20 October 2007

September

/Octoberrrrrrrrrrrr

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Saturday 20 October 2007--Excitement on the ferry last night--a military chopper hovered above for a good half an hour as soldiers abseiled to the deck and back, all while we were traveling at full speed. Very impressive.

We landed in Stornoway, checked in to our B&B, and set out in search of a pint. The last time I was here, I found a pub called the Whaler's Rest. The publican was a retired whaler himself, and there were old photos of whaling ships and such on the walls. We were disappointed to find that the place has changed hands, and the decor has been done over. I found it to be almost entirely without charm (and I'm assuming the pool of vomit out front is not a permanent fixture). They do have real ale, which is new to the Outer Hebrides since last I was out. We decided, after a quick look, to have a stroll around town to see what the other pubs look like. But it was Friday night in Stornoway, and the scene was pretty appalling. All you need to know is that we ultimately decided to return to the pub with the pool of vomit out front for our evening's pints.

This morning we set out to tour Lewis. Archeology is a big draw out here, of course, and we find that more and more sites are being opened to tourists. Not all are particularly impressive. The first one we see, a stone circle at Achmore that was not marked the last time I was here (and is poorly signposted even now), is rather uninteresting, the few visible stones lying flat in a partially cut peat bog.

But shortly we are at Callanish (or Calanais, as the more prevalent Gaelic signs read). We are fortunate to have some good sunlight for photos while we are there. I don't know what else to say about what is probably the most magical single site in Scotland. If you are interested in such, there are many websites describing Callanish and other megalithic sites in the British Isles, including The Magalithic Portal, The Stone Pages, Stones of Wonder, Megalithia, and Mysterious Britain; plus my usual travel resource for all things Scottish, Undiscovered Scotland, as well as the Calanais Visitor Centre.

The sun is gone by the time we get to Dun Carloway, one of the best preserved and most picturesque brochs in Scotland. We visit two reconstructed Norse mills and Clach An Truiseil, the tallest (and perhaps most phallic) standing stone in Scotland at nineteen feet, on our way out to the Butt of Lewis, the northernmost point of the Western Isles.

After walking about on the windy Butt, we visit another "new" ancient site, Dùn Èistean, a fortified islet off the northern cliffs near Port Nis. A recently-installed bridge provides access. Archeological survey is ongoing, and there isn't a whole lot to see, but it's an interesting spot, nonetheless.

On our return to Stornoway, we stop near Callanish again to see three of the minor stone circles nearby. There have been more than a dozen such identified in the area, an extraordinary complex of megalithia, but these three are the only other ones with any stones still standing.

We dine in the Royal Hotel this evening, and I must say it's the best meal of my entire trip so far. Pints are in the Crown, which we should have come to last night--there's no real ale, but it's definitely the best pub in town. There's a good crowd on a Saturday evening, especially with the rugby final on, but it's a civil one. I'm pleased to see there is no overt anti-England sentiment expressed during the match. Perhaps there is no great love for South Africa, either; or maybe Lewis is as remote from Glasgow as it is from London. In any case, I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with Stornoway this evening. It might be that the binging kids gave it their all last night, and are taking the rest of the weekend to recuperate.

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