Barbas, Isle of Lewis

We knew the view would be stunning this morning, and it was, The whole bay was illuminated in the bright morning sunshine. The white sand, flat as a bowling green awaited the footprints of the morning dog walkers. Just off shore a porpoise played. Right Marge, we're off. No nonsense today please. 

We took the slow road passing the bays at Kneep and Reef, stopping at An Suileachan, a monument honouring the nineteenth century, Lewis, land clearances. 

Then on to the Callanish Standing Stones where we ate freshly baked fruit scones whilst enjoying views towards East Loch Roag. Next stop on our tourist trail, The Black Houses at Gearrannan. for the first time, Angela was a concession!

There are some advantages to getting older. We spoke with one of the guides who explained about the 1920's loom used by the crofters to weave Harris tweed, and showed us inside one of the houses restored to how it would have been originally. The village and house were used as a film location in the 2019 Christmas episode of Call the Midwife. 

Overnight locations are few and far between in this area. We headed to Port of Ness, stopping along the way to look at the whale jaw bone of an eighty-foot blue whale found harpooned and beached at Bragar bay in 1920. 

At Port of Ness there was parking above the harbour, but one of the vans that was with us last night at Cliff had already taken the best spot. Not too keen on being on a slope above the harbour with wind speeds of 27 mph forecast Angela wanted to move somewhere else. So, we did, and it turned out to be for the best.

Barbas bay, what a location. As we marvelled at its beauty a car pulled into the small parking area. The driver, the lady who worked in the shop at the Callanish Standing Stones. Small world. Her husband told us the northern lights would appear tonight which excited us and the owner of the other van here with us. But when we looked on the internet it said a sighting tonight was unlikely. So, we'll just have to wait and see. The oyster catchers outside are in noisy conversation, perhaps they know something we don't.