And of course, the Aurora Watch is at storm level for tonight, but we have cloudy overcast. Oh well.
Today was our day to do Isle of Harris. Even though the weather called for occasional showers and it's chilly and windy and I'm still feeling yucky, we soldiered on and headed south after breakfast. First stop was the head of the road to Rhenigidale. I just completed a book by the man who fought for years to get a road built to this village. We stopped at the beginning of the road off of A859 and then I could see what a monumental task this must've been. Considering all the other factors playing into today's plans, and the added fact that this looks like a narrow single track road and it's quite a way down to the village, we carried on directly to our first destination-- St. Clement's Church at Rodel. We retraced our steps from the first night here when we drove this road in pitch black darkness and I got to see what dangers were all around-- it was still pretty scary.
This will be one of my favorite memories of our travels, mainly because of the gentleman who came in after us--Peter George Dilleston. He is the musical director of the church and is performing for a wedding in the church this afternoon. THAT'S why there were chairs set up and decorated with springs of holly and herbs and tartan blankets on the chairs. We had begun to look around when Peter George showed up and was so welcoming to us. He even invited us to stay for the wedding! We stood and talked for quite awhile which made for the memorable visit. Peter teased that he just goes back a Peter George because everyone in town is Mac something or other, so they only need one phone book--M. He also told us about the choir he has set up which travels around to abbeys and extant churches to perform. They've even camped in tents in abbeys then performed.
Rodel was once capital of the Isle of Harris, which isn't really an island, only so with Isle of Lewis. St. Clement's Church was built in 1500 by the MacLeods of Dunvegan and Harris. The cypher have is built of mellow green sandstone, some imported from Mull. If the key isn't attached to the door, you're supposed to ask for it from the Rodel Hotel Bar, but when we arrived, the door was unlocked. Narrow windows allow shafts of light to enter. This is the oldest cruciform church in the Western Isles. It is contemporary with Iona Abbey. Alastair (Alexander) Crotach, 8th chief of the Clan MacLeod who had become hunchbacked from a sword wound, rebuilt the church 400 years ago on the site of a 1500 year old St. Columba era teampull and dedicated it to the patron saint of seafarers. It had a thatched roof. In the 19th c., the church was used as a cow Byrne before the Dowager Countess, Lady Dunmore, who found the Harris Tweed Industry, replaced the roof with slate. In the North Transept are 4 graveslabs that were originally in the choir floor. Another one came from the caibeal (private burial enclosure) outside near the tower--probably that of Donald MacLeod of Berneray who fought at Culloden with a Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1736 and returned home and at the age of 75 married his third wife and had 9 kids and died at age 90.
The square tower was rebuilt in 1913 after it was damaged by a lightning strike. It was architecturally unique in these parts and rises 20 meters above the floor of the nave. It was built on a crop of rock which makes it stand higher than the church. I climbed up to the second chamber, but to get to the top, you have to use wooden ladders. From upstairs in the tower, you can see the almost landlocked Barbour which gave seafarers refuge in storms, and on clear days, you can see Skye.
The main points of interest are the three tombs carved in black gneiss depicting knights in arm our. One is Alasdair Crotach, the 8h Chief of the MacLeods of Dunvegan. He had it sculpted for himself 19 years before his death in 1547. It is decorated with carvings of the 12 apostles, Angels, the Holy Trinity, the 4 Evangelists, a 12-rated sun, the Virgin and Child, bishops, a hunting scene a castle and galley MacLeod symbols), and St. Michael and the devil at the weighing of souls.
Alasdair's son, William, has a tomb here dated 1551 and a tomb of John MacLeod of Minginish, the 10th chief who died in 1557, is in the South Transept. Outside are a number of MacLeod tombs.
Peter played music for us on the organ and some from a CD and again said he wished we could stay, and so do I.
***Found out later that in the late 1700s a Mairi Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh was buried here. She had held a responsible position at Dunvegan Castle and had enjoyed whisky and snuff and carried a silver-handled staff. At her own request, she was buried face down to "keep her lie-telling mouth to the underside."
We passed through Leverburgh and passed by the Isle o Scaravay (Sgarabhaigh), only accessible by charter boat. The owner offers associate ownerships that come with samples of sand and peat, all for only 125-250 pounds.
