Ken Rennie
Well-Known Member
This was a moving day. Early morning we packed up and prepared to move up to Lewis. Lewis and Harris sound as though they are separate islands but they are not. They are somewhat different in nature with Harris having mountains and beaches and Lewis cliffs and as we were to find out beaches as well. We stopped off just a few hundred yds from our campsite to photograph the Luskentyre inlet. The state of the tide makes a terrific difference here as does the use of a polariser that completely changes the colour of the water.
On the way North we stopped at a Harris Tweed exhibition and bought some Christmas presents. Harris Tweed has to be hand woven at home and is therefore expensive but unique and beautiful.
We arrived at our campsite, described as semi wild on the beach at Uig on the West coast facing the "still calm" Atlantic. People just pitch tents on the Machair, the site has toilets, fresh water and showers and is owned by a co-operative of the local crofters (farmers). Payment is $6 a night by honesty box. Uig Beach is the place where the Norse chessmen, known and reproductions sold as "Lewis Chessmen" were discovered. Lewis chessmen - Wikipedia . After lunch we drove the short distance down to Mangersta to explore the sea stacks. Unfortunately it was impossible for me to get down the cliffs onto the shore although I know of one photographer, an experienced rock climber, who has abseiled down. A quick shower led to a rainbow and despite my fastest sprint I didn't manage to get into place until it had started to fade.
Back to the tent for dinner and then back out to explore the coast before returning to the sea stacks for sunset.
Mangersta beach
After the sun has gone and the midges were terrible, bites on the eyelids are particularly inconvenient.
On the way North we stopped at a Harris Tweed exhibition and bought some Christmas presents. Harris Tweed has to be hand woven at home and is therefore expensive but unique and beautiful.
We arrived at our campsite, described as semi wild on the beach at Uig on the West coast facing the "still calm" Atlantic. People just pitch tents on the Machair, the site has toilets, fresh water and showers and is owned by a co-operative of the local crofters (farmers). Payment is $6 a night by honesty box. Uig Beach is the place where the Norse chessmen, known and reproductions sold as "Lewis Chessmen" were discovered. Lewis chessmen - Wikipedia . After lunch we drove the short distance down to Mangersta to explore the sea stacks. Unfortunately it was impossible for me to get down the cliffs onto the shore although I know of one photographer, an experienced rock climber, who has abseiled down. A quick shower led to a rainbow and despite my fastest sprint I didn't manage to get into place until it had started to fade.
Back to the tent for dinner and then back out to explore the coast before returning to the sea stacks for sunset.
Mangersta beach
After the sun has gone and the midges were terrible, bites on the eyelids are particularly inconvenient.
