Lochs - Living the Dream

We spent a very pleasant weekend with TC…..although largely wet and grey

On Saturday the RNLI held an open day in Stornoway. Rusty and I went along with the children, and had a fun half an hour clambering all over the Lifeboat. TC was very humbled by the experience

The children loved it, even in the rain

I know A doesn’t look like she’s having fun…..but she is…..honest!


Even Rusty was prepared to look slightly silly for the sake of TC!

Off to the Heb again for the evening……

TC rocked out to a couple of bands

….and graciously agreed when a man on stilts begged for a go

Later this week TC will be off travelling again…..overeseas I believe, so watch out for the next exciting installment!

N and I have friends arriving this evening - just hope the weather improves

Having spent a week in England with Mum and Dad, N and I headed back up to Grimshader to start our holiday together….and what a week it has been

I got N to list all the things we had done in the last 4 days, and here’s what we got:

Fishing (twice) / Put up tent and then slept in it twice / had a friend for a sleepover / claimed School Loch Island for the pirates / kayaking / climbing in Arnish / cinema / Heb / been out for a curry

Today we are both exhausted and still in PJs (ooops it’s 1210!! - bad mother)

A few photos with my new (sand free) camera

Right at the front (bow I beleive it is called!) there is a piper welcoming the boats from the Sail Hebrides Festival into Stornoway harbour

Proud fishermen

Kayaking in Tarbert

……and believe it or not, this was taken at 2315 on our way back to Grimshader last night (sorry, bit wonky!)

Since it’s arrival last week TC has been resting quietly in the hall, recovering from all the travel and excitement of the past few months

A short outing to Dalmor Beach was all part of the recuperation process…..lounging in the sun and enjoying the fun

Well yesterday was the end of the rest……and TC hit the Heb Last night.  It absolutely poured with rain in Stornoway all afternoon, the town was awash and TC was starting to worry that the outing may lead to bobbling, or worse, shrinkage!  Not to be put off we headed in to town to find the rain had all gone, and the big blue tent was already filling up with people.  To other tea cosies though - strange that

Anyway, found a man in a kilt who didn’t take himself too seriously, and who was happy to wear TC for a photo….what a gent

Tonight we are going back to see more……and I promise not to let TC drink too much cider!

Captain Pugwash (AKA Mr Methane) fulfilled a long held dream today and set sail for the wee island in the middle of the School Loch……here he is heading offshore towards the island

Landing proved to be tricky (and frankly we think he was worried about being stranded!)

From another angle you can clearly see the risks this man was taking to achieve his dream…..just look how far out he is from the shore

and in an act of the ultimate courage…….no hands!

Finally coming ashore to explore his own back garden….Avast Me Hearties!

One other nautical picture - the clever machine in Loch Grimshader which collects seaweed for making Gaviscon!  Apparently this came all the way from the Everglades (that’s past Ullapool I believe)

I realised I haven’t blogged for nearly a month, we have been too busy enjoying ourselves to write about it

Since my last post we have had 3 lots of visitors………here’s a whistlestop tour of what we have been up to:

K&M from Ilkley came for a week - and we had a blast.  M had never been here before, but her Mum K had been with N and I a few years back.  They had a good time, and we culminated with BBQ sand and sausages on Reef Beach on Friday evening…….happy days!  We spent a rainy afternoon on Tolsta Beach, the children loving playing in the caves, and the rain making the rock colours even more spectacular

I then had some unexpected visitors, G&J, the father and brother of one of my friends in Cheshire.  They were great company, and very house trained, so the place was cleaner when they left than when they arrived!  We went to the School Gala Day, had a lovely wander around the black house village and N learned some good jokes. This picture is of G and N, causing trouble in the back of the car

My Mum and Dad were then here for 2 weeks.It was tiring to have visitors and keep working full time, but we had such a lovely time (it was worth it!).   M+D seem to have really enjoyed slowing down the pace of their holiday as they have been here before and aren’t putting themselves under pressure to do everything

We had a lovely day in Ness last Saturday - visiting a medieval fort, on a small island just a few feet off the mainland.  The place is called Dun Eistean, and can be accessed via a small bridge from the mainland.  There are spectacular views of the Butt of Lewis and the cliffs.  Lovely spot - we’ll be back there with a picnic

Dad and I went to An Lanntair to see a band, called “Voyages de Nuit” - a fusion of jazz, flamenco and celtic music.  I wasn’t sure what to expect (doesn’t sound like my kind of thing!) but I loved it.  Really great music and the rapport between the band members was really funny, a lovely evening to celebrate Father’s Day

Another archeaological day on Saturday, visiting a series of four 19th Century horizontal mills.  Lovely walk from Reef Beach up into the hills behind, good rock scrambling!  At the top is a beautiful little loch, with some small islands, some with stepping stones as access to the islands.  Dad was keen to see the mills, N loved the climbing and the rocks.  Again, another place on our list to return to

My post would not be complete without a couple of pictures of beaches……these were from Horgabost Beach on Harris.  We spent a lovely afternoon there with most of Grimshader.  My cousin Mr Bonfire got a fantstic BBQ built and operational…..and then he proceeded to fall out of a canoe in the most spectacular fashion!  The weather was glorious and N managed to stand on a surf board for the first time!