Next we stopped by Scarista Beach to see Scarista House--I had read Alison Johnson's book about the remodeling of the house-- and the houses and school across from it where Finlay MacDonald, the author, grew up in the 1930s. The grassy area above the beach is now a golf course. Beautiful white sand beach that is said to have seashells in violet, yellow, pink, blue, and silver colors.
Then we drove down the super narrow track to Luskentyre Beach, where we encountered 2 shaggy highland cows or heilin' coos. Offshore from here is Taransay where the BBC Castaway 2000 Eric's was filmed--like our Survivor series. Luskentyre Beach has been named he most beautiful beach in the world by Time Magazine. There is an old cemetery here and the coffin bearers had to carry the coffin and the dirt to bury the person with them from inland and on the east coast of Harris and down the "coffin track" to the west coast for burial. Supposedly white cockles account for the whiteness of the beach here. The beaches gradually change from white to cream to pinky gold as you go south. From Luskentyre we traveled the "Devil's Elbow" to go back through Tarbert and out to take the fairly new bridge onto the Isle of Scalpay, a very crowded island. In the 1840s, 40 families were cleared from Harris and Pabbay and resettled here. Bonnie Prince Charlie landed here in 1746 when he was looking for a boat to take him to France.
We didn't travel the east coast today where the tinted Jupiter scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey when Bowman leaves Discovery were filmed near Loch Airigh. But it is much like the land we traveled through today. The Viking word for Harris is Na Hearadh, which means high land. Harris practices Sabbatarianism even more than Lewis. All retail outlets are shut on Sunday. This is the last bastion of fundamentalist Calvinism in the UK.
In Tarbert is a general store, a butcher, a baker, a cobbler, and a watchmaker. There are banks and churches and a store called The Black Man's that is owned by Ali Mohammed. Also a war memorial here. I stayed here in 2007 for two nights at the Harris Hotel when I came to Scotland by myself. Until the 1959s, Tarbert had a large whaling industry.
Two other sites from books I've read--Leachin House and Ardhasaig House--are just outside Tarbert as is the Sir E. Scott school and the new distillery. We stopped at the gas station owned by Roddy MacAskgill in one of the books I read.
Learned that doing a Jack Brew is making tea or coffee for yourself and none for anyone else. Having an Elvis is eating peanut butter and bananas. Lots of these. Construction workers say Doing Lionel Richie's Floor when they are doing the ceiling. Silly stuff but fascinating.
This is he land of mushy peas, treacle sponges, Marmite (a salty yeast extract by-product of beer brewing), Bovril (meat extract to flavor soups or drink in milk or water--sounds yucky), and HP sauce (malt vinegar, tomato, dates,tamarind, and sweetener).
By the time we arrived back at the cottage, I was feeling terrible. All stuffy, runny nose, sinuses pounding, left ear hurting, then I developed this horrible phlegm you cough that choked me every time, so it is time for an antibiotic. Thank you Dr. Pickens from home for sending one with me just in case. Ray has grounded me for tomorrow and maybe Thirsday, too. I am not arguing. He fixed Salmon and veggies for dinner--delicious. And earlier when we got home, he gave me High Tea--tea with whole wheat toast triangles with strawberry jam. Watching Location Location Location with Kirstie Allsop and chilling out between coughing fits.
I had just read the book Rhenigidale. This is the narrow road edging the water that the writer was trying for decades to get built to his tiny village:
I guess the sign was correct!
Road to St. Clement's Church in Rodell:
and here is the ancient church:
Inside, we were surprised to find chairs and decorations. Turns out that a couple named Katherine and Aaron are getting married here today:
Plaque to Alexander MacLeod of Herris
MDCCLXXXVII:
Alasdair MacLeod's tomb buried 1545-7, called Hunchback from a sword wound:
and this is wonderful Peter, who invited us to stay for the wedding!
the music he played for us while we were there:
Modern house with thatched roof:
Seilebost Beach:
Scarista House in center:
Scarista Beach & golf course next to it:
On way to Luskentyre Beach:
Belted Angus cattle:
Two Hairy Coos:
The look on the one on the right told me NOT to come through the fence...
...but Ray did anyway:
On our way across the fairly new bridge to Scalpay:
Ardhasaig:
