It all started during last year's summer holiday when Janet picked up a copy of the Heb magazine whilst we were in South Uist. Inside was an entry slip to be filled in and posted in the hope of winning a free gourmet cookery demonstration, a gourmet dinner and a night's B&B in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. The year before she entered a similar competition and came second winning a box of posh soaps, so this year she was hoping for better. And sure enough, when the phone rang way back in December 2009, she was told she had won the first prize! Now Janet is a pretty good cook and the thought of going all the way to Stornoway and our beloved Outer Isles to be cooped up inside learning the finer points of preparing “posh nosh” seemed a bit of a waste so she asked if the gourmet cookery could be exchanged for a few days B&B. And so, a three day
break on the Isle of Lewis was negotiated. Mid-May seemed a good time to go, most birds would have arrived, the summer sun would be a possibility and there was the chance of seeing something interesting from the ferry on the crossings – well, that was the theory!
The day before departure was quite good, a bit of blue sky, green hairstreaks on one of the walks and false morel fungus by some of the tracks. Night-time temperatures were a bit low and the dreaded “ash cloud” had returned as the winds turned back to the north. Ferry day dawned a bit dull and there was fresh snow on the tops, and having said cheerio to the chalet guests we headed for Ullapool (above) for the 5.30pm ferry and for a wee treat, we
decided to have dinner on the ferry. Ullapool was perishingly cold, and out to sea we could see regular, passing sleat showers, so much for summer sun! The ferry was on time and once the car was on board we nipped into the restaurant for a delicious curry and were on deck to see the Summer Isles passing by on the starboard side (nautical terms courtesy of a few weeks sail training on the Sir Winston Churchill & Malcolm Miller many years ago! http://www.tallships.org/document.asp?cat=535&doc=6636ips.org/document.asp?cat=535&doc=6636 & http://easternyachts.com/sirwinstonchurchill/! ). In the distance, on the mainland, the amazing outlines of Stac Pollaidh and Suilven were visible through the sleat showers and closer to hand the whale-back of Ben Mor Coigach an
d the shore-line village of Achiltibuie. The thud of the first big waves also started to rock the boat, and as the ferry Captain had promised, it got a lot rougher out in the Minch. The crossing is about 3 hours and as Stornoway came in to view the mix of cloud, showers and evening sun made a brilliant picture. The Park Guest House was just a few minutes from the ferry so once the cases had been unpacked, there was time for a quick wander through the town.
A leisurely full Scottish breakfast was taken at 8.30am before heading north towards the Butt of Lewis. On the way the Gallery at Morven (http://www.morvengallery.com/
om/ ) was a must for a visit – if only money was not an issue it would be nice to purchase a few of the paintings on display, but as it was we had to settle for a more modest purchase with a distant Christmas in our thoughts. Hail from the first shower of the day, bounced off the car! The objective for the day was to visit a local weaver at Ness and from there, to stretch our legs with a walk out to the lighthouse at the Butt. First, we dropped down to the harbour at Port of Ness watching the arctic terns feeding and the sleat showers passing by at sea and over
the local townships (left). One minute brilliant sun next black clouds and a downpour or sleat shower. And then it was on to Knockaird to find Callum Maclean’s house so that Janet could see his handwoven tweed. Callum uses traditional materials to produce Harris tweed, 100% pure virgin wool, dyed, spun and finished in the Outer Hebrides and hand woven by weavers in their homes in Lewis and Harris, and his own Butt of Lewis Tweed, using wool from other sources (http://www.buttoflewistextiles.co.uk/index.html). In his main weaving shed, Callum works a loom driven by pedal power and, unlike the traditional “Hattersley” loom, can weave a double width of cloth and utilises a modern system of shuttle. Janet was very impressed by the colour and patterns in some of the tweed available for sale, and after a little negotiating bought a few metres of three tweeds. As with our trip to a weaver in Harris last summer there was much discussion with Callum about the havoc wreaked by a certain Mr Haggas from Yorkshire who bought the main mill in Stornoway several years ago and set about limiting the choice of colours and tweed patterns available to the weavers, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7374779.stm/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7374779.stm. Ex-Labour Minister 
Brian Wilson who lives in the Isle of Lewis has been key in helping to regenerate the Harris Tweed industry recently becoming chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides and there is now a new spinning and finishing factory operating in Carloway (left). All the industry needs now is lots of young folk learning the trade.