And finally….to cap it all………Dad caught a fish in the school Loch on Saturday night. What a beauty…..the fish that is!

Next visitors come on Friday

I meant to add this picture when I posted last weekend about our peat cutting trip, but I forgot

Over Easter we went back to Cheshire for N to spend time with his Dad.  My neighbours were obviously keen to make me feel at home, and to remind me of the Hebrides.  They kindly put up a peat stack on the “moor” (or garden!) just for me

How kind!

We spent a couple of hours out on Arnish Moor yesterday, helping our neighbours cut the peat. The Welsh Idea and Dr DoLots cut enough peat to have a fires on chilly evenings. We all commented how much hard work it is….and that if this was your only source of energy for keeping warm, cooking, heating water for washing etc, then life would be very tough.
Dr D and I also were discussing the fact that many ladies of Lewis have beautiful skin. We wondered if it was anything to do with the peat

Washed this off in the bath later and now am certain I look about 20 years younger than before

I wanted N to have a go, so he can at least say he has experienced this ancient traditional part of Lewis life. So with the help of Welsh Idea N cut his first Lewis peat

The photos are a little blurry - it was raining out on the moor and not ideal photographic conditions. However, hopefully they capture our experience!  All in all, a very dirty afternoon - the kids loved being out (for a little while anyway!) on the moor in the rain…with an open mandate for getting filthy

The cut peat is truly delicious to behold….looks like a big sticky slab of chocolate…..scrummy!

What a weekend……here’s a quick run down for you

Saturday, the weather was showery.  Now, in England, showery means that it is grey and cloudy all day, and sometimes it rains.  Up here showery means that the weather changes from glorious sunshine, with blue skies, to a torrential downpour in about 15 mins…..so much more exciting!  That was what it was like on Saturday - and in between showers, it was a beautiful day

N had a swimming lesson, but he wasn’t feeling 100%, so we skipped it.  Drove across the Pentland Road to Breasclete to buy some handwash from The Soaplady.  Introduced myself and had a yarn about the fun of blogging, and the mystery of Nat.  The Soap Factory is well worth a visit if you haven’t been and the soap is to die for.  N has his favourite “flavour” too, so not just for the girlies

On the way I decided to take some photos of N, so I can get some prints for family “down souf” who need to get some idea of just how big the afro hair has grown in all this rain.  He wasn’t feeling like having his photo taken, until I told him he could say a rude word, just to get him to laugh - won’t tell you which one he used, but it did the trick

Later on we helped D next door who was castrating lambs.  Well, N helped a bit, I just stood around petting the little lambs and feeling sorry for them.  Anyway, all part of N’s growing knowledge of crofting life (he didn’t believe me for a second when I asked D if he was clipping the lambs’ nails!) Some when they had the elastic band treatment didn’t seem to notice….others looked very worried and spent the next while sitting down, wiggling their bottoms and looking quite upset.  At least Eric was spared the indignity! 

Yesterday was a prince among days.  We spent the afternoon on Gress Beach with friends…..and an ocean canoe.  What a serious amount of fun.  The sun was out most of the afternoon, although it was still a little chilly when it went behind a cloud.  Dams were built, a paddling pool constructed and some of us had a wee trip in the canoe, trying to surf the waves back to the shore.  Weekends don’t get much better

I have never been in a conoe before….there a clue in there about how funny it was.  I had to wedge my big bum into the seat and try get balanced, given that the sea was moving, although slightly.  Just about felt OK, and then in jumped Archie (one of the 2 mad springers) - yes, you guessed it, the boat tipped up, I ended up sitting in the sea, the canoe turned right over and Archie got on the top and wagged his tail.  Hilarious!  if only S had managed to work out how to switch the camera on there would have been some funny photos of me in the water…….but probably for the best. As it is there are just a few very attractive ones of me squeezed into a life jacket, fully clothed, soaking wet, and as I am in charge of what goes on the blog, you aren’t seeing them!

It was a glorious evening yesterday. Ned and Archie have been staying for a few days, so N and I took them for a final blast on Coll Beach
Hope you like the snaps!

N still in his school uniform!

The sheep moved in next door this morning with their lambs…can hear them shouting as I type

Very sadly Eric passed away yesterday morning.  Poor wee soul was just not strong enough.  D next door tells me (on a more positive note) that 2 new lambs were born overnight……but Eric will be missed