Where Europe ends and the Atlantic begins,
a multitude of activities
 From
just sitting on a quiet sunny day, looking at some of the world's
finest shell sand beaches to
surfing in breakers that are entirely equal to California, Cornwall or
Australia.
From
just strolling among the old streets beneath the Dutch style facades of
Stornoway, to hiking the rugged mountains of Harris, in search of the
elusive White Tailed Eagle.
From taking a
paddle, to joining an enthralling boat journey to view deserted islands
inhabited by puffins and where dolphins and whales perform
natural
antics, purely for their own purposes - not for a theme park audience.
From enjoying an
impromptu folk music session in a town pub, to the annual Hebridean
Celtic Festival staging world class performances to an audience of
thousands.
From renting a bike
for an afternoon to completing the challenge of a 160 miles, two
ferries, ride through the length of our island chain, from
the Butt of Lewis to Barra
Take a few moments
to see what a holiday in the Western Isles of Scotland could offer
you....
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Beaches
 Even
though it's the third largest land mass in the British Isles,
on
Lewis and Harris, you're never more than ten miles or so from a
fabulous, sandy beach. Particularly noteworthy, in the south
are
Scarista (shown above), Seilebost, Luskentyre and Hushinish.
On the West Side of Lewis you'll find Uig, Reef, Mangersta,
Dalmor, Dalbeg and others, while Tolsta in the north (just 10 miles or
so from Stornoway) has three wonderful beaches.
The sand is
generally soft and, depending on the weather conditions,
appears light yellow to off-white in colour. Warmed by the
Gulf
Stream, the water is much less cold than you might expect at this
northerly latitude and it's quite common for Carribbean seeds and
plants to be washed ashore - even whole coconuts have arrived.
(Free parking at all beaches.)
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Traditions
History is all
around you in the
Hebrides - with relatively little development to hide the evidence, you
can view world famous sights, such as the 5,000 year old Callanish
stone circles, and much less well known assets, including fascinating
restored crofters' black houses, which were in use until quite recent
times and show very clearly the way that people lived off the land and
seas around the islands.
If you're looking
for an indoor
activity in Stornoway, the town's museum provides a set of displays
that take you through the history of the population. It is so
well presented that even those whohave little or no interest in history
may well find themselves fascinated for hours. (Admission
free.)
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