Week 3

This week started with us waking up on Monday to what looked like snow but on closer inspection we decided was like small hail. Either way it was cold and stayed around in the shadows for most of the day.

The cat was only too happy to come inside after leaving footprints in the snow.

I guess we have had reasonably mild weather here so far compared to some parts of the UK who have had quite large dumps of snow.
Mid week David and I went on a long walk up on the Moor/heather land above the Barpa Langass Cairn. This looks like an large heap of stones but is in fact a Neolithic chambered cairn and is 24m in diameter and 4.5m high. We got great panoramic views across the moors and lochs of this part of North Uist. Its was quite wet under foot and there was still some hail/snow on the ground which the dog was not too keen on. We started walking in fine weather but turned around 2/3 of the way up the hill as the wind got up and it got cold. We must go up again on a fine day and take Mark with us and hopefully get right to the top next time.
We drove up to the radar station on another hill in North Uist this week too and were treated to another panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. There are not that many hills about this area but the if you find one the views are spectacular from the top.
By mid week we found out that Mark had the weekend off so got busy organising a trip to Harris and Lewis. Harris is the bottom of the next island up from here and Lewis is the top half of that island. To get there this involves taking the ferry from our island grouping at the top at Berneray and going across the Sounds of Harris to Leverburgh on the bottom of Harris. The trip takes an hour, but the ferry seems to weave in and out of small rocky outcrops, so not a straight route.
We were keen to visit an outlet for Harris tweed so found one at Tarbert. We had an interesting talk to a young guy there all about Harris tweed and how it is woven and sold. Harris tweed weavers are self employed and work from home. The tweed is hand woven in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.This is what gives each item of genuine Harris tweed the right to display the famous Orb logo. Marketing of the cloth is done by the Harris Tweed Authority and by the main mills. It is also protected by an act of parliament The 1993 Harris Tweed Act which states that the tweed "must be hand woven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides". It is sold all around the world hence why we had heard of it. The traditional width of the cloth is 30 inches, but many weavers are now using new double width looms. There is a wide variety of colours and designs.
 We then ventured into the retail shop and were amazed at just how many things you can make from Harris tweed. We bought some things to take home with us. Actually when we were in Stornoway I was surprised to see in a florist shop window that someone had made flowers out of Harris tweed too. So I guess they are only limited by their imagination on what can be made from the cloth besides the traditional jackets, hats, waist coats etc.