Our original holiday plan had been to drive the length of the Outer Hebrides, of which Harris is one island. However, the planning and limited accommodation and restaurants meant that it was easier to organise a trip to New Zealand than Harris. Plan B was to visit Harris for the day while staying on Skye. This proved to be a great alternative.
A 4am alarm enabled us to experience the early morning light. The views, and on this occasion smooth crossing, from Uig to Tarbert made up for the disappointing breakfast on board the Caledonian Macbrayne ferry. Moments of sun were mixed with grey cloud as we arrived in Tarbert and headed off up the winding road for a quick geocaching stop and onwards to the western side of the island.
Our destination was Luskentyre beach, recommended by both a friend and a variety of well-travelled people including
Ben Fogle. The sun was shining intensely as we descended to the bay and off along a single-track road to the car park. Wrapped up warmly against the bitterly cold, the vista of the beach and Taransay opening up in front of us revealed the blues, yellows, greys and greens of Harris Tweed. Out on the beach we were the only visitors although footprints suggested we’d not been the first of the day.
The views and colours were absolutely stunning as we walked along the beach with gannets circling and diving into the sea for fish. With bright sun and no rain, we were truly blessed. Our visit was more than we could have hoped for.
Unfortunately we had to move on. Driving south west, we passed more beaches and bays, each smaller than Luskentyre but equally beautiful, until we reached Leverburgh where we stopped for morning tea in the community café – as we were to discover lovr the week, community cafes and shops feature large in Hebridean life.
Leaving Leverburgh, the sky turned grey – no rain but an overcast outlook. The increasing bleakness of the weather perfectly matched the barren and rocky east coast countryside as the road wound back to Tarbert. Driving in and out of small inlets, it was hard to imagine how anyone could eke out an existence in such a boulder-strewn landscape - we paused to watch seals loitering close to someone line-fishing in an inlet. Hoping, but not expecting, to discover a café for lunch, we were taken by surprise by yet another community café nestling beside an inlet and, evidently, the site of a community reception for the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when they visited last year.
The return sailing offered views back to the sheltered bay where our croft snuggled below the ridges of the Trotternish peninsula, recalling the trip undertaken by Bonny Prince Charles and Flora MacDonald from the Outer Hebrides back to Skye.
A wonderful day out well worth the early start.
