Brochs, Beaches and Boats

[anteros_lmc]

I wonder if Sir Tim Berners Lee realised when he invented the world wide web that there would be no escape from folks' holiday snaps? :) LJ's new scrap book doesn't seem to add direct links to the pics anymore and I can't be arsed adding them all by hand so you can find higher res versions of these pictures here if you're interested.

All these pictures were taken earlier this month on my home island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.


Callanish Stones

The Callanish Stones were constructed around 2900 BC and are part of an extensive prehistoric landscape comprising numerous stone circles and field systems. When we were kids there was a local saying that it was impossible to count the number of stones in the main circle. Every time we visiited we would race round the site desperately trying to count all the stones and true enough, everytime we got a different number :) I also visited this site as a kid during the excvations in the late seventies and I remember watching an archaeologist carefully shoveling soil into a small plastic bag. I asked him what he was doing and he explained that he was taking a soil sample which would be taken to Edinburgh to be analysed. I came away from the excavation thinking that all the soil they dug up was decanted into little plastic bags and shipped off to the mainland. This made me think that archaeology was a very, very silly thing to do indeed. Little did I know...


Carloway Broch

The Carloway broch is a much later site that the Callanish stones, dating to the first century BC, a period known here as the North Atlantic Iron Age. I love Iron Age sites and brochs are among my favourites. I was lucky enough to work on a couple broch excavations in the Outer Hebrides, including one where I had the amazing experience of digging down the stairs of the first floor gallery.



Tràigh Ghearadha / Garry Beach

Garry Beach is on the north east coast of Lewis, it has some stunning rock stacks and sea caves though the main attraction the day we were there appeared to be my daughter and her hair. A bus load of Italian tourists kept asking us if they could take pictures of her. We should start charging!



Stornoway Harbour

With pretty of boats!

Comments

[katriona-s.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful collection of photos! Each places looks so quiet and deserted... weren't there any other tourists then??

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's not too difficult to find empty beaches in the Western Isles, the fact that it's usually freezing helps of course ;) There were probably about 20 visitors at the Callanish Stones and about half a dozen at the broch when I took these pictures. So it wasn't quite as deserted as it looks here!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

:'( Why can't I have beautiful places like these over here?! The landscape in my country is so lame. When we went hiking, my hiking friend and I used to go to Belgium…

Sadly, there aren't many ginger people here, either. ;)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Plenty of gingers here! :D

I'm sure you must have some beautiful places in your country too?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

Oh yes, there are a few nice spots around here. But nothing quite as spectacular as the Scottish landscape. Just a handful of forests fenced in by motorways, which were planted in the 1900s after the original ones were cut down in the industrial age. Leaves and stuff. All verrrrry exciting.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Well, you're more than welcome to come and visit our stuff anytime :)

There are still tiny pockets of the ancient native Caledonian pine forest that have survived around the Highlands in places, I would love to visit them one day.

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

These pictures make me think something that I am flailing to describe. I will try, but it will not be elegant.

I have often found that when we are very close to a person, family for instance we cannot see them in our minds as a physical form. We 'picture' them and what we get is more a jumble of memory, feeling, something... The beauty and strangeness is too close. Love or deep knowing makes our 'seeing' less than just knowing. (If that makes any sense?)

Do you think it is like that coming back to a place that has been home? Are we more able to see?

I am going to my island in a week or so-- for what may be the last time. I will take pictures.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I have often found that when we are very close to a person, family for instance we cannot see them in our minds as a physical form.
Yes I think I know what you mean. I think you sense those you love in a very different way. I never dream about people I am really close to, though I often dream about the shore by my father's house where I spent time as a kid.

Do you think it is like that coming back to a place that has been home? Are we more able to see?
Yes I think you may be right. Perhaps because it's so part of you?

I am going to my island in a week or so-- for what may be the last time. I will take pictures.
I would love to see pictures of your island. Do you really think that you won't go back again? Strangely I find myself more drawn to the island since my own mother passed away.

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I am glad you understood what I was babbling about. As for me going back, I will not have much of a place to stay--- My moms house is being sold.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes I do understand!

As for me going back, I will not have much of a place to stay--My moms house is being sold.
Of course, I hadn't thought about the logistics of where to stay once the house had been sold. We always have our camper van to fall back on, which makes it a bit easier. I hope you will take some pictures if this will be one of the last times you go to your island. Though I think islands never really leave you...

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

*stares happily* There are places where photos take almost on their own.

Hm, I don't know, my new Scrapbook seems to have everything as it was, just looking more neat, maybe LJ did something well at last... *fingers crossed* And I have easy access to direct links, though, indeed, single at once.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's a very photogenic island!

I must have a proper look at the new scrapbook, I confess I haven't really investigated it properly yet.

[amaraal.livejournal.com]

The Callanish Stones really do look like ancient druids or something. Parts of trees turned to stone. Funny thing about the you-can't-count-them saying :)

Lovely pics. *makes mental note to visit the outer Hebrides some day*

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Callanish and Carloway are amazing sites. I can highly recommend visiting if you ever make it out to the Hebrides :)

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Lovely pics!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

all fascinating and full of the pull of the past and its silent presence in time now

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yes, there's no getting away from the past here, its presence is so visible.