Just outside Callum’s kitchen window is a wonderful wetland – Loch Stiapabhat, full of breeding waders and on leaving his house we drove a little way along the road so that we could watch their comings and goings as we had lunch. Following lunch we parked up at the end of the Knockaird road, packed our rucksacks and set off for the lighthouse. Knowing what was in store I also packed my 400mm zoom lens. The most amazing thing about this part of the island is the layout of the traditional strip field system, with fences everywhere, running as straight as a dye,
providing crofters in the past with an equal share of the “better” agricultural ground where hay, tatties or neeps could be grown during the summer months (map at end of diary). As we got to the top of the slight hill heading towards the lighthouse, the edge of the fields was reached and we entered an area of the biggest lazy-beds you have ever seen (for lazy-beds see http://special.st-andrews.ac.uk/saspecial/index.php?a=indexes&s=gallery&key=IYToxOntpOjA7czoxOToiZmFybWluZyAtIGxhenkgYmVkcyI7fQ?a=indexes&s=gallery&key=IYToxOntpOjA7czoxOToiZmFybWluZyAtIGxhenkgYmVkcyI7fQa=indexes&s=gallery&key=IYToxOntpOjA7czoxOToiZmFybWluZyAtIGxhenkgYmVkcyI7fQ==). As mentioned in an earlier diary there is nothing “lazy” about these areas of cultivation where seaweed was carted, laid in strips, and the thin soil on mainly wet g
round was then heaped on top of the seaweed to provide a growing medium. Round the next corner the lighthouse came in to view just as the next heavy hail shower pelted us with ice balls. From this most northerly point of the Outer Hebrides you could head west and bump in to St. Kilda but the next stop after that would be America. From the lig
hthouse you look down onto the sea below where a continuous passage of gannets glide east to the feeding grounds or west to their nest sites on St. Kilda. An amazing sight and one that made the big lens a must as I tried to capture their movements. Fulmars, rock doves, shags and a mix of gulls added to the scene but the crashing waves caused by the big swell were also worthy of the trip.
break on the Isle of Lewis was negotiated. Mid-May seemed a good time to go, most birds would have arrived, the summer sun would be a possibility and there was the chance of seeing something interesting from the ferry on the crossings – well, that was the theory!The day before departure was quite good, a bit of blue sky, green hairstreaks on one of the walks and false morel fungus by some of the tracks. Night-time temperatures were a bit low and the dreaded “ash cloud” had returned as the winds turned back to the north. Ferry day dawned a bit dull and there was fresh snow on the tops, and having said cheerio to the chalet guests we headed for Ullapool (above) for the 5.30pm ferry and for a wee treat, we
decided to have dinner on the ferry. Ullapool was perishingly cold, and out to sea we could see regular, passing sleat showers, so much for summer sun! The ferry was on time and once the car was on board we nipped into the restaurant for a delicious curry and were on deck to see the Summer Isles passing by on the starboard side (nautical terms courtesy of a few weeks sail training on the Sir Winston Churchill & Malcolm Miller many years ago! http://www.tallships.org/document.asp?cat=535&doc=6636ips.org/document.asp?cat=535&doc=6636 & http://easternyachts.com/sirwinstonchurchill/! ). In the distance, on the mainland, the amazing outlines of Stac Pollaidh and Suilven were visible through the sleat showers and closer to hand the whale-back of Ben Mor Coigach an
d the shore-line village of Achiltibuie. The thud of the first big waves also started to rock the boat, and as the ferry Captain had promised, it got a lot rougher out in the Minch. The crossing is about 3 hours and as Stornoway came in to view the mix of cloud, showers and evening sun made a brilliant picture. The Park Guest House was just a few minutes from the ferry so once the cases had been unpacked, there was time for a quick wander through the town.A leisurely full Scottish breakfast was taken at 8.30am before heading north towards the Butt of Lewis. On the way the Gallery at Morven (http://www.morvengallery.com/
om/ ) was a must for a visit – if only money was not an issue it would be nice to purchase a few of the paintings on display, but as it was we had to settle for a more modest purchase with a distant Christmas in our thoughts. Hail from the first shower of the day, bounced off the car! The objective for the day was to visit a local weaver at Ness and from there, to stretch our legs with a walk out to the lighthouse at the Butt. First, we dropped down to the harbour at Port of Ness watching the arctic terns feeding and the sleat showers passing by at sea and over
