Western Isles

So the first half of our trip was spent in the Western Isles (or Outer Hebrides) - I'd been there before, in the 1990s, on a sailing/walking trip with school and remembered it vaguely but fondly. More or less everyone else wanted to go because they'd read the Peter May murder mysteries set on the islands. So we left on Thursday and flew to Aberdeen, where we met Uncle Nick (in a minibus), and Andrew. We stayed overnight in Aberdeen (it was good to be back where I grew up). Then early Friday we drove with Gina to Inverness, where we picked Debbie and Wayne up from the airport.

Ilona, in Aberdeen



(I was also happy to relocate my best ever Xmas present.....)






Then onwards! To our Island paradise and home for the next few days. Now, rumour has it that it is cold and rains all the time in Scotland. This could not be further from the truth - it rains only some of the time, and when it rains, it isn't the monsoon you get in other countries, more a light, pleasant drizzle. As you will see in the photos, it was actually very sunny*

Our early Saturday morning constitutional



We also had time to visit the Blackhouse, and see how and where people used to live. Here, Bluet tests out the bedding, whilst everyone else experiences the joys of the peat fire.





Then later on Saturday, Steve, Dorthea, Caroline and Madeleine arrived all the way from the greater Swindon area....more of which later

*Some of the time. It was also very windy, but this is good because wind can be used to generate clean electricity - the windiest place in Britain is actually at this light house at the top of Lewis, which we got to visit. Which is something, as most people cannot claim to have been to the windiest place in Britain