Monday 18 August

My father left on the plane this morning, leaving me to catch up with 12 days' worth of stuff. Nothing urgent, just 600 pictures.

Sunday 17 August

Yesterday was the last foray into outlying districts with my father on his current visit. Today is Sunday, so no bus service. We had a brief stroll round to Goat Island and the back streets of formerly industrial Stornoway. Weather remained changeable.

Saturday 16 August

Post #3000 on this blog

Very windy today, and with some showers blown along on the wind. Temperature on a downward trend, at times only 12C / 54F. Nonetheless, we headed out for Ness and walked from Suainebost along the coast to Eoropie. This involved detouring by the memorial to the Cunndal sinkings of 1885, and round the far northwestern headland before making for the lighthouse. Eoropie Tearoom was unfortunately closed. The bus back to Stornoway was 15 minutes late taking us back. Upon passing the primary school at Laxdale, a dark-blue car was sitting at an odd angle in the carpark, with a downed lamppost and churned up flower border around it. It later transpired that the elderly driver had died in the crash.

Friday 15 August

Spent six hours in lovely Bearnaraigh - Great Bernera. Started at 11 am at Bosta, looking glorious in the sunlight. Deliberately slowly walked south to Tobson and Valasay. Views were stunning, particularly in the wake of the boattrip I took 4 weeks ago, which made it all the more recognisable. The sun disappeared, and the rain started just as the bus turned up to take us back to - well, Crulavig to change into another bus, and then onto Garynahine. The spiders in the busshelter had all constructed intricate webs to house their young, which were hatching at a rate of knots. I was very concerned about the car that was headed north along the A859 between Cameron Terrace and Stornoway, between 10.15 and 10.30 this morning. A white, 06-registered, private car was trailing copious amounts of white smoke, and it smelled as if it could go on fire at any minute. Hope the occupants are ok. Traffic following behind had to hold well back in order not to get lost in the fog.

Thursday 14 August

Visited Eaglais na h-Aoidhe (Eye Church) before heading off towards Portnaguran. Walked round the peninsula south of the village, before headed round to Portvoller and Tiumpan Head and its lighthouse. There is a stunning walk around the clifftops between the lighthouse and Portvoller. Upon return to the village, the showers moved in that had been threatening us from Ness - downpours had already been affecting Stornoway. The last hour or so was cold and wet.