Why isle be back to this piece of Scottish heaven
TURQUOISE seas, pristine sandy beaches, stunning scenery and a red tan line that any Brit would be proud of.
I suppose I could be mistaken for describing a visit to somewhere in the Mediterranean but I'm not, for this was my experience of the Isle of Lewis, off the north west coast of Scotland, in the Outer Hebrides.
Granted, the sunburn was caused after being caught off-guard when the blazing sun made a rare but welcome visit and played havoc with my Celtic complexion but the rest is definitely there.
Matched by the swanky and very spacious five-star self-catering holiday lodge my family and I stayed in for five days with the award-winning Hebridean Luxury Holidays, it was a winning combination that ensured a fantastic stay to remember in a very special part of the world.
With 70 per cent of islanders speaking Gaelic and a three-hour ferry journey from the Scottish mainland, it adds to the feeling of being abroad but without the pitfalls of the weak pound, though you also don't get the guaranteed hot weather.
What we did get was a very warm Hebridean welcome from islander Morag Duncan, the joint owner of the very Scottish sounding or rather Gaelic Airigh Mhealbost lodge, which is a few minutes away from the main town of Stornoway, and luxuries that would cost an absolute arm and a leg elsewhere.
The three-bedroom detached property we stayed in features a tastefully-decorated open-plan living area with all the mod cons such as widescreen TV with a surround sound.
It has an extremely well-equipped kitchen with dishwasher, washing machine, and tumble drier, and an attention to detail that fully deserves its five-star rating.
The kids were made very welcome with high chairs, stair gates, cots and baby baths available to pre-book, along with a Playstation, books and toys for older kids.
Quite strangely, the thing they looked forward to the most was the tardis-like jacuzzi bath, which was a big winner especially on the first night after a mammoth seven-hour drive from South Yorkshire, as were the extremely comfortable beds which all of us slept soundly in, even our two-year-old.
With it being our first visit, the lodge offered a superb base in which to explore the 15-mile wide by around 45-mile long Isle of Lewis.
Thanks to the wireless internet set-up I was able to take my laptop to research the best places to visit and keep a close eye on the weather.
Inland, Lewis has a bleak but beautiful landscape which you will find very appealing if you are a fan of the North Yorkshire Moors.
Like our moorland the island is mainly peat bog and the countryside is dotted with evidence of Crofting, which is still in practice even today.
Set against of the mountains of the adjoining Isle of Harris (famous for its tweed) and the lochs that are dotted about, driving across the island was something akin to a Top Gear test drive with the winding roads often all to yourself set against fantastic views of the ancient treeless landscape.
You can also understand why the island appeals to artists and photographers, as around every corner there's a new inspirational scene and while there I took more than a thousand pictures and kept saying to myself 'I'll paint that one later' .
One of the occasions I was compelled to break out my watercolours was at the island's landmark site at Callanish, where the mysterious standing stones are found.
It has been suggested that the Callanish Stones were of religious or political significance in pre-historic times, but whatever the reason I was fascinated to go up close and realise just how long people have been inhabiting this remote island.
There is a strong sense of history on the Isle of Lewis and its preservation continues with several places where you can see rebuilt Black Houses, which are traditional drystone thatched homes inhabited by crofters across the island, in some cases until quite recently but others serve as a monument to cramped nineteenth century living. Another treasure can be found just off the side of a road at Shawbost where there's a Norse mill and kiln, which have been sat there for hundreds of years and recently carefully reconstructed. All of the historic sites were easy to find and well signposted.
The highlight of the stay was found at the northern-most tip at the Butt of Lewis and Port of Ness where we could appreciate one of the things the island has most of; raw, unspoilt coastline.
With nothing between you and the enormous stretch of North Atlantic Ocean to Newfoundland in Canada, the Isle of Lewis enjoys beautifully clean air and unpolluted waters which apparently represent 40 per cent of the best fishing grounds in the British Isles, and beaches you could almost believe you are discovering for the first time.
Near the Butt of Lewis, there's a fantastic playground for the kids made out of the dunes and after a bit of a trek we found a beautifully untouched beach that was simply breathtaking.
The Port of Ness has had a little more human influence but is no less impressive and was great for the kids to run around and get some colour in their cheeks.
For all its remoteness, there is still civilisation on the Isle of Lewis when you need it and Stornoway has a good selection of cafes and restaurants, and a variety of shops you would expect in any small town. The An Lanntair arts centre is also worth paying a visit offering a wide-ranging programme of theatre and cinema, as well as exhibitions.
There's even reasonably sized Tesco and Co-op supermarkets to get all the essentials so you don't need to bring anything along with you other than your clothes and, of course, paintbrushes.
Graham McLellan and Morag Duncan at Hebridean Luxury holidays will even do the shopping for you if you request before the holiday, leaving you more time to enjoy all the delights the island has to offer.
We were certainly well looked after and felt that the island's attractions were more than worth the long journey. If you're after blazing sunshine and theme parks then maybe Lewis isn't for you.
But if amazing scenery, exploring idyllic beaches and finding out all about the cultures and history of the British Isles is more appealing, then a visit to Lewis is a must.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