the local townships (left). One minute brilliant sun next black clouds and a downpour or sleat shower. And then it was on to Knockaird to find Callum Maclean’s house so that Janet could see his handwoven tweed. Callum uses traditional materials to produce Harris tweed, 100% pure virgin wool, dyed, spun and finished in the Outer Hebrides and hand woven by weavers in their homes in Lewis and Harris, and his own Butt of Lewis Tweed, using wool from other sources (http://www.buttoflewistextiles.co.uk/index.html). In his main weaving shed, Callum works a loom driven by pedal power and, unlike the traditional “Hattersley” loom, can weave a double width of cloth and utilises a modern system of shuttle. Janet was very impressed by the colour and patterns in some of the tweed available for sale, and after a little negotiating bought a few metres of three tweeds. As with our trip to a weaver in Harris last summer there was much discussion with Callum about the havoc wreaked by a certain Mr Haggas from Yorkshire who bought the main mill in Stornoway several years ago and set about limiting the choice of colours and tweed patterns available to the weavers, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7374779.stm/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7374779.stm. Ex-Labour Minister 
Brian Wilson who lives in the Isle of Lewis has been key in helping to regenerate the Harris Tweed industry recently becoming chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides and there is now a new spinning and finishing factory operating in Carloway (left). All the industry needs now is lots of young folk learning the trade.Just outside Callum’s kitchen window is a wonderful wetland – Loch Stiapabhat, full of breeding waders and on leaving his house we drove a little way along the road so that we could watch their comings and goings as we had lunch. Following lunch we parked up at the end of the Knockaird road, packed our rucksacks and set off for the lighthouse. Knowing what was in store I also packed my 400mm zoom lens. The most amazing thing about this part of the island is the layout of the traditional strip field system, with fences everywhere, running as straight as a dye,
providing crofters in the past with an equal share of the “better” agricultural ground where hay, tatties or neeps could be grown during the summer months (map at end of diary). As we got to the top of the slight hill heading towards the lighthouse, the edge of the fields was reached and we entered an area of the biggest lazy-beds you have ever seen (for lazy-beds see http://special.st-andrews.ac.uk/saspecial/index.php?a=indexes&s=gallery&key=IYToxOntpOjA7czoxOToiZmFybWluZyAtIGxhenkgYmVkcyI7fQ?a=indexes&s=gallery&key=IYToxOntpOjA7czoxOToiZmFybWluZyAtIGxhenkgYmVkcyI7fQa=indexes&s=gallery&key=IYToxOntpOjA7czoxOToiZmFybWluZyAtIGxhenkgYmVkcyI7fQ==). As mentioned in an earlier diary there is nothing “lazy” about these areas of cultivation where seaweed was carted, laid in strips, and the thin soil on mainly wet g
round was then heaped on top of the seaweed to provide a growing medium. Round the next corner the lighthouse came in to view just as the next heavy hail shower pelted us with ice balls. From this most northerly point of the Outer Hebrides you could head west and bump in to St. Kilda but the next stop after that would be America. From the lig
hthouse you look down onto the sea below where a continuous passage of gannets glide east to the feeding grounds or west to their nest sites on St. Kilda. An amazing sight and one that made the big lens a must as I tried to capture their movements. Fulmars, rock doves, shags and a mix of gulls added to the scene but the crashing waves caused by the big swell were also worthy of the trip.Next day started again with a brilliant breakfast followed by a test of our navigation skills as we tried to find the start of the Stornoway end of the single-track road known as the Pentland Road. This road must, in the past, have been heavily used by the local population, as they made their way to the moors to cut their peats for fuel, during the early summer months. Many people still cut peats today and, as the price of oil continues to rise, more folk are returning to source their fuel from the peat mosses. To the north of the road the highest hills in Lewis popped into view, all 300m of the highest! On the left of the road we passed a loch noted for its good fishing and a loch I tried my hand at catching supper a few years ago when we stayed in Carloway on holiday. In the end the midges won, and no matter how much midge repellent I applied which stopped the blighters from biting, it didn’t stop millions of them from getting in my ears, up my nose and in my eyes and in the end their sheer numbers saw me running from the loch to seek the sanctuary of my car. The experiences of that evening taught me to never go fishing on inland lochs unless the wind is blowing!
