THE DINOSAURS GO WEST

As always in April, the Dinosaurs went away for a long weekend, in fact almost a week for some and this time we went overseas - to Harris. I had got really excited when I misheard the destination when it was first discussed - I thought we were going to visit the capital of France! I should have guessed that when we went to Ullapool to get the ferry that we were not going to have lunch in the Montmartre!

We all arrived on different ferries from different places. We travelled from Ullapool to Stornoway with Hugh and Pam on the Saturday morning. After a very pleasant lunch in Stornoway - in the sunshine, we had a nice tour around Lewis. As we were not with any of the others, you will just have to sit through our little travelogue!

Here is Hugh, Pam and Sharon at the Whalebone arch - impressive isn't it?

Next stop was the broch at Carloway . This is supposed to be the most complete broch in the Western Isles - it's impressive too.

It wouldn't be the Hebrides without stone walls and sheep.

Lazy beds.These were the old, now disused form of cultivation where the soil was too thin and poor to grow much to keep body and soul together. Soil was drawn up from ditches and fertilised with seaweed. This drawing up of soil gave rise to the classic historic landscape to be seen all over the west. Useful information, I'm sure you will agree.

Next stop was the Callanish stones - erected a thousand years before Stonehenge, so of considerable significance - and a lot quieter to visit. Because they were so impressive I've included four photos.

After the history lesson, we carried on to Tarbert in Harris, where our house for the stay was - and this is it. We had the three cottages on the right.

By the time we arrived, nearly everyone was there. However, we had to wait for Mac and Janet - and this was their ferry arriving and about to disgorge them. There was even a pipe band playing as they arrived - probably for the real tourists and not for Mac and Janet.

As we were now all there, it was time for dinner. Hugh clearly did not approve of the choice of wine!

Jacque tries that old party trick of getting the ring over the neck of the bottle. Charlie wants her to hurry up so that he can top up his glass.

 

By now, it was getting late and a bit of drink had been taken, so Sandra had started to fade.

Dave, on the other hand, just decided to sleepwalk off to bed.

DAY 2 DAWNED FINE AND DRY

This was (and no doubt still is) the view just beside our cottages.

Sharon and I went for a quick walk around Tarbert where we came upon evidence of Pam's devotion to cleanliness - she even has a drain named after her!

Then we had a look at the local superstore, which being a Sunday was closed - but it did sell everything, except Swiss army knives.

Here it is in all its glory. Ronnie Barker wasn't about as far as we could see.

Then it was time for our walk from Urgha to Reinigeadal. That wasn't in the spellchecker! A nice easy Sunday stroll we thought - not quite!

We could see the track starting up the hill from the car park, where we had plenty of time to wait for Hugh to come back with the drivers who had left cars at the other end. They did seem to take forever and then some.

So much so, that some of us were beginning to want lunch, but Dave wouldn't let us do that. Soon, however, we could see Hugh's car winding its way towards us.

This brought great cheer to us all, except Jim. We told him that Jacque wasn't with us and should have been with him. Rather than exhibiting concern for her well-being, he merely remarked that he was in for a real tongue lashing when we got her back. Or at least he said something like that.

Imagine his joy, not to say relief, when she popped out of a drain cover at the side of the car park.

Well, when I say popped out - that would be stretching it a bit.

The journey back from the other end of the walk, combined with drink from the previous evening had clearly had an effect on Hugh's bladder.

However, we were soon on our way.

It was a bit of a climb to the top and we were a bit strung out, but we all made it in the end.

Some of the views were well worth stopping for a rest !

And here we are taking in one of them.

This is the path up the other side of the gorge we were now going down - not an appealing prospect.

But that was soon forgotten as two Golden Eagles soared above us - truly majestic.

This was our lunchtime objective - the beach, which appeared to be about 5000 feet below us. It was only hunger that drove most of us on.

Sandra and Janet were clearly hungrier than most.

Charlie urged us all on, saying it wasn't as bad as when he had first done this walk! There was no actual proof of that, though.

It was well worth it when we got there - and not just for the food!

As you can see there was a bit of glare from the sun.

I'm not sure if Hugh was upset with Pam because she forgot the chilled wine to go with the meal or whether he was just too knackered to enjoy his roll and ham.

Jimmy took to building a balanced stone tower, which was very impressive.

Just as impressively, Jacque got down and dirty to take a photo of his erection.

After all of that, it was time for the lunchtime photo - note the blue sky.

A quick look back at the path we had come down, then off up the equally vertiginous path back up!

We still had the blue sky, though, which made it so much easier!

As we climbed up and along, we spotted this porpoise in the bay - honest!

Soon we arrived at an abandoned township - all mod cons at one time it would seem.

A rare photo of Sharon and me near the township - it just proves I go on the walks and don't make it all up afterwards.

From there it was a fairly short trek to the cars and then back to the houses - via quite a long car journey - to a welcome cup of tea and some very nice cake in the sun.

And that was the end of day 2 and very good it was too. It really was a fab walk and the scenery and wildlife were spectacular - well done to Charlie for dragging us out on it.

DAY 3

Day 3 saw some of us take a trip to Scarista to play golf at what must be one of the most spectacular courses in the world. The views over the white beaches and turquoise water were magnificent - my golf wasn't. You will have to take my word for this as I didn't take my camera with me!

The afternoon saw all of us take a walk into the new eagle hide which took us along a spectacular glen on a good track.

And here is the hide - it has to be said that the only eagle we saw there was the one on the side of the hide!

Hugh decided that he didn't want any publicity.

On the way back, Charlie pointed out where the eagles might have been.....

.....which wasn't on this rock face as alleged! If you look closely you can see a stone that looks like a pigeon and nothing like an eagle.

After not seeing eagles, except perhaps one at a considerable distance, we got into the cars and drove along the road to Huishnish. I use the term road fairly loosely - it was bit hairy in places. The views along the road were pretty good, though.

But not as good as the beach when we got to the end - amazing!

Here is Sharon about to break the tape at the end of the walking marathon - the track almost looks like snow, the sand was so white.

The view from Huishnish to Scarp.

More snow/sand.

Check out the snow/sand and the blue sky.

Charlie tries to get it all into focus.

Strangers on the shore, exchanging glances etc. Actually it was Jim and Jacque being romantic - he still had a lot of catching up to do after losing his wife at the start of the first walk.

Here we are on the beach. I wasn't there as I was setting up the camera to take a remotely controlled shot with me in it.

 As you can see, I did that fairly well!

And that was the end of day 3. It was back to the houses and then out to the Hotel for a really good dinner. A great end to a great day.

DAY 4

Day 4 was a bit more mixed weather wise, but it didn't stop us driving to Rodel, passing these sheep on the salt-marsh.

After a while we got to the end of the road where the charming St Clement's church is sited - we went inside after a walk and lunch and you will get to see some of the interior if you have the stamina to keep going!

There were sheep there too.

Off we went on the walk - with waterproof protection, that was necessary for some of the walk, but not all.

Nice sea views.

And eagles were becoming a bit commonplace!

So, it might seem, were signs of some kind of wired - or is that weird - fencing practices.

It was bit wet, but our spirits were not dampened - believe that if you want. 

We still had time to stop and stare and then decide that we really needed to get back for lunch and to meet Hugh and Pam who had not gone on the walk due to Hugh's sore knees. Old age was the general consensus.

And yes, Charlie was wearing a bandanna! 

This was the gate that we should have gone through on the walk....

This is the gate that we all climbed over!

Heading back to the church and, perhaps more importantly, lunch at the Rodel hotel.

We had a very nice lunch served to us by a waitress who had got too close to the chef, judging by the flowery hand print on her bum. We had a wee look around the harbour in the sunshine and then off to the church.

The inside of the church which was very old and interesting.

Upstairs via the unusual ladder arrangement there was a huge platter filled with coins which had obviously been there for a long time. As far as I know there was more money when we left than when we arrived!

From the church we went individually around the Golden Road back to Tarbert. It is so called, because it was only built relatively recently and cost a fortune to construct. 

The local rooster was very interested in us, but there was to be no coq au vin for dinner that night.

We did, however, spot this otter when some of us stopped at a Harris Tweed shop.

Then we got back to Tarbert where we had fish and chips for tea. There was considerable debate about the merits of battered fish against breaded fish. the bread faction did try to persuade the right thinking among us that batter was for the lower classes, but I wasn't having any of that crap, mate.

After more drink and games it was time for bed.

DAY 5

Day 5 was tinged with some regret as Hugh and Pam had to leave so that Hugh could go to a work meeting, whatever one of those is.

Here they are waving from the ferry window.

And here is the ferry leaving.Those of us remaining had a great time, with some of us opting for a guided walk on Scalpay.

Fairly quickly we set of in a howling gale. But we soon forgot that as we took in the sights around us.

That's the style!

A bit of maintenance was needed, but we coped.

This may or may not be Bonnie Prince Charlie's cave. As Charlie wasn't with us we couldn't be sure.

Lunch on the walk - the lady on the right was our guide. She had walked 2 miles to get to the start of the walk and was certainly older than any of us - even Dave. she would have walked another 2 miles back afterwards, but Jim and Jacque gave her a lift!

Soon we got down towards the sea.

Then up over the hill, where someone had built a miniature version of the Callanish Stones!

At the top of the hill, the wind was so strong that Sharon and Sandra thought they could fly - pigs might have had a better chance.

From there we could see the lighthouse which was our objective.

This is it in black and white, because I had taken some artistic photos and forgot to alter the camera afterwards!

I still hadn't realised!

Not yet either. This was an opening to the sea where the wind and spray were amazing. So much so, that Jacque was blown away by it all. Unfortunately I didn't get the camera out in time to catch her rolling down the beach.

These chimneys  looked really good in black and white don't you think?

This sign really was in black and white! Alexander didn't seem to like his family.

So was this sign in black and white, but I had realised my error by now.

And here I am in glorious technicolour to prove it.

Finally we passed these three lambs sheltering from the wind near the end of a wonderful and  interesting walk. 

Once more it was back to the houses and then on to the hotel for a great bar supper, where Charlie got on really well with the waitress who seemed to be happy to ply him with drink all night long.

That was the end of our trip to Harris. Most of us left the next day on the ferry for home. Jim, Jacque, Dave and Sandra stayed on another day and got sand blasted on Luskentyre  beach.

It really was a fabulous trip. as always the company was really good and the accommodation, food and drink marvelous. Thanks go to Charlie and Sue for arranging everything. Finally we have to say that we missed the Pollocks, Blacks and Blairs, who could not make the trip for a variety of reasons.