Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Snow Capped Mountains, Harris, Scotland

 This morning, we departed our lodgings at Tarbert, Harris and headed north to Isle of Lewis passing en-route through some stunning scenery entailing mountains topped with an overnight covering snow which reflected nicely in the sunlight. The tour progressed as follows:

• First destination was the new (founded 2008) whisky distillery known as Abhainn Dearg at Carnish on the west of Lewis which is at the end of a long and narrow road with no obvious signage. We eventually found the site and on second attempt were provided with a visit to the distillery operations and a sample of the new, three year old single malt.Interestingly, this distillery is close to the site where the set of famous Viking era carved chessmen were found buried on the beach area. We made some purchases of this unique and limited availability single malt.
• Next to the famous prehistoric, standing stone site at Callanish.
• Next to the Gearrannan Black Houses, a former community of traditionally built stone houses with thatched roofs. This site provides a tangible link with traditional island lifestyle of fairly recent times.
• Next to the Carloway Broch, a former high status dwelling with a history dating back perhaps some 2000 years.
• Next to Shawbost and a water powered mill and kiln dating from the Norse or Viking era, about 1200 years ago.
• Next to the Blackhouse Museum (former island house) where we learned more about the use of peat for fuel and toured the museum with authentic sights and smells from a bygone era.
• Finally, we returned to Tarbert in readiness for our departure for Skye in the morning. 

Dram of Whisky at Abhainn Dearg Distillery, Scotland

Inside Abhainn Dearg Distillery, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

Outdoor Boy Band, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

Prehistoric Stone Circle at Callanish, Scotland

Gearrannan Black House Village, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

Carloway Broch, Lewis, Scotland

Norse Mill and Kiln, Lewis, Scotland

Broadford Bay, Skye, Scotland

• Castles
• Gardens
• Mountainous landscapes.
• Seascapes
• A whisky distillery ( Talisker).
• Wildlife including raptors and seals.
• Prehistoric standing stones.
• An iron age ( 2000 year old) dwelling called a broch.
• Traditional peat cutting.
• Waterfalls.
• Artists and craft people. Combination of ever changing light conditions and landscapes offers superb raw material for photographers.
• Colourful harbourside at Portree, the island’s capital.
• Fascinating geological history.

A basic tour of Skye can be undertaken in one full day but some visitors may wish to linger and explore this multi-faceted island.,

Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

 

 

Popular Mealt Falls in the north of Skye.

Mealt Falls, Skye, Scotland

 

Kilt Rock, adjacent to Mealt Falls. So named due to similarity with a pleated kilt.

 

Kilt Rock, Skye, Scotland

 

 

Rugged scenery featuring the Old Man of Storr (perpendicular rock in right of image).

Old Man of Storr, Skye, Scotland

 

The Quiraing, rugged scenery due to a massive landslip.

 

Quiraing, Skye, Scotland

 

Here is the ferry port of Uig. Connections to the Hebrides available from here. Good stop for lunch in course of a one day island tour.

 

Uig Bay, Skye, Scotland

 

Fairy Glen near Uig. Name inspired by the strange conical hills.

 

Fairy Glen, Skye, Scotland

 

Here are the remains of an Iron-Age Broch. Just the foundation remains. When complete the structure was probably a high status dwelling and about as tall as a lighthouse.

 

Dun Beag Broch, Skye, Scotland

 

Here is Dunvegan Castle, home to the Chief of Clan MacLeod for hundreds of years and open to the public.

 

Dunvegan Castle, Skye, Scotland

 

Interesting view from Elgol at end of a long and winding road from Broadford.

 

Elgol, Skye, Scotland

 

 

 

View of Cuillin Montains

 

Cuillin Mountains, Skye, Scotland

 

 

Sky ablaze at dawn.

Sunrise, Isle of Skye, Scotland

 

 

View from Isleornsay

Isleornsay, Skye, Scotland

 

Invariably, Skye features in my round Scotland tours.

Dun Beag Broch, Isle of Skye, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on a unique form of iron-age building in Scotland named a broch and in particular, the Dun Beag Broch on the Isle of Skye .

Key aspects of brochs:

• Restricted to Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles and the Highlands area of the Scottish mainland.
• Comprise circular, dry-stone  built towers built to a height of some 10 metres (33 feet) and around 25 metres (82 ft) in diameter.
• Display some resemblance to a lighthouse in being thick at the bottom and narrowing at the top.
• Invariably built with two concentric outer walls within which can be found a stairway.
• May have contained several internal wooden floors (varying levels) with a roof on top.
• Probably represented high status/prestige dwellings with defence in mind. Many are found near waterways which may be relevant in context of communications and/or fishing. The occupants also practised agriculture.

Across Scotland the broch legacy varies between those which have almost disappeared to a few which are 30-50 pct intact. As is evident from the images and videos, the Dun Beag specimen retains the  base up to a height of about 2 meters (6ft).  In its day (approx. 2000 years ago) the structure would certainly have stood out on the landscape.

I usually include a visit to the Dun Beag during my tours of Skye  although the access terrain can be wet and rough going.

View from Dun Beag Broch, Skye, Scotland