It was fun in Canada and for some reason you ladies have decided to keep it in cool places so we're off to the Isle of Barra.
Barra is about 65 miles from Oban (i.e. the mainland) off the west coast of Scotland. It is linked to a smaller island, Vatersay, via a causeway. These are the most southerly inhabited islands of the Outer Hebrides. Barra has an area of about 35 square miles. There is a long circular road around the island of about 14 miles (the A888). There is a branch road from Northbay which takes you to the cockle-strand/airfield.
The beaches on Barra are magnificent. From the cottage, it is about a mile walk to Tangusdale which has a lovely beach and a hotel with beautiful views if you go down to the lounge. If you keep walking along the west coast, you will go past Allasdale beach, Seal Bay (where you can sit on the beach and watch the seals on the rocks - they often will swim towards the shore to check you out!), and up to Greian Head where the golf course is and a great headland to sit and watch cormorants, shags and various gulls. There is also a beautiful view of the Uists from here.
Barra geology consists of Lewisian gneiss (metamorphosed granite), the oldest rocks in Britain and some of the oldest in the world (some 2,800 million years old). The centre of Barra is hilly, Heaval being the highest point at 1,260 feet, from which you get beautiful views of the island and the islands to the south (recommend to take the hike - its not a hard walk).
From the house, if you go over the hill you can get to Vatersay via the recently built causeway.
Barra is known as the "Garden of the Hebrides" because of the variety of wild flowers. There are over 1000 flower species on the island which should satisfy us photography and nature lovers alike.
Here's some pictures of this beautiful island - I've gone ahead and captured a nice sunset for you Notice the SNOW people - tho right now the temperatures are a high of 56F/12C with rain in the forecast - pretty much what you're used to in the 'Gong right now Shad. At least you can bring along the same woolies.
We'll be staying at The Northbay House - a renovated school house overlooking a lovely lake. Show and tell each night with tea on what we found during our daytime hikes. If we run out of room this place looks nice too - FAIRE MHAOLDONAICH
So, do you think we can convince Linus to come over and visit? Who will teach us Gaelic?
Hope you all like the new place. I can't wait to get out and start exploring... All readers, lurkers and would be posters are welcome to come in and join us, we're quite the friendly group.