Big Trip 2024 8 The Outer Hebrides Harris and Lewis Motorhome Touring Scotland 2024
welcome back this is episode 8 of our big trip 2024 so far we've traveled up through England across Scotland and we've made it to the Outer Hebrides having spent a few days on Uist and Benbecula we've just boarded the ferry at Berneray and we're headed across to Leverburgh on the isle of Harris it was a misty day but it was a smooth Crossing which took about an hour and 45 minutes it's very very [Music] foggy the fog is cleared and we've just found a layby so that we can go and visit a stone a special stone a standing Stone we are in Harris yes and the sand is very different here it's actually sand coloured yeah and we're going to go up this hill and we might have a biscuit might have a [Music] biscuit well this is just stunning you thought Uist was beautiful the McLeod Stone hey isn't that the name of the Highlander yep uh the name's McLeod Conor McLeod I see what attracted you all the way over there is our little van [Music] fog coming in over the top of the [Music] mountains gosh another steep climb and there is the McLeod Stone a single standing Stone until half an hour ago it was literally in a cloud such wit The Gaelic from the McLeod stone is Clach Mhic Leoid do you hear them singing I think that might be in your head dear no only if you hear them singing you might travel back in time oh that's a big Stone it has been dated to the prehistoric Neolithic period and it's believed to have been part of rituals including funerary rights it's probably where the cows rub up against it oh yes Mandy was disappointed despite despite fondling the stone all over she didn't get transported back to 1743 to be with Jamie Fraser oh well who needs Jamie Fraser when you've got this a ring of ground level Stones around the mainstone is thought to show the remains of a cairn [Music] I think this is probably man-made up here this pile of rocks [Music] oh my goodness look at that view and we're so lucky with the weather I think it's like 19° you can see the clouds coming in under the mountains and over here they're kind of just right covering the mountains it's incredible it's just so pretty [Music] Harris and Lewis is in fact a single Island divided by mountains the southern third is Harris and the northern two thirds is called Lewis each is referred to as if it were a separate Island there are many cultural and linguistic differences between the two it is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest island in the British Isles after Great Britain and Ireland there are half a dozen designated camping spots on West Harris for campers and motorhomes whilst we were there they were all £5 a night this is West Harris camping spot number four and it's on the road to Luskentyre well done Dave I won a game of backgammon hooray you know it's going to be best best of three oh yeah best of three of course well still I've won a game you've won a game I've worked that why I always lose though why cuz we always parking those down so I'm downhill so I'm at a disadvantage how is that well everyone knows if you're downhill you're a disadvantage that's how it works okay well if you're playing snooker and you at the lower end get all the balls different it's not like the the dice or anything roll differently because you're in a different position if it was golf right well then you know I have to hit them uphill I'm sorry sorry for cheating every game up till now this is the man this has been a very different game this one because instead of taking your bar and working all the way from my end that's so untrue you caught me every time and I wasn't I noticed the last two times I wasn't I wasn't and and you did it reflectively you did it automatically because that's what you always done I hadn't noticed that is not true now that's not true that's not true every time I caught on your pieces I did you a big favor cuz you put have straighten that home quarter and this is the man who counts Extra Spaces and extra numbers just to knock me off the board so anyway yeah I go for the little cheat you go for the massive cheat in fact neither of us have actually cheated I have to just say this there've been genuine mistakes haven't they I suspect they were genuine mistakes of an outrageous kind oh my God were you just cheating no I was just exploring the rules I like how I get accused of it and yet you I don't cheat I just get things wrong occasionally miscounting putting behind us the outrageous discoveries of the night before we awoke the following morning to more beautiful views from Luskentyre we headed north something that's worth knowing about the Outer Hebrides is that Sunday is still observed as a day of rest so you'll find the shops are typically closed and things like parks are locked up attractions are not open but the countryside is always open so we headed north where Mandy had spotted a woodland walk on the map [Music] I don't like this I don't like this at all I don't like this at all this is a very and there sheep on the road as well I don't know if the camera is really going to pick this up but it's bloody steep [Music] so I'm really really freaked out because of the big drops and things and Dave is really enjoying winding me up about everything he wants to go and look over the edge and now he's going to tell me to go over and look over the edge it's perfectly safe he's going to say we've got a nervous passenger nervous passenger filmer director I can't help it my nerves were wrecked on that sharp heat Bend and I haven't calmed down when I've calmed down I'll be a bit better but right now I feel on edge and I can't help that it's kind of like a we haven't come off the road and crash down a cliff into the sea and the rocks yet have we so it's not likely to happen [Music] [Music] oh I can't even look here we go that's a lovely View have we pulled in for a view yeah lovely view with that is a lovely view clouds hugging top of the mountain up there sunshine coming through over there all the little tracks yeah the Sheep it is a lovely View and I'm glad that we stopped for