When we travel, we like to get off the beaten path. Indeed, my wife Fiona was born in a place off the "beaten path". There are a surprising number of things to do in places that are off the beaten path.
They are not hidden, but can be difficult to find, which makes them a little more enjoyable.
The last few days on the Isle of Lewis, in the remote northwest of Scotland, have been full of activities and things to see. In the main city of Stornoway, there is a big impressive castle on a hill overlooking the town. It's just been renovated, and includes a nice museum.
And the history of this place runs deep, clear back to the days of Stonehenge. In fact, there are the Standing Stones of Callanish on a remote hilltop near the Atlantic Ocean. It's an amazing place; the setting adds to the atmosphere. Some of the stones are twenty feet high.
How did the stones get here? Who erected this puzzling arrangement? Why did they do it and what does it represent? After much study and research, these questions remain unanswered. There are some ideas on who, what, and why, but nobody really knows ...
And how did these fine folks live?
So, what was life like for the early Scots in the old days? Well, you can see for yourself as it's preserved in many restored sites. Life was harsh back then, but somehow those folks stuck around, and even today that region remains a rugged and challenging environment.
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| I was fiddling around with this picture and added the text graphic, it looks like a brochure cover! |
They built most things out of stone so we have evidence of their lifestyle. It's a rocky island so there are plenty of building materials. It takes a lot of careful effort to build like this, but once done, the structures last for centuries.
And for all its tough appearances, there are places of beauty and tranquility all around. The Castle Grounds is a great place to hike, with a variety of trees and the Creed River running through it. The brown color of the water comes from peat, an almost coal-like soil that gives Scotch Whisky it's distinctive color flavor.
They even burn peat in their fireplaces, like coal, to heat their houses. It gives a very identifiable smell that reminds Fiona of "home".
This trip was a special treat for Fiona because two of our grandees were along to see how and where she grew up.
A person might wonder, while walking around these ancient ruins and castles of old, how would we preserve our own history? Will people in the distant future be puzzled by our buildings and formations?
Will we take care to honor the past? Or is it more like what happens in reality ... a farmer, plowing his field, hits a rock and wonders how that rock got there, and the archaeologists show up and identify a "prehistoