time these blackhouses would have been the common dwelling for people and their livestock, but they later abandoned these for white houses, more modern wood houses. Visiting this site is most well known for its peat fire that burns on the floor in the centre of the house. Peat smoke fills the entire house and your hair and clothes will smell of it for the rest of the day. We continued our tour by going through many other villages including Melbost, Shawbost, and Brue, among others. And finally went to the Butt of Lewis, which has a lighthouse and some absolutely spectacular views of the coast, before arriving in Barvas, where we visited another cousin Alistair and his wife Peggy. After that we went for dinner at Margaret Joan's and her brother Donald. We spent the evening listening to Scottish music as the well-ventilated peat fire burned and they gave me several CD's to take home. It was another incredible day. As we were driving, we met the same tour bus at several of the spots we visited, but I'm sure their tour was not nearly as comprehensive as mine.

The next day was Sunday, and the Isle of Lewis has very strong beliefs about the religious importance of Sunday. So there are no shops open and the ferry doesn't run. Recently they started having a few flights come to Stornoway on Sundays, but even this was met with serious protests. Because of this, I had time to rest and catch up on my travel journal, while Maimie made a wonderful lunch, which we shared with a close family friend, Dolly. Later we drove out to Lews Castle and walked around before coming home for an early night, as I had to be on the 7am ferry the next morning to go to Edinburgh.

That's was my week with relatives in Scotland. I saw a tremendous amount in a very short time, and everyone I met was so incredibly kind and generous, that I didn't want to leave. I can't wait to come back to Scotland again, and am so glad I had a chance to see my roots.

Next stop Ireland....