you to take it in cuz it would be a shame if you only get to see the footage well the view is lovely but most of the time I don't get to enjoy it yeah cuz I'm having to deal with the adult roller coaster which is the roads yeah it's quite it's quite mental here isn't it um quite mental well it's a challenge it's a fun challenge you got to get it right you only got one chance to get it right I keep getting visions of the van tumbling side to side down side of a mountain here with bits flying off everywhere and us holding on can you not say that to me the Sheep jump down from the rocks and I swerve to avoid it and went off down the side yeah if a sheep jumps out you don't swerve to avoid it I think that's the moral of the story collect a sheep and you don't have to go shopping for the rest of the holiday I mean honestly yeah yeah anyway we're not far from the forest but it does you see where the the rock face over there has collapsed and bits have fallen down down to the side there yeah just shows it sometimes they do collapse don't they m I don't know if you can see him there trying to scramble up to take a photograph I think it might be a bit boggy there the sun's coming out now and I think it might be a nicer day it was so cold this morning I didn't want to get out of bed this might be a little bit underwhelming but we shall see it's a community walk a community Woodland I mean compared to the adult roller coaster that is driving around Lewis or Harris everything's going to be a little bit tame compared to that isn't it yeah but sorry if you look out the window there's like four trees so we'll see what happens might be a wooded Valley on the other side yeah there might be so let's go and have a look so this is where we parked it's a bit uphill the walk is only 2 miles long but quite challenging planting of this Woodland only started in 2000 so it's more of a twigland the trees are quite immature aren't they [Music] yeah so we've made it to the observatory and Dave is just doing a quick tick check um out here in the storm it would be amazing here in the storm yeah um I think you can see eagles from here sometimes I haven't seen any birds on this walk nor have I seen any people it's true wilderness and it feels really quite nice having climbed I could do with um having a little rest I'm going to have a sit down I bet if I sit down I can't see out the windows they need perches to sit on real perches oh I'm so funny ... anyway that walk was actually quite an arduous walk wasn't it yes it was it was very Steep and they've done really well by putting gravel in a lot of places which I think soaks up a lot of the moisture but it's not really a woodland walk you're a good little helper aren't you I do my best it's 3:00 and we're only having lunch now but that's quite indicative because we got up very late and we didn't have breakfast till about half past 11 so yeah is that a little bit of on the road DIY running repairs yeah more running repairs with cocktail sticks yep thank goodness we brought cocktail sticks otherwise we wouldn't got to get out of the toilet the door handle's fallen off again yeah second time don't buy a motor home unless you like doing running repairs about one a week we've found yeah anything from Plumbing to electricals to Mechanicals to carpentry there you go well done prepared well done that took you a couple of minutes so well done you can also stay overnight in this car park for a small charge but we drove on to Aline Community Woodland we've just arrived at Aline Community Forest car park where they allow motor homes to stay overnight from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 a.m. in the morning there's a bin yay it always makes me happy to see a bin and we don't know if this track up here goes off to another car park but it's quite steep but um if there is another car park up there we might go up there so Dave's just gone to investigate the regular public car park is just down there where the Pod is we did move the van to the upper car park which gave great views over the valley and the loch and then we went off to explore one of their Woodland Trails so we're now on a another Woodland walk it's what time is it 20 to 7 we had such a late lunch we haven't even had tea yet [Music] so these do look all like pine trees I reckon that's the loop on the map I mean there is potential that we'll get lost but look some of these trees are so small and some of them are so big and it's lovely that they're all growing and helping the environment in their own little [Music] way well this is a nice bit of the walk it's all got a boardwalk [Music] yeah a lot of the walks we've been on there's been a lot of Boggy bits hasn't there a lot a lot of Boggy bits oh no now we're going to have to make a choice left or right at the distance there there's a loch I wasn't expecting this bit I think that's a false choice to go right it's a dead end it's a viewing area is it oh well let's go and look on the viewing area view from the viewing area absolutely oh you can bring a little chair here and have a little bit of little bit of supper picnic lovely well that is lovely the r is on the water yeah so at the children's play area there's a little Port-a-cabin in there that has a toilet and it's got a rainwater flush system which is a really good idea I'm sure they get quite a lot of rain water here and the park is currently quite empty it's just me and over here there's Dave who's itching to go on the tyre swing or run up the little Bridge there we all know we've seen you on it all before I'm the king of the castle and you're the dirty wee rascal yeah I probably am yeah it's very sweet but now I'm upside down except I'm not it's Medusa! oh dear somebody started recording my hair is wet I've just washed my hair and I look ridiculous it's not a good look I got a double chin if I Turn to Stone overnight we know why hello hello dear I'll get bit closer yeah so sorry my I've just washed my hair over the sink so I look a bit Scraggy no different from normal then so it is now the start of week four away yes we've had three full weeks