Doer Upper

I could spend a lot of time on Lewis and Harris photographing the derelict houses and crofts that sprawl across the landscape. Some that remain are just a few courses of stonework but others like this, situated on a low hill overlooking Loch Ceann Hulabhaig next to the Callanish Stones II site, look like they've just been abandoned and left to the elements.

This was where today began photographically for Gitama and I. We did stop off to see the main circle again but it was busy and so we decided just to push on to visit the smaller circles nearby known as Callanish II and III. All that remains for the former are five erect stones and one fallen while the latter consists of twenty in a double circle. While we were wandering round Callanish III a guide and his party arrived and Gitama slotted herself nicely in at the back. She returned telling tales of phalluses, hags and maidens. The mind boggles!

We'd read that the stones as they stand today aren't the shape the were originally in their heyday and as we returned to the car we began to understand a little of the mysterious erosive action that has taken their toll on them...

Of course you can't visit Lewis without reading, hearing or seeing mention of the chessmen that were uncovered on a beach in Uig. The Viking pieces now reside in the Museum of Scotland and on tor to other museums across the world but Uig has their own mementos in the form of some rather lovely expressive sculptures of the berserker, knight and the grumpy old king seen here. We visited the local Heritage museum and were delighted to see that the replica figures were only half the price that they are in the HS shops. Gitama picked up a few for her collection and I decided a pair of the large knight bookends would look good in the flat.

After we visited with the sculptures it was time to head south for the ferry. As we once more passed through the landscape of Harris the weather showed a different display than it had last night. As lovely as it as in the sun and higher cloud, I was even more pleased we got to see the more dramatic vista before. The short hop across the water to Skye saw us land at another Uig and make our way south to Dunvegan for the night.

Gitama's take on the day can be found here.