Lewis and Harris, is it one island or two?

This week we’re headed to the Isle of Lewis and Harris. While it is geographically one island, it is considered to be two separate islands. The southern third is Harris while the northern two-thirds is Lewis. We spent five days exploring both parts of the island, before heading back to the Isle of Skye to see a man about a hike.

Making our way to Harris

After completing all of our campervan chores like washing dishes and filling our drinking water, we made our way to Uig. We got there a bit early so we drove up to an outlook and made lunch. We ate our lunch and relaxed awhile until we saw the ferry come in and cars coming off. The ferry seemed small but held a surprising number of cars and campervans.

After about two hours we arrived in Tarbert, which is right at the neck of the island, just south of the border to Lewis. We only had about 15 minute drive south along the main road that turned into 1 lane road here and there. We were aiming for some car parks setup by a West Harris Trust that ask for a 5 pound donation. We took the first one as we like being up higher and were able to walk to some sheep and still had a great view of the ocean.

We enjoyed some cider and dinner and the cool scottish ocean breeze.

In the morning we drove to the end of this main road on the south eastern corner of Harris, and along the way we were eyeing up the beaches we wanted to stop at on our way back. We went through the town of Leverburgh which is where you could catch a ferry to the other islands in the Hebrides.

Our plan was to start at the church at the end of that road and work our way back as most of the cool pullouts were on the left side of the road once you go north, so that’d be easier for us. While there, there was a couple that asked us if we were looking for the heart too and then told us the story of the builder of the church. He was from Inverness, and as he was on Harris building this church he fell in love with a girl. He tried to get her to come home with him but she refused. So he carved a stone into a heart and incorporated it into the stone walls around the church grounds before he left for home. As the story goes he left his heart on Harris.

We worked our way up slowly, stopping at many pullouts for pictures of beaches, sometimes for just a few clicks and one spot we walked up to a MacLeod Standing Stone on top of a hill, and had lunch in the van.

We eventually made it back to Tarbert to the Isle of Harris Distillery. It is one of the first things you see coming off the ferry and we knew we had to stop. We tasted their whiskey and gin and learned about the company, which is relatively new, they are still selling from the first run. They actually use barrels from bourbon, such as Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace, and combined with sherry casks, and they are combined. It was a really nice taste and one of my favorites I’ve been able to drink straight. We ended up purchasing a bottle to have in the campervan. We were really tempted by the gin as well, I’m not big into gin but they do have one that is infused with sugar kelp which I actually enjoyed. They use many more spices than just juniper that made it a really nice complex flavor, and nothing like pine needles!

We continued North onto the Isle of Lewis, taking the road towards Callanish. Mr. Wander found a park-up by a beach that had an honesty box for staying the night. We had seen more comments about locals not liking campervans parking in some of these spots so we tried to aim for more of the semi-official options on the island. We were joined by 4 other vans which was the most cozy we’ve been so far at any layby or parking lot, but the beach was really amazing. It was a semicircle and the waves came in as a perfect semicircles as well. We went for several walks in the evening and morning along the beach, sometimes having it all to ourselves. It has been a bit weird that it stays light so late, the sun goes down after 10pm and it’s still only May! Minnesota does have quite a bit of sunlight, but after having spent so many months near the equator where it was about 6am-6pm it took a bit of getting used to.

So Many Beaches, So Little Warmth

Early in the morning we visited another beach because our campervan tank was getting full and that was the closest public bathroom. It was a really awesome beach with epic waves that I really enjoyed watching. We ate our breakfast here and walked along the beach a bit.

We worked our way to the northern most point of the island to a lighthouse, called the Butt of Lewis, and did a couple mile loop hike that took us along the cliffs and ended at the light house. We started by walking through sheep fields and up a hill until we got to the ocean. We had some fun taking pictures with the wind. The views from the cliffs were truly breathtaking, way better than the lighthouse itself. It only rained for the first 10 minutes, and was windy enough that my pants were fully dry before we got to the lighthouse!

I was losing steam so it was time to get back to the van and make some lunch. We relaxed there for a while since we managed to have a good signal for internet. Then we headed towards the port and beach in Ness. The drive to the parking looked steep (even had a warning sign) and didn’t seem super worth it so we took a few pictures from above and decided to head back south.

We wanted to find a spot to waste some time but since it was Sunday nothing was open! We ended up stopping at this old style house they had set up like a mini free museum, and luckily had service there as well so we waited until we could check into our pitch we booked for the night.

At 5pm we arrived at what turned out to be this couple’s home with just two pitches. They built a shower block with electric hookups and they even had a dump spot. What a smart way to make a little extra money! It was the cheapest EHU pitch we had found so far at just 22 pounds per night, so we did 2 nights to get a few showers in.

Crofts and Stones

It was nice being able to ask our host what sites were worthwhile and the next day we drove down to Callinish to start at the stones and work our way back north. Right away we ran into a bunch of tourists, the most we’ve seen yet on the island. There were a big tour bus, a smaller touring 9 passenger van, and several other campervans. We ended up seeing these same groups go through the same sites throughout the day. A few we even recognized from the ferry we took over to the island.

The reason for the stones are still a mystery, but remains were found like an honored burial site and it seems set up like a processional on one part of it. There are many stones throughout Scotland that have been raised 1000’s of years ago, which at that time would have taken considerable effort! Most have some sort of astrological alignment to work as some sort of calendar.

