We spent a day touring Lewis. Lots of archaeological sites, another long coastal walk and ended up at the Butt of Lewis - the most Northerly point of Lewis towards the end of the day.
This point is in the Guinness book of records as being the windiest place in the UK. I took some shots of the waves crashing on the rocks below the light house, but was happiest to be a safe few steps away from the edge of the cliffs. There was, indeed, a strong wind.
You picked a mucky day to be up there. I've been several times and had mixed fortunes with the weather. One night after photographing Fulmars, floating upwards on the up-draughts caused by the cliffs, I drove back to the nearby B&B without needing to put the car headlights on. At a quarter to midnight !
The next morning I went back, a lovely warm, sunny day, extremely clear, with wonderful visibility. While I was there, a man who I guessed came from Holland, at least his car did, asked could I help him ?
He pointed over to the east and said "what is that land out there" ?
I looked and I could see clearly, the top western coast of mainland Scotland, Cape Wrath area, running south. I told him that.
No, not that. That over there ? He pointed further north to some land right out on the far horizon.
I thought about it, and knowing the geography up there, I said, not quite believing myself, " It must be the Orkney Isles !"
NO ! He wasn't having it.
We ended up with the big AA road atlas and my compass on my bonnet, and taking bearing with it.
Yes it was the Orkney Islands !! You are quite high at the Butt of Lewis, and Hoy at the western edge of Orkney is also very high. I would never have believed it was possible to see right the way across the north of Scotland !
June 25th, 2023
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The next morning I went back, a lovely warm, sunny day, extremely clear, with wonderful visibility. While I was there, a man who I guessed came from Holland, at least his car did, asked could I help him ?
He pointed over to the east and said "what is that land out there" ?
I looked and I could see clearly, the top western coast of mainland Scotland, Cape Wrath area, running south. I told him that.
No, not that. That over there ? He pointed further north to some land right out on the far horizon.
I thought about it, and knowing the geography up there, I said, not quite believing myself, " It must be the Orkney Isles !"
NO ! He wasn't having it.
We ended up with the big AA road atlas and my compass on my bonnet, and taking bearing with it.
Yes it was the Orkney Islands !! You are quite high at the Butt of Lewis, and Hoy at the western edge of Orkney is also very high. I would never have believed it was possible to see right the way across the north of Scotland !