Adventures With Family

 What a wonderful week we have had, even the weather was amazing.  Weather conditions were perfect for our adventures around our little Island.  It was a joy to see our daughter and her little family.  We were quite taken aback how much those boys had grown.  Every moment they were here, we filled with fun and laughter, creating so many memories for us all to treasure until we see each other again.

The excitement started long before they arrived with me in the kitchen preparing for there arrival with food.  

Broth.

Mixed seed bread, steak and vegetable pie, cheese and tomato quiche.

Crumble top mince pies, scones, sausage rolls.

Jelly and trifles were also made in cups and saucers they looked so nice when we had afternoon tea together.

Carrot cake and lemon drizzle cake.  The beds were made up and all our favourite games were laid ready for us to play.

Our first adventure was to the cove behind our cottage.

I am not sure what the cove is officially called, but we found a dead bird amongst the rocks so it very quickly became dead bird cove.  It is a beautiful cove and a great place for the boys to run around and enjoy the great space, as we were the only ones there.  It is a mixture of rocks and sand making it a haven for a mixture of birds, we were careful to keep our distance and not disturb them.

You cannot visit the Island and not visit the Callanish Stones.  It is one of the boys favourite places to visit.  It was a lovely drive over to the Westside, taking in all the beauty and some great sights, a shieling and the famous whale bone arch.  The blackhouse at Arnol was shut, I am not sure if this was due to Covid or not as we were at level 1 and going into 0 this weekend.  Visitors to the Island are asked to take a test prior to visiting but I am not sure this is policed or even how it could be.  It is such a good feeling to have a semblance of normality back and the greatest joy of all to see family that are so important to us.

We didn't park in the visitors car park as Gerard was not up to walking up the hill so we drove through the village and entered from the other end.  This does mean that the visitors centre cannot be visited or indeed the restaurant but it was not open anyway.

The surrounding views and loch is also a joy to see so well worth a visit.  We made a stop at the fudge stall in the village, which was delicious and then followed our tracks back to the beach.

I will close for now but rest assured I will be back with some more of our adventures soon.  Hope all is well with you, I would be most interested to know about the Covid restrictions in your area.  Take care.

See you soon.

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.