Callinish was as far south as we would travel for the day so we worked our way northward. We headed towards the Carloway Broach, which is one of the best preserved examples of this dry stone structure. It is double walled with stones strategically placed between the two walls to act as mutual supports, stairs, and storage. It also helped reduce the amount of stones needed and the overall weight by not having such thick walls. These are estimated to be 2000 years old!

We were in need of some groceries so we found a community center that doubles as a cafe and grocery store and picked up a few essentials. It was nice to see several of the community centers in constant use either as museums, cafes or grocery store. We tried to go to the Blackhouse Village but when I finally made it to the end of the one lane road the parking lot was full!! I’m really glad we decided to turn around because we met the coach on our way out, we would have probably been trapped there for awhile! Next we stopped at this whalebone arch that is part of the local lore from 1924, check out the story below:

Then we stopped at this Norse mill and kiln. I really liked they had detailed diagrams explaining how it all worked, it amazes me how clever people were in those days with such limited materials at their disposal. Necessity is certainly the mother of invention.

Our last stop for the day came highly recommended from our host which was an old school that was turned into a museum, shop and cafe. We walked around the museum a bit learning about crofting and Harris tweed, and then enjoyed a flat white, earl grey tea, and delicious desserts. This is my second millionaire shortbread (this time biscoff) and I loved it even more!

We headed back to relax at the pitch until dinner, as we decided to have a night off from cooking and go to a local restaurant. Some how we keep getting our same meals and Mr. Wander had fish and chips again with a cider on tap and I had a Steak pie with wine. This was probably the best fish and chips so far, it had a really nice flavor. The gravy/sauce in the pie was delicious too. We managed to save room to split their creme brulee of the day, Toffee Apple. We parked up in the pitch and had it to ourselves for the night.

After a last shower and dishes in the morning, we headed out from the pitch towards Stornoway, which is the largest town on the island. We needed a larger grocery restock and gas before we headed back south. Once we got close to Tarbert, we took a small one lane road for several miles, with some deep drop offs from the pavement and along a few cliff edges.

We managed to find a spot in the carpark on our second pass after someone left, and we barely fit! Then it started to rain pretty good so we just made our lunch in the van. When the rain stopped we ventured out to start hiking. It was a mile and half to an eagle observatory, which is placed in the middle of the territory of a pair of golden eagles. We only made it half way when the rain started again and it was pelting us in the face so we decided to turn around.

After the harrowing journey back out to the main highway we only had a few minutes to go before we reached Tarbert. Mr. Wander found in one of his apps that we could stay at the visitors center parking lot overnight for free and it even had bathrooms until 7pm. We were joined by several other campervans, a few cars, and some buses that parked for the night. We walked to a coffee shop and got some snacks and walked by the marina and ferry before heading back to the van to relax before dinner and head to bed.

Returning to Skye

We got up at about 5:30am to venture down to the ferry which was only 2 minutes away but they still weren’t letting people in yet, but a small line had formed. By 5:45 they opened the gate and checked people in.

Once back in Uig we headed straight for a spot called Fairy Glen, which is some cool hill formations where sheep graze and nice views of a few waterfalls.

Mr. Wander directed us on a smaller road that was mostly one lane but took you around the northern peninsula of the Isle of Skye. We stopped at a village of crofters and learned all about the history and tools of crofting on the Isle of Skye and greater Scotland. We also got to see another highland cow, isn’t he so cute?!

We grabbed coffees and snacks from the little shop and continued our way around the point. We decided to skip the castle ruins due to lack of parking, so we continued onto some dinosaur footprints! In 2001 some dog walkers found a print and experts have since found 17 scattered across the rocks.

We made lunch here since it started raining when we got there, and when it stopped we went out to explore. We were heading back as we got sandblasted with the wind coming up and another little storm system moving in.

Next up was Mealt waterfall, which is one you see nearly from above as it drops onto a beach. It would be a lovely view from the ocean. Since we paid for a few hours we stayed here and I took a little nap as the night before wasn’t the most restful and we were up early.

Down the road a bit was Bride’s Veil Falls where we parked up for the night. It also had good views of the Old Man of Storr that we planned to hike in the morning. We climbed up and crossed over the top of the waterfall despite it being quite wet in the grass. I made it nearly the whole way until on my way down the wind must have caught me (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) and I took a little spill in the mud. One advantage to the campervan was I could hop in the side door, close the blinds, and change right away into dry clothes so I don’t get the seat all muddy!

We relaxed and caught up on documentation before making some dinner. We got to people watch as several cars and campervans came into the small pull off to take pictures, and even one couple looked to be taking engagement photos! They were really cute, and what a picturesque spot!

The Old Man of Storr

In the morning we headed back up the road about a mile to the trailhead. We hiked up to the mini summit but just about turned around about three-quarters to the top when it started to hail on us! We got to a windy section and had to stop for a few minutes and turn our backs so the hail wouldn’t hit our face!

We hiked a little over 3 miles round trip before driving through Portree, stopped in at the town at a bakery and filled up on water. They had so many tasty looking treats but the cutest were these highland cow cupcakes.

We made our way back to the mainland via the Skyebridge but more about that next week!

Next Time

We made our way East to visit a distillery and a bagpipe competition. Then we headed north to take another ferry to Orkney to see if we can spot a puffin! Until next time, Cheers!