Day 7 - Lewis & Harris to Ullapool

(Before continuing, I need to take a moment to explain why my posting suddenly stopped in mid-tour. Some may have suspected that I got caught up in some kind of “neolithic triangle” whilst visiting a stone circle or perhaps I had succumbed to the lure of demon Tennents or even decided to take to the high seas in search of adventure and riches. While I find all of these quite tempting, the truth be that my pc went belly up in Kirkwall. I realize that we had yet to get to Kirkwall at this point, but my posting lags several days behind the actual tour. So pardon my delay, but I now continue.)

It being Monday, it was time to take leave of Tarbert and take ship back to the mainland. Needless to say, I was somewhat saddened since we were approaching the mid-way point of the tour. But then again, that meant half of it remained.

It being a somewhat dreary morning, we were not so concerned that we would be cooped up in the coach for the next several hours. For the most part, we retraced our trip to Lewis on Saturday. However, we veered to the east towards the port of Stornaway and our ferry.

Arriving at Stornaway, we had some time to kill before our ferry voyage. Which gave us time to visit what is truly a local treasure known as the Lewis Chessmen. Discovered in a clay bank of the Bay of Uig on the west coast of Lewis in 1831, it is thought that the 78 chess pieces were made in the 12th century in Norway, possibly by he craftsmen of Tronheim. Most of the pieces are exquisitely carved in walrus ivory. Though currently owned and exhibited in the British Museum in London and the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, we were fortunate that they were on loan to the Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway.

By an odd twist, the chessmen were found by one Malcomb “Sprot” MacLeod, who just may have been an ancestor of our host, Alex Beaton, who is also a MacLeod through his father who was born and reared on the Isle of Skye. Sprot then sold the collection to a Captain Roderick Ryrie who then split the set which, through a series of subsequent sales, made their way to their current owners. Needless to say, we were delighted that they had found their way, even temporarily, to the Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway for your own edification.

Leaving the museum, we had time to grab a quick brew and meal before catching our ferry to Ullapool. Our ferry, in transporting us from Stornaway to Ullapool, must cross the body of water lying between the islands of the Outer Hebrides and those of the Inner Hebrides known to all of the locals as “The Minch”. The Minch is renowned in many Scottish and Gaelic songs including “The Mingulay Boat Song” and the pipe song “Crossing the Minch”, known for its increasingly more difficult runs of grace notes. (We, of course, had also crossed the Minch when we journeyed from Skye to Lewis & Harris).

As we left the harbour of Stornaway, we passed on our starboard the Arnish Light. Built in 1852, this lighthouse has the distinction of being the first pre-fabricated lighthouse in Scotland. Due to the distance of the location from Stornaway over bleak and rough moorland as well as its distance from the Scottish mainland, it was difficult to find a contractor to construct a standard lighthouse.

After our two and a half hour crossing, we made landfall at the lovely village of Ullapool and our stop for the night, the Royal Hotel. Though our stay here was but a single night, I would recommend both the village and the Royal should you venture to this fair land. I personally hope to one day return.

After a delightful dinner, Amy and I strolled along the waterfront where we were rewarded with the most glorious sight of the harbour. With this crowning our day, we retired for the night.

The Lewis Chessmen display at Museum nan Eilean inStornoway

Leaving Stornaway with the Arnish Light from

the deck of the Isle of Lewis.

Crossing the Minch with Lewis aft and Skye to starbord.