Hebridean Adventure

Day 5: Over to Harris

Ashley was successful with his egg expedition, and after a late start caused by excessive talking, we hit the road. This was a much brighter day, with lighter cloud, plenty of sunshine and the wind had dropped, making it an easy ride over the causeway to Berneray. The coffee shop was perfectly positioned for our wait until the 12:05 ferry to the Isle of Harris. The small crofting settlement of An t-Ob suffered anglicization to Obbe before being renamed Leverburgh in honour of Lord Lever's ambitious plan to develop it into a major fishing port with a projected population of 10,000. After his death in 1925, his successors had no interest in the scheme, writing off a substantial investment and leaving the community with only roads and a harbour to show for his vision. The harbour does at least bring tourists via the car ferry, and today these included us. There is a move to restore the original Gaelic name.

We checked in for two nights at the bunkhouse, shopped for food and then cycled out three miles for a walk towards Toe Head, striking out to the top of Ceapabhal. It was a hard climb up through the heather as there was no path, but worth it for the wonderful panoramas of islands and vast sandy beaches. On the way we called at Northton Visitor Centre and learned about the machair, a feature of these islands - these are strips of land beyond the sandy beaches, fertilised by the calcium-rich shell sand blowing off the beaches and neutralising the peaty soil. They are colonised by wild flowers, making for colourful displays in the spring and early summer. Until today, I'd been disappointed with the Western Isles since leaving Barra, but this was great, just what I'd expected the Hebrides to be like and now I was getting into the holiday.