Group Trip to Lewis & Harris
Our inauspicious start at Traigh Ghioradail in the pouring rain was followed by a week of long days in mainly good weather (for Scotland). It was reminiscent of the Crowded House song ‘Four seasons in one day’, which meant numerous opportunities to photograph rainbows.
by Fiona McCowan LRPS
Callanish, Lewis
Evening Waves, Bagh Stenigidh, Harris
© Carole Mortimer
The Outer Hebrides. Located on the edge of Europe. Exposed to the Atlantic wind and waves. A place I have always wanted to visit. Lewis and Harris is one island, but thought of as different islands as each has its own distinctive landscape. This dramatic landscape steals your heart. It includes a striking mix of moorland, peat bogs, hills, sandy beaches, dunes, rocky coasts, cliffs, sea lochs, inland lochs and lochans. I fell in love with the stunning views, spectacular sandy beaches and the lochans.
Our trip was split, with three nights in Lewis and four nights in Harris. From Lewis I will particularly remember the rainbow appearing for our dawn shoot at the ancient standing stones at Callanish (where the inner stone ring dates from about 2900BC); the stunning deserted beach of Traigh Uige and the distant view at sunset from the cliffs above the restored Blackhouses at Gearrannan.
Traigh Uige, Lewis
Wellyboot Rock, Bagh Stenigidh, Harris
© Fiona McCowan LRPS
© Peggy McKenzie
© Tim Parish LRPS
Tim Parish led our trip. Tim’s knowledge of and passion for his adopted home was obvious as he drove our small group of four. We travelled from the northern most point on Lewis, the lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis (the windiest place on the coast of the UK), to the southernmost point on Harris, near the 16th century church of St Clement’s in Rodel and all points in between!
Traigh Mheilein & Caolas Scarp, Harris
© Jeff Worsnop LRPS
On Harris, we had an adventurous day out to Traigh Mhelein, overlooking the Isle of Scarp and the turquoise waters of the Kyle of Scarp. A thirteen mile drive along a single-track road to Hushinish was followed by a vertiginous trek to the beach. The blue sky, sunshine, white sands and azure water fooled me into thinking I was in the Caribbean but a quick paddle in the sea soon put paid to that idea!
NEWSLETTER APRIL/MAY 2018 / VOL. 3 / NO. 4