away in the van touring yeah and never staying more than one night in one place no well technically that's not true we did stay two nights in Castleton but in different places different places so we didn't stay in this same place for more than one night well it was the same town but okay would you say you're argumentative or just difficult I mean I'm pedantic but you're difficult if I'm difficult I learned it off you okay yeah so it's been um quite a lazy few days and I think we're getting up lazy few days we woke up at 20 to 10 this morning yeah oh dear it's absolutely crazy we're getting up later and later in the and just lying in yeah and we didn't even set off today until about half past 12 well in our defense the van is very good at blocking out all the light so you don't realise it's morning it really is and one thing about the Outer Hebrides is it is so quiet as well you stay anywhere else the road traffic noise if you're near the road starts up about 7:00 in the morning there's been nothing here nothing to wake you up we've also had very little wind as well it's just been silent yeah so it's really quiet and I think it'll be a bit of a shock to the system when we have to go back to roadside parking and things on the way back it's going to be a shock to the system going back to work yeah tomorrow morning we have to get up early cuz we have to leave this car park by 10:00 we weren't even up by 10 we weren't even awake so um so yeah I'm going to have to set an alarm to make sure that we get up on time and even if we just drive off to a layby down the road to get a cup of tea that that that will be fine won't it yeah and then tomorrow is laundry day oh my goodness me we need to do some laundry it's been a week and that doesn't sound very long but when somebody forgot to put his trousers in the last wash he put a pair of trousers down so we need to do some the third lot of laundry we've done isn't it yeah yeah it's going to be a little bit of an admin day I've got to check in to work you got to deep clean the van a deep cleaner of the van and I've got to check into work so I can work mhm pull this carpet out give it a beating give it a Hoover room I can work while you do the cleaning yeah okay perfect what advice would you give to anyone that's doing a longer than a two week trip away I would advise anyone coming along for coming away for more than a two week trip away to make sure they've got all the essentials sorted out all the usual stuff the Vans ready and whatever but then the crucial thing is to bring an expert researcher and planner along who'll plan all the stops and all the attractions and all the laundry days and everything like that so you can just drive thank you and they say turn left and you turn left and they say turn right and you turn right and then you get there and it's perfect thank you that's very sweet of you it's very sweet that has been stressful um cuz I didn't plan any of the Hebrides trip because I knew Dave really wanted to go there and I thought that he already had places in his head that he wanted to visit and see I did the Hebrides and that was we got here it was the day before we got here and it was like what are we going to do well you you doing all the planning I'm like so and we have seen it too seen just the things I wanted to see mountains lochs sea beaches Dolphins well Dolphins too yeah yeah the one thing that I'm really really missing at the minute is a hot long shower bath oh actually a bath would be the best but what I really really would quite like is a hot shower not missing TV no no and you got quite quite good at backgammon now haven't you the odd um expert move anomalous move oh you can talk you can talk you did two yeah yeah the last game we played you did they weren't as spectacular as your moves oh I've got a piece on the bar shall I move it to the far end of the board or should I move it straight into my home quarter oh I think I'll put it straight in there oh I've got a piece in the bar I just take your pieces off the board first and leave mine in the bar anyone that doesn't play backgammon is not going to get that at all in the morning we drove 40 miles with some incredibly scenic views to Uig that's Uig on the Isle of Lewis not Uig in Sky [Music] [Music] [Music] we've stopped at the community shop and it's very very windy and it's just started chucking it down we're here to do our laundry today and it's all in a big industrial washing machine and Dave's just run outside to uh switch it from the washing machine to the dryer I don't know where Dave's gone he went to take the washing out the washing machine and put it in the tumble dryer and it's been 20 minutes and he hasn't come back and I don't know where he is and I'm hungry and we know what happens when I get hungry had lunch we had a bridie very salty a bit salty beef pasty yeah I didn't like it but you did yeah I liked it nice spot lunch bridie you'd have that again I'd have one of them again quite happily yeah I think I'll stick with the sausage roll next time you know what you like don't you dear unfortunately I do and I get picked up on about it picked I know what I like and I like what I know yeah yeah so did we decide whether you're going to go for Gandalf clean shaven or Uncle Albert well I think it's uh five votes for Gandalf and one for shave it off yeah messy bugger yeah keep going and if it gets longer I'll be able to save some of me lunch for tomorrow oh you're gross just keep bit in here yeah nobody wants to see that ever we took a short walk from the community shop up to Uig Heritage Center [Music] Uig's main claim to fame is that it's the location that some 12th century Viking chess pieces were found in 1831 [Music] we drove 20 miles to the megalithic stone circle of Callanish 8 on the island of Great [Music] [Music] Bernera oo what have we got here we've got some standing stones it's unusual because it's a semicircle rather than a full circle thanks for joining us join us again next time as we explore the rest of Lewis and find ourselves in a storm before setting off back to the mainland
2025-02-07 22:29