And so we descended from the moor into Carloway and up the
hill to the Harris Tweed factory to see if they had any unusual tweeds for Janet to buy for her craft work, but not on this occasion. So we drove a little further along the road to see the recently restored black house village at Garenin Na Gearrannan (http://www.gearrannan.com/Default.asp?Page=6), an amazing project, with many houses now restored allowing a wee glimpse of how many folk on these islands used to once live. With lunch time approaching we drove a few miles north to the edge of the village of Shawbost (Siabost) having lunch by Loch a’ Bhaile, the loch cut off from the sea by a natural causeway. With lunch finished we set off across the causeway to walk a nice wee circuit taking in Shawbost village and making a list of the birds seen for the BTO Atlas project. So far though, one bird which Janet had promised by booking the visit for mid-May, was missing – the corncrake. Callum the weaver said he had heard them recently on his croft, but the bird wasn’t calling while we were there. On the walk we had lots of dunlins and oystercatchers a few twite and a recently arrived sedge warbler and the list was approaching 30 species. And then Janet beat me to it – having promised a corncrake – she heard one calling from a patch of irises. We sat by the road for about ten minutes but only heard it call briefly just once more. Thank you Janet and a great “sonic” record to end the walk.
To end the day we headed for Calanais to see the famous standing stones and to grab a simple bite to eat. The weather was starting to deteriorate and the wind was getting a bit stronger, so no nice blue sky as a back-drop to the photos of the stones. A bus arrived and disgorged about 30 foreign
tourists who made their way up through the stones before being met again at the visitor centre by the bus before being whisked off to the next attraction.
And so we descended from the moor into Carloway and up the
hill to the Harris Tweed factory to see if they had any unusual tweeds for Janet to buy for her craft work, but not on this occasion. So we drove a little further along the road to see the recently restored black house village at Garenin Na Gearrannan (http://www.gearrannan.com/Default.asp?Page=6), an amazing project, with many houses now restored allowing a wee glimpse of how many folk on these islands used to once live. With lunch time approaching we drove a few miles north to the edge of the village of Shawbost (Siabost) having lunch by Loch a’ Bhaile, the loch cut off from the sea by a natural causeway. With lunch finished we set off across the causeway to walk a nice wee circuit taking in Shawbost village and making a list of the birds seen for the BTO Atlas project. So far though, one bird which Janet had promised by booking the visit for mid-May, was missing – the corncrake. Callum the weaver said he had heard them recently on his croft, but the bird wasn’t calling while we were there. On the walk we had lots of dunlins and oystercatchers a few twite and a recently arrived sedge warbler and the list was approaching 30 species. And then Janet beat me to it – having promised a corncrake – she heard one calling from a patch of irises. We sat by the road for about ten minutes but only heard it call briefly just once more. Thank you Janet and a great “sonic” record to end the walk.
To end the day we headed for Calanais to see the famous standing stones and to grab a simple bite to eat. The weather was starting to deteriorate and the wind was getting a bit stronger, so no nice blue sky as a back-drop to the photos of the stones. A bus arrived and disgorged about 30 foreign
tourists who made their way up through the stones before being met again at the visitor centre by the bus before being whisked off to the next attraction.The moors all around are covered with old shielings, simple buildings used in the past as temporary summer settlements by shepherds grazing their flocks on upland pastures. One or two of these building have been “modernised” and may once again be seeing summer visitors though this time without their sheep.
The road to the shielings must be one of the smallest roads to be 
given “A” class status anywhere in the UK, a single track road with well spaced passing places (below)! Amazing.
given “A” class status anywhere in the UK, a single track road with well spaced passing places (below)! Amazing. 
The ferry back to Ullapool was at 1pm which just allowed enough time to have a wander round the impressive woodlands surrounding Lews Castle (below), a building currently in need of a great deal of TLC. Buildings in the grounds though are occupied by students studying at Lews College but there is hope that funds can be raised to return the castle to its former glory. 
The woodlands though are the biggest and best on the islands and it was good to hear chiffchaff and blackcap singing along with the more regular woodland birds. The wind was getting stronger and the ferry was due shortly so it looked like we were due for another rough crossing. It was a good couple of days, thank you Park Guest House and thank you Isle of Lewis, good as ever.
The woodlands though are the biggest and best on the islands and it was good to hear chiffchaff and blackcap singing along with the more regular woodland birds. The wind was getting stronger and the ferry was due shortly so it looked like we were due for another rough crossing. It was a good couple of days, thank you Park Guest House and thank you Isle of Lewis, good as ever.A “mainland” diary will appear shortly – enjoy the read.
Stewart & Janet
One of Janet's tweed bags
Map showing "fields" at Ness
Gargoyle Lews Castle
All photos © Stewart Taylor
