Friday 17 August

An overcast and rather cooler day than of late. Took the opportunity nonetheless to go on a bustrip to Ness, in the north of Lewis, to sample the lunches of a restaurant in Port of Ness which recently reopened. It takes the bus about an hour to cover the 27 miles to Port, dropping people outside their doors along the way. Bus stops are unknown in this island, and even in the town, people just flag down the bus as it approaches.

The 1pm bus was pretty busy, with people from Barvas to Port having come down in the morning for their shopping to return home in the afternoon. We reached Port at 2pm and ambled down the quarter mile of village to the restaurant, which served a decent fish & chips. Upon returning to the junction where the bus passes the village, we found the vehicle parked up outside the driver's house, where he was having  a cuppa. Just waited for him to reappear, and boarded the bus. It went to the primary school in Lionel, did the rounds of Eoropie, Knockaird, Adabrock, Eorodale and Habost to drop all the kiddies; then returned to the school to pick up the 12- and 13-year olds for their jaunt down the main road towards Stornoway. Returned to town at 4.40pm.



Cross Skigersta Road


Port of Ness from Lionel


Knockaird and the Loch Stiapabhat bird reserve


A lonely house at Eorodale, overlooking Port of Ness


Port of Ness harbour


Knockaird from Port of Ness


Borve Melbost