A Great Scottish Adventure - Part 3
- Kenny Baxter
- May 27
- 4 min read
We are now into week three of our Great Scottish Adventure and we’ve spent the last few days here on the Isle of Lewis, with a visit to Harris thrown in for good measure. If you’ve missed Part 1 and Part 2, feel free to go back and read those at your leisure.
Towns, Villages and Harbours
We finished up our exploration of the north‑east coast with some visits to the fantastic small towns, villages and harbours including Dornoch, Latheronwheel, Lybster and Wick.
Dornoch is one of the most dog‑friendly places, although I have to say the small Waterlines Museum in Lybster was the most dog‑friendly, welcoming little café by the harbour, and I would highly recommend a visit to explore this spot. On a wild and wet day, it was a welcome reprieve to warm us up. Another top dog‑friendly recommendation was the very interesting Wick Heritage Museum, which was much more extensive than imagined — even if the dog wasn’t too impressed by the waxworks.
I think one of the highlights of this little exploration was the hidden fairy trail in Latheronwheel. This cute little glen by the river, with small fairy houses, was a nice place to discover and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the river and the woods.
Beaches, Beaches and yes some more Beaches!
Every guidebook will probably tell you that the beaches of the Isle of Lewis and Harris are some of the best in the UK, if not the world. In our short time on the island, we’ve tried to enjoy at least one beach every day, and it’s true to say the dog has had an excellent time here — with miles and miles of what feels like endless sand to explore.
We visited Valtos and Ardroil Beaches on our first day on the island; it was a wet and blustery day and, while friends and family in the south of England have been enjoying a heatwave, I was donning the waterproofs and a bobble hat.
We visited the Port of Ness Beach on our second day on the island; this small little beach at the north end of the island was a welcome break after a day more focused on historical sightseeing (more of that momentarily).
The third day took us to the Isle of Harris, where we enjoyed visiting Luskentyre. I have read many articles and features about Luskentyre and the nearby Seilebost, which are often quoted as the best beaches in the country. No picture, video or article can do this place justice. I don’t think I have the superlatives to start to explain the feeling I had on this beach. Miles and miles of perfect sand, surrounded by the sea on one side and mountains on the other.
Our final day here has been a visit to Bosta Beach on the Isle of Bernera, which is connected to Lewis via a road bridge. Next to the beach is a historical reconstruction of an Iron Age House.
Historical Sight Seeing
The other draw to the Isle of Lewis was the history, and I have not been disappointed. Who knew a relatively small island, miles away from anywhere, could have so much?
The most famous attraction, of course, is the Standing Stones at Calanais. Estimated to be over 5,000 years old and the inspiration for “Craigh na Dun” in the Outlander books/TV series, it is not difficult to see why these stones inspire so many myths and legends. What took my breath away (other than the famous Lewis wind) was the surrounding mountains and lochs within the landscape and how majestically the stones seem to stand in these surroundings — an absolutely remarkable place to visit.
A few miles up the road from Calanais is a slightly lesser‑known attraction, Dun Carloway Broch. This is one of the only places where something of the structure of a broch still remains, and it originates from around 200 BC. This historic landmark is also surrounded by some dramatic landscapes, and the clouds overhead added to the drama on our visit.
While visiting the beach at Ness, I also had a look around the small harbour/port. To get myself into the stories of this incredible island, I have been reading the novel The Black House by Peter May, which is mostly set in and around Ness, so visiting this location was a chance to see the scenery described in the book first‑hand.
On the way back from the Port of Ness, I also took a walk to another stone circle — Steinacleit — which was actually only discovered relatively recently (1920) but is thought to originate from the Neolithic era. It’s not very clear what the site was, as there are no records giving any kind of indication.
I will be back with another instalment next week. Until next time,
Kenny
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