SCOTLAND

Have been in Scotland a few days now & will be sorry to leave. The rugged beauty & friendliness of the locals make it a great place to be.
The weather is the down side as it wet,cold & cloudy (bit like England really) so you need to spend more time here than we have got to allow for the vagaries of weather.
We are now on the Isle of Harris on the Outer Hebrides after a spectacular ferry trip (3 hours) from Ullapool to the top of The Isle of Lewis (Lewis & Harris are joined)..where we saw Minky Whales in the Minch( the body of water between here & the mainland.)

LEAVING ULLAPOOL
The Isle of Lewis has a history of occupation  and there are

many sites that include standing stones & ancient burials. The Callanish Stones(5000 years old) are very impressive and range over three different areas surrounded by mountains & lakes.

The same area of North Lewis has many remnants of Pictish houses (round stone towers)called Brochs

(2000 years old) and Black Houses (old stone crofter's houses).
The Islanders are well proud of their history & ancient traditions and still speak Gaelic which is the language taught in the schools & on all signs (English translations underneath).

Yesterday we did a mammoth walk around a a headland and up a a mountain . The tramping though the heather & peat bogs quite challenging (it's called yomping)..but we made it.....

HARRIS
Ferry to Skye today then the bridge to the mainland. Long drive through the Highlands tomorrow to Glasgow then train to London on Tuesday.
Kath & Belinda on Harris xo