DUN CARLOWAY BROCH
Enjoy wonderful views and watch great birds over the water
Dun Carloway is the bestpreserved broch (prehistoric circular stone tower) in the Outer Hebrides, and is built on a rock on a steep south slope at the height of 50 metres. It was built around 100 BC and was in use, on and off, up to the 16th Century. The broch offers great views over Loch an Duin, often used by Greylag Geese, Mallard, Teal and Wigeon in winter with breeding and passage waders such as Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Snipe, Lapwing and Redshank. The loch side holds Common Sandpipers in summer, while Black-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel pass through in spring and autumn from Iceland. The area seems full of fresh and salt water, with the estuary at Carloway ideal at low tide for feeding waders. Arctic Terns nest around the area but their numbers are always heading due south through Lewis’s amazing peatlands with scattered lochs and amazing breeding birds.
Look out for Loch Lagsabhat Larach and Lagsghat Ard with its islands full of trees showing what most of this land would look like without grazing. The lochs are ideal for divers.
5Turn right off this road back to Breasclete, passing Loch an Tuin and Loch Amhastar which are both used by feeding Golden Plover, Greenshank and Dunlin in the summer, returning to the start.
6threatened by the presence of Mink. A programme of control is being run in Lewis and Harris. Out onto the expanse of bog there are both Great and Arctic Skuas breeding in the area while the waders include Greenshank, Golden Plover and Dunlin. You may find both Blackthroated and Red-throated Divers along the lochs with Wigeon and Teal other possible species. The two main breeding raptors include Merlin and Hen Harrier enjoying the many breeding Meadow Pipits and wader chicks. Short-eared Owls are limited by the lack of voles on Lewis. Golden Eagles can hunt here for Red Grouse, Mountain Hares and Rabbits, while carrion can attract White-tailed Eagle. Greenshank