Westside Tour Part 1

The adventures on this magical island continue with a trip to the Westside.   First stop The Sheilling, a summer dwelling that was used to cut the peat in readiness for the long hard Winter.

A stark reminder between what is needed to survive and the huge amount of material things we have today.  

We stopped at the whale bone arch at Bragar to take a look at the amazing bones that form an arch.

The two bones are the lower jaw bones of a blue whale that were removed from a beached whale in 1920.

We continued our tour admiring the stunning views and stopping to let the sheep cross the road.

You can see in the distance at the top of the mound, The Callanish Stones a spectacular view.

It is quite a climb that we all took slowly and savoured the stunning views around us as we walked up the path.

Breathtaking and thought provoking.  So many questions with very few answers.

It really was windy but we didn't let it stop us and then there was a downpour of rain as we were walking back down the hill.  We soon dried out as we sat in the cafe enjoying the wonderful variety of food and drinks on offer.

 The downpour was soon over and on we went with our tour calling in at the Hebridean  Soap Company.  Not only was the smell amazing, it certainly awakened your senses and calmed your spirit as suggested on her website.  The children were naturally inquisitive and were actively encouraged to ask questions.  We really did enjoy the explanations of the process.  We did buy some of the soap but have yet to try it.

Even the building had its own story, I would certainly recommend a visit if your are ever in the area of Breasclete.  We still have a way to go but I thought we could take a break for afternoon tea.

Wishing you all a wonderful and peaceful weekend.  I will try to catch up with you as soon as I can.  As always I do thank you for your support and comments as I continue with my little adventures through life.  

See you soon.

Scenes From My Week

Midweek saw the sun come out and the temperatures rise so the perfect time to have a drive around our beautiful Island paradise.  We had nothing pre-planned but with camera in hand off we went on our tour around the West side of the Island.

First stop was a stone Sheiling, there are numerous ones scattered around on the moors, a seasonal dwelling that were lived in during the summer months when livestock was put to pasture.

Our next stop was Bragar where there is a whalebone arch.  It was erected by Murdo Morrisson a former postmaster.  The whalebone arch was formed using the jaw bones of a whale who had beached itself and died in Bragar bay.

We then went on to have a quick visit to a black house at Arnol and then on to  watch the waves breaking on the rocks nearby.

Sadly, the wonderful weather didn't last a storm headed in and ferries were once again cancelled today.  That is the Western Isles for you changeable weather is part of its make-up.

I think one of the things that strike me the most about the Island is the majestic skies, the cloud formations are amazing.  The ever changing views due to the weather are a delight.

Hope you enjoyed our little tour.  The winds are now howling around our little cottage so we have banked up the stove and poured ourselves a glass of wine.  Cheers, hope you have a wonderful weekend.

See you soon.