STORNOWAY, OUTER HEBRIDES

This largely panoramic tour takes us to picturesque south Lewis and the Isle of Harris, known around the world for its Harris Tweed – a hand woven cloth made from pure new Scottish wool, dyed using indigenous plants.

This largely panoramic tour takes us to picturesque south Lewis and the Isle of Harris, known around the world for its Harris Tweed – a hand woven cloth made from pure new Scottish wool, dyed using indigenous plants. Leaving Stornoway we travel southwards, skirting the fjord like sea lochs of Loch Erisort and Loch Seaforth, and the road climbs steadily past Bowglass and Ardvourlie before traversing a mountain pass with spectacular views of the rugged countryside. Clisham – at 800 metres (2,600 feet) is the highest mountain in the Outer Isles. Powerful forces of ice and ocean in the distant past have carved and polished a dramatic landscape of stark sea cliffs, sweeping beaches and rugged heather uplands. We should keep our eyes peeled for red deer and golden eagles. Just before reaching Tarbert, we pass the old whaling station of Banamhuinneader. We stop in Tarbert, the largest village on the Isle of Harris with only 400 occupants, overlooking Loch Tarbert. Now passing through a dramatic lunar landscape of rocks dotted with tiny lochans (small lakes), we descend to the vast expanse of Luskentyre Beach, for a short stop. Bleached white sand enticingly fills the entire bay, washed by turquoise sea and backed by steep dunes. All this is set against a backdrop of mountains to the north and the beautiful uninhabited island of Taransay – location for the BBC’s experimental reality TV programme, Castaway, when a group of people were left to live on the island for a year, fending for themselves. We return north to Stornoway by the same scenic route.

We shall have some free time in Tarbert, where there is a small range of shops. It should be noted that there are no scheduled comfort stops on this tour. The quality of buses and the local road infrastructure are not comparable to mainland Scotland. Buses – which are often used for school runs as well as executive tours – do not usually have air conditioning or toilets.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC CRUISES