Back to Isle of Lewis Part 2

On Friday we took the cheapest boat tour and one of the best to Little Bernera.  It was with Malcolm of Little Bernera tours.  He picked us up from Bosta beach and took us over to Little Bernera.  We had half an hour to ourselves as he returned to Bosta to pick up more customers.  After ten minutes a kayaker turned up.  He was rowing to a number of the little islands off Bernera.  When Malcolm returned he walked us to the other side of the island telling us about the history.  Malcolm then walked back to fetch the boat and pick us up on the other side.  We had a tour around the island and back to Bosta all for £15.

The church is by this memorial but has no more walls

Rope on the beach

Celtic cross

The beach we landed on

Malcolm returning to take us on our walk

Two wrens on the cross

Golden eagle

Views from North beach

Eye in the rock

Black guillemots

Archway

We drove to Tolsta, via the Penteland Road to Stornoway to see one of Lewis's best beaches Traigh Mhor.  It rained most of the day but there were some dry bits.

Shieling on Penteland road blended with knitwear from North Harris show

Traigh Mhor

Inside of the reconstructed shieling near Barvas crossroads

We stayed at home on Sunday as it rained most of the day.  We were ready for our drive to Ness, visiting the sheiling village via a very dodgy track.  Then on to Eoropie beach for some scenic shots.  Stopped off at Callanish on the way home.

Machine cut peat

Shielings before it started to rain harder.  It stopped when we left.

The sky over Eoropie beach

Eyebright in the machair

St Moluag church check out the starlings in the sky above the sheep

rainbow at Callanish

There were crowds of people but managed to snap a shot without them

Part of the stone with rainbow

Girl on the stones

On to Reef the next day after watching the golden eagle flying around the cottage.  It was raining so we didn't mind waiting until the eagle disappeared before going out.

Shells on Reef beach

Windsurfer

We found a small patch of orchids in the machair, the first and last we saw this trip

Handheld taken with Debbie's lensbaby

The eagles were there when we got back.   This one took the rabbit the buzzard had been eyeing up.

We drove to South Lochs the next day.  Luckily I had taken my coffee with me as when we stopped at Ravenspoint centre on the way back, we found the cafe was no more.  Just a self service machine and a few uninteresting shop bought cakes.  What a disappointment as it had been such a good cafe with great barista style coffee.  We stopped off at Callanish instead for tea and cake and another opportunity to take photos of the stones.

More photographer's shots

Panorama of two in camera movement images of the stones

Managed to get to Point to view the whales but no show this time.  We saw whooper swans on the loch and a few mallards.  Stopped off at St Columbus church and were greeted by a handsome cat.  He was soon bored with posing for photos and went into the church where he found a dead rabbit to feed on.

female mallard feeding off the plants at the loch

rabbits at the church

We had a disappointing message saying our trip to the Shiants was cancelled on Thursday.  We were offered Friday but it was our last day.  However, Debbie convinced me we could pack most of our stuff in the morning so we went on Friday.  It was a good move.  There had been 20 people on the cancelled trip and only 5 of us with 3 crew on Friday.  Lots of space to take photos.  I went with Stornoway Seafari two years ago on the rib and it was just as good this year on the boat.  There are lots of puffins in the next bit and a couple of gruesome photos of artic skuas feeding off a tern they had drowned.

Sea eagles on Eagle roch

Guillemots with a spectacled

jellyfish

shag

One of the young customers with his fish

Lots of puffins

Is there space here

common seal pub

more puffins

puffin midges

The Nicholson cottage on the Shiants

Skuas with tern

Dolphins who did not want to know

Marker for where the Iolaire sunk

One of the friendly harbour seals

Up at 4 am to drive to the ferry at Stornoway.  I really did not want to leave the island this time.  There is still so much to see and do.  We drove back to Chanory Point but this time were too early.  Our car park time ran out and we were back near the car when the dolphins finally came near to the beach.  Stayed in Carrbridge.  Lovely B & B but the eating options in Carrbridge are not so good.

Multiple exposure of the view we had at our picnic spot over the Moray Firth

and the view behind us

The postbridge at Carrbridge

Next post will probably be from RPS Visual Art weekend in Dorset in October.