We didn't find the prospect of sitting at home for 3 months very inviting - not that we have our own home to sit in anyway! Our house has been rented out, firstly because it's not a good idea to leave a house empty for 18 months & secondly, because the income is very helpful! We have been lucky enough to be able to move into a flat that Matthew & Laura own in the Strathbungo area of Glasgow, though, so nobody need feel sorry for us. We're very comfortable there – but restless!
So what to do, where to go? Catch a train & a ferry to the Outer Hebrides, of course!
The train took us to Oban & the ferry took us to Lochboisdale on South Uist. Thereafter we travelled mainly by bus, but also by bike, car & a further ferry, to Eriskay, Benbecula, North Uist, Berneray, Harris, Lewis & Great Bernera before the final ferry carried us back to picturesque Ullapool on the Scottish mainland.
We were away for nearly 3 weeks & we had a wonderful time. The weather was fantastic for most of the time - we even managed to get sun-burned! This was partly because we were outside for up to 12 hours a day taking advantage of the long daylight hours. Even when it did rain, we didn't mind too much – it was lovely to be cool, after months of stifling, humid heat.
The scenery was stunning. We walked & cycled along of miles of white beaches, through vast expanses of flower strewn machair, along cliff tops, across heath & heather, over hillways up & down ........... The sea was never far from view with beautifully clear water, often an amazing shade of turquoise.
We stayed in B& Bs & were amazed at the high standards. Pick of the bunch was Seal View on Berneray – fantastic accommodation, in-room facilities & views – just perfect! http://www.sealview.com/
An honourable mention goes to Rushlee House at Lochmaddy on North Uist, too. http://www.rushleehouse.co.uk/
Our list of sights to see – Dunollie Castle, McCaig's Tower, Loch Druidibeg Nature Reserve, Kilpheder Bronze Age Settlement, Kildonan Museum, Barpa Langass Chambered Cairn, Pobull Fhinn Stone Circle, Lochmaddy Camera Obscura, Nurses' Cottage Museum, St Clements Church at Rodel, Bosta Iron Age Settlement, Callinish Stone Circle, Carloway Broch & Gearrannan Blackhouse Village were the ones we enjoyed.
As for beaches – well, any beach on the west coasts of the islands we visited is worth seeing – just so, so beautiful – but if we had to name the most spectacular we would choose Uig.
Our only disappointments were that the day trip that we hoped to take to see the islands of St Kilda wasn't possible due to the boat's engine problems & yet again we were thwarted in our attempts to go sea kayaking – since our 1st unsuccesful attempt back on the Maine Coast last September Fiona's hankering to get out onto the open sea in a kayak has still to be satisfied!
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