Left our AirB&B this am for a small crofting farm and a couple who left professional jobs to learn weaving the way it’s done for Harris Tweed. They have to follow a strict protocol to work for Harris Tweed and we learned the ins and outs about it all. I could NOT believe how interesting it was. it’s a big deal in this part of the Isles and employees many people, each in their own homes or shops who basically weave exactly what Harris Tweeds wants.
The rain stopped and we continued to a historical place called Blackhouse. People in this area of Scotland were extremely Hardy folks and lived in these stone houses for centuries. They burnt peat to heat and cook and so we also learned all about peat bogs and how important they were to the Northern Isle people but also, how important
peat bogs are to our eco system. Even more important that rain forests
We traveled North on very skinny one lane roads and came to Callanish Standing Stones. Very very cool! 3000 yrs B.C. And some of the oldest rocks in our universe, and still no one knows who put them there and why. Some people get all jiggy with it and hum and dance around in circles …. But I didn’t get it. Still, it was such an awesome place. After that we climbed a hill to another old stone edifice , which no one knows why it is there. This is such a remote area and only about 20,000 inhabitants…. But something went on here eons ago.
On the way back to Stornoway, we stopped at a memorial that’s was erected because w ship returning from WWI with a few hundred men crashed on the rocky waters only 30-40:yards from shore and over 200 men, who had all survived WWI and were returning home to their loved ones, died. It was called IOLAIRE MONUMENT and it was quite moving. Steve and I decided to walk the 2 1/2 mile path back to town and we saw each head stone along the way. Then we walked into town and had fish and chips down by the harbor. Busy day!
No comments:
Post a Comment