www.leverburgh.co.uk/stclements.htm At the very bottom of Harris is the 15th-century (though oft-rebuilt) church of the Macleods, which is beautiful. Let your eyes get used to the gloom, t
hen feel your way round narrow stairwells up the church to find two ladders to take you right to the top. It's fun climbing up and peeking out over the Sound of Harris. Sheep wander around the graveyard and the kids can too.
2 CALANAIS STONES, Lewiswww.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk (search Calanais)
I was lucky enough to have them to myself about 11pm (when it was still light as day) and, without wishing to get all misty-eyed and spiritual, it did make me feel a sense of our tiny place in history and our lack of knowledge about much of what has gone before. There are about 50 stones and you can walk from the main site to "satellite" sites two and three.
3 DUN CARLOWAY, just off the A858 north of Calanais, Lewis01851 643338
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk It was pouring with rain and it was Sunday (visitor centre shut), but it was still impossible not to marvel at the size of this wonderfully preserved, multi-storey broch, which is only a short drive from Calanais. It is so well preserved, in fact, that we were able to shelter from the worst of the rain before running back to the motor home.
4 KISIMUL CASTLE, CASTLEBAY, BARRA01871 810313 (for boat trips)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kisimul_Castle One of the most familiar landmarks of the islands sits on a rocky islet just off Castlebay. Legend suggests it has been the stronghold of the MacNeils since the 11th century. Has a square keep and curtain wall – and, to withstand sieges, it had two artesian wells to provide water and a fish trap in a catchment basin. Now it is in the care of Historic Scotland, conservation work continues. Take a boat from the slipway – admission to the castle includes the boat fare.
5 AN GEARRANNAN BLACKHOUSE VILLAGE Fascinating rebuilt community of blackhouses, just up the road from Calanais and Dun Carloway. Blackhouses were a traditional form of island housing, where a network of connected buildings housed both people and animals.
The full article contains 391 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
