Monthly Meeting - The Delights of Lewis & Harris
Tuesday 12 October
Anne Artis welcomed many members and friends to another meeting on zoom, an evening meeting to allow our working members to participate and an opportunity to hear a fabulous speaker from the comfort of our own homes (or others’ for those who have all gathered together!) Anne reminded the members of the competitions for the Federation event at the end of November, encouraging double knitting of childrens’ mittens, a calligraphy Christmas care or needed felted animal; she also challenged members to write 500 words on the good things in lockdown for the Warnock Trophy. Local members then lit the candles on their birthday cupcakes (assuring more remote friends how good they were!) before singing Happy Birthday to Ruskie Rural – our institute is 95 years old!
By popular demand, Arthur Lloyd joined us to share another of his travel tales – the delights of Lewis and Harris … fabulous photography, music geography, history and banter! The best time to visit the islands is June – when the flowers are in bloom, and the midges and tourists are mostly absent. The Harris distillery is often a first stop as they are making gin in the short term until their whiskey matures … the gin is flavoured with sugar kelp and although essence can be bought in a small bottle, at £25 it is cheaper to collect it from the beach! The home of Harris tweed (originally Harris Toille) is worth a visit along with the quaint shops and the family owned Tarbert hotel (where famous authors are permitted to graffiti the windows!). Arthur reflected on the important of having a strong woman in charge of any project, using the example of the bridge to Scalpay which was a long battle for local residents and when it finally opened in 1997, the 103 year old lady who led the campaign was first to cross it!
The Wee Free have a strong hold on the island so the restaurants do not serve alcohol (although you can bring your own) and the play park is closed on Sundays – even smiling is frowned upon! Arthur shared his beautiful photographs of beaches and lighthouses and traditional homes (and modern ones!) as he toured us across the island, including along the ‘Golden Road’ where reversing into passing places to allow tourist winnebagos to drive through is a regular hazard!
In Leverburgh the dining choices are the ‘Butty Bus’ or the Anchorage Restaurant – both very good but at different price points .. and worth stopping at before heading for the ferry to St Kilda, a well known but seldom visited world heritage site. Across the four island you can see higgledly piggeldy sheep pens and a unique species of wren and mouse (if you are lucky) – the island is a wild and hard place to live but the trip is worth it and on the way back there are more beaches and scenery to enjoy if the weather is good. The hills and mountains of Harris ‘make their own weather and it can change from the north to the south of the island.
There are many unique and unusual monuments, celebrating events from Bonnie Prince Charlie, to a crofter legal battle with landowners, or a giant harpooned whale on the beach .. but one of the most significant and beautiful finds were the chessmen – some of which are now on display in the main Island museum. There are many other historic places to visit – restored black houses or ancient settlements … although the reminders to the 1950s museum may not be necessary for this group … and Donald Trump’s mothers house is probably best avoided! If travelling on the island by bus, when the weather is bad then make sure to take shelter in one of their unique T shaped bus stops – designed to help people ( and sheep) shelter from the wind and horizontal rain … but make sure the bus driver sees you as there may not be another one for 4 hours!
Some of our friends have been lucky enough to visit the island, and the members were enthusiastic about a wee Ruskie trip in the near future – thanks to Arthur for inspiring us!
As the meeting closed Anne reminded everyone of the raffle to win gift wrapping goodies donated by our November speaker Jane Means – tickets are available from the committee – and invited everyone to joins us for what promises to be another great evening.
