Isle of Lewis & Harris

The Isle of Lewis & Harris is home to the ancient Callanish Standing Stones and stunning Caribbean looking beaches.

After visiting the Fairy Glen on the Isle of Skye, we drove to Uig harbor, to get in line for the ferry to Tarbert, Isle of Harris. (The Isle of Lewis & Harris is one island, Lewis is the north end, Harris the south.)

After parking our car in our allotted lane, we walked to a nearby restaurant. We were seated near two older British guys. One of them sounded like Michael Cain, and he was dressed just like you'd want to see an old British guy. Excellent.

We were concerned about how much time we had to order food and eat, we asked the waiter, when do they start loading cars? One of the old British guys said, "Well, first the boat has to arrive." Ribbed like we were dumb tourists, which we were. This was our first ferry! And, we are both chronically early people.

We had time.

The ferry was huge. After parking our car inside the boat, we got out and saw the British guys. I asked them, now what do we do? We followed them inside. Surprisingly, there were multiple levels of comfortable seating. 

It was a pretty ride through the many islands, but I had to keep my eyes closed through most of it, as the boat was a bit rocky, and I am prone to sea sickness. The ride was just under 2 hours.

We drove off the boat, in Harris, and went straight to the Callanish Standing Stones, on the Isle of Lewis. This site was the whole purpose of traveling here.

Wow! They are so cool. The Callanish Standing Stones are like Scotland's Stonehenge, except it's older, and you can get right up and touch the stones. We arrived about 5:00pm and practically had the place to ourselves.

The Callanish Standing Stones were inspiration for Outlander's fictional Craigh Na Dun. The stone circle in Outlander is a fake set, the stones are made of styrofoam. Anyway, I got to touch the real thing!

I love touching history. I'm still amazed that I made it here.

No one knows how the stone circle was built or why. The mystery of it is fascinating. Just why would it's origins and purpose be erased from history?? What don't they want us to know about it? I live to find out! I want to know all the secrets!

The Callanish Stones are made out of Lewisian Gneiss.

There are 13 stones forming a circle. There are 13 moon cycles each year. Do the stones have something to do with that? Something else? Who started the myth that 13 is an unlucky number and why? What power must it hold or represent, to warrant hiding it's true meaning, by making people feel adverse to it for centuries? They've gone so far as to eliminate the number from buildings with floors high enough to have a 13th floor. 

There is a monolith in the middle of the circle. What did it harness?

Beneath the monolith are the remains of a chambered tomb. This was built later than the stone circle.

Smaller stones extend out in a line going east, west, north, and south. I opened my compass app, to find that the stones are perfectly lined up in cardinal directions. Why?? Pagan rituals include casting a circle and calling on the 4 corners (directions). Spells and magic are preformed inside the circle. Are the stones a physical representation of that practice? A magic circle?

There are two rows of stones to the north forming a lane, like a pathway to the circle. From above, the layout of the stones resembles a Celtic cross.

**Note: I just read that at some point in Autumn 2024 the stones will be closed to the public as Historic Environment Scotland (HES) plan to do conservation work. Oof. Don't go all that way, just to miss it!! Though, we did see random standing stones all over the place. To my horror (that I missed them) and surprise, there are at least 11 other stone circles surrounding Callanish. Three of them in walking distance from here. Though not nearly as impressive. This site is known as Calanish I. I guess I'll have to go back.

After we had our fill of the stones, we checked in at the Cabarfeidh Hotel in Stornoway. Of all the hotels we stayed at during our road trip, if I had to rank them, this would be my least favorite.

The pros were, that it was a clean spacious room with easy parking. Big towels, real hangers, and Kleenex - a rarity! The restaurant was nice. It's 30 minutes from the stones and 5 minutes away from the harbor, we were due to leave from.

The cons were, the bathroom was too compact. The opening to the shower wasn't American sized. You could either have a protruding belly or ass, but not both! There was no exhaust fan. The room was very warm. The window couldn't open more than a crack. Not enough ventilation and the bed was hard.

I researched every hotel in the vicinity before choosing. This was the best option, and probably still is.

Cabarfeidh Hotel bathroom.

There's a sink behind the door. Could you make it inside the shower?? That's as wide as it opens.

The next day was my 42nd birthday!

Our plan was to head south to Harris, to explore the beaches. And we did, eventually, after dealing with some car problems. Our rental car kept overheating, and on this day the oil light came on! Grrr. We pulled over and tried to figure out how to pop the hood. It was an unmarked lever on the passenger side, of course. Good lord. Everything is opposite.

My dad checked the dip stick. There was black sludge on it. I googled an auto parts store. Luckily, we drove by a gas station on the way. They had oil. We poured in a new bottle and headed out, again.

Before the trip, I had just finished reading actress Miriam Margolyes' book This Much is True. She plays Professor Sprout in Harry Potter. She said, the Isle of Harris, is the most beautiful place she had ever been. That was surprising!

You know what else was surprising? The beaches! Holy smokes. A shocking turquoise oasis. Absolutely stunning. How do they look like that?? Seilebost Beach was gorgeous and the most impressive. How is this Scotland?? 

Seilebost Beach

Sgarasta Mhòr Beach

We drove along the coast stopping at several other beaches before turning around at the Isle of Harris Golf Club. The whole drive only took about an hour and half from Lewis, if that.

We headed back up to Lewis to see the Callanish stones, again. First, we stopped at a blue shipping container, in a gravel lot, that served wood fired pizzas! It might just be the world's most remote pizza oven.

If you know me, you'd know that this is my ideal birthday meal. I'm very no frills for someone that does elaborate activities, like fly across two oceans to look at rocks.

My dad ordering our lunch at Crust Pizza. Don't miss it!

We took the pizza and ate at the picnic tables outside the Callanish Visitor Center. Everyone that walked by was jealous and wanted to know where we got it. Just down the road in the shipping container! It was excellent.

While eating, I overheard a conversation people were having about their theories regarding the stones. Someone said it has to be extra-terrestrial. That made me smile. I agree. 

On to our next stop Dunrobin Castle>>

<<Back to Isle of Skye   or maybe   Stonehenge

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