The Herald - The Herald Magazine
48 hours on Lewis and Harris
IT’S close to mid-morning but the clouds are still fringed by the golden remains of the sunrise. Before me, in their ancient, ethereal splendour, are the Callanish Stones. I’ve seen them in photographs, on television, in art but, imposed against Hebridean mountains, hills and distant crashing waves, they’re even more breathtaking than I imagined.
I’ve left the glitz and grind of London to travel to Lewis and Harris, the most northerly of the Outer Hebridean isles, known for their wild landscapes, spotless beaches, stormy skies and ancient monuments, with my old university friends.
We unite on Stornoway to find an island enveloped in darkness and we head towards our home for the weekend: the newly-renovated Lews Castle. Overlooking Stornoway harbour, this Gothic Revival castle was built in the 1800s by opium baron Sir James Matheson. The turreted building served as a hospital during both world wars and was later a boarding school until it closed in the 1980s. For decades it lay abandoned but in March 2017, it reopened, managed by Natural Retreats. Now the castle offers luxury self-catering apartments.
Entering the building, we admire the cobalt blue ceiling, emblazoned with gold stars. We peek into the inviting grand ballroom, currently in the midst of party preparations. Greeted by friendly staff, we are led through corridors and winding staircases to our home for the weekend.
We’ve been put up in Matheson, one of the castle’s deluxe, three-bedroom apartments. Named after the original owner, this expansive, open-plan space mixes the modern and the old. In fact, the room still contains his original safe. (“There’s no longer any opium inside,” manager Markus Carrington reassures us.)
The room still has high ceilings, views over Stornoway harbour and, in carefully framed sections, original wallpaper. Otherwise, it’s a minimalistic, modern aesthetic dream: the color palette is muted, complemented with splashes of pastel.
Carrington says it was a conscious decision to cater to modern tastes. “It hasn’t been a Victorian castle for most of the time, it’s been whatever was modern at the time,” he says. So it is in keeping with Lews Castle’s eclectic history that its interior is always changing.
There’s a dining table to seat six and a well-equipped kitchen. The bedrooms have Harris Tweed headboards, marble walls and comfortable double beds. Bedrooms have underfloor heating and showers. We’ve also got a welcome hamper with local delicacies and toiletries provided. Lews Castle is a popular spot for weddings and parties and on the weekend we stay, the castle is hosting several get-togethers
– so the accommodation is not as quiet, or as secluded, as some island options. But thanks to the high level of comfort, it’s still a great place to unwind after a long journey – and to gear up for a weekend of exploring.
Our morning begins driving westwards to visit Kenny Maclennan, a veteran Harris Tweed weaver who works from home twisting and knotting the dyed wool before it’s passed onto the factories for finishing.
“My mum taught me how to weave and I’ve been weaving for most of my working life,” says Maclennan, explaining that the island’s culture is still intertwined with the loom. “All the process, the dyeing of the wool, carding, spinning – everything has to be done on the island before you can call it Harris Tweed,” he says.
Over his career, he has seen tweed go in and out of fashion. For the past eight years it has been consistently chic – and demand has been high. Maclennan isn’t concerned if fortunes change. “It’s the way fashion works. It’ll come round again,” he smiles.
But whatever the catwalk trends, there are always tourists keen to get a sneak peek behind the scenes of the tweed’s creation. On the walls of his weaving shed, Maclennan has photographs of high-profile visitors including pop-folk band Mumford and Sons and comedian Bill Bailey. We wave goodbye to Maclennan, although not before admiring the views from his home across the Lewis landscape.
We head to the Callanish Stones a short drive away. This arrangement of standing stones is thought to have been erected in the Neolithic era, about 4000-2500BC. They were the focus of rituals and gatherings during the Bronze Age, but the meaning behind the stones remains unknown. Legend says that the stones were once men, turned into boulders as a punishment. The popularity of the American TV series Outlander, about a woman who travels back
in time through a Scottish stone circle, has only increased their allure.
WE avoid travelling back to 1745 but spend more than an hour admiring these majestic monoliths. We are alone, which only adds to the magical ambience. The sun has come up, contradicting the warnings about Hebridean weather, so we head to another ancient Lewis landmark, Dun Carloway Broch. This spectacular ruin is the best-preserved remainder of a broch – a prehistoric stone tower that was used as both accommodation and a fortress. We crawl inside the stone walls and it’s not hard to imagine the broch’s former life.
Another architectural blast from the past is Gearrannan blackhouse village: coastal crofts with original features preserved. People lived here until the 1970s, after which it fell into disrepair. In 1989, the local community Garenin Trust made the decision to regenerate the homes. Now they’re available to rent, walking distance from two of Lewis’ spectacular beaches, Dalmore and Dalbeg.
Piling back into the car, we’re ready for lunch. Fortunately local gem Horshader Cafe has hot drinks aplenty and a local delicacy called “super sausage,” which we’re keen to try. As we eat, the friendly owner chats to us about upping sticks from her city life and falling for Lewis and Harris. It’s easy to understand. The isles combine an appealing sense of escapism with a caring, friendly community spirit.
Our evening is spent making use of the generous facilities to cook a meal, before playing a competitive game of Scrabble. As night falls, we head outside to see the castle grounds at moonlight and it looks appropriately atmospheric.
An early Sunday start sees us embark on the road northwards to the Butt of Lewis, the island’s tip and the most northerly spot on the Outer Hebrides. Here, the lighthouse still keeps a watchful eye over the tempestuous seas. Standing on the cliffs, the sea foam whirling before our eyes, it’s not hard to believe that the Guinness Book of World Records named this the windiest spot in Britain. The nearby Port of Ness village is more sheltered – but the unpredictable Lewis weather strikes as we head for a cliffside walk. There’s hail, sunshine and a rainbow up ahead. Somehow it’s still charming, still stunning.
On Lewis and Harris, the Sabbath is still observed but there are now flights, ferries and a handful of places open on Sundays. One of them is Lews Castle. When we return, it’s full of excitable children playing in the grounds and exploring the endless corridors: “Out of season on a Sunday is probably our busiest day by a mile,” says Carrington.
He gives us the grand tour and then we are treated to a generous Sunday roast in the Storehouse Cafe.
The grounds also prove worth exploring, stretching out towards the colourful houses of Stornoway and the picturesque harbour. There’s even a “fairy tree,” which we are all charmed by, even if we’re all in our 20s. Lews Castle has that kind of vibe, it takes hold of your imagination.
Carrington previously lived in Edinburgh, but he’s a convert to Lewis. “The pace of life is different,” he says. “But it’s really interesting because people are friendly and open and approachable.”
Our early morning ferry journey is much smoother than the outgoing trip. A sublime sunrise illuminates the Summer Isles and the mainland in front of us. The boat’s Saltire flies against the sky, which is a glorious shade of magenta. If you have to return to your everyday life, we decide, there’s no better way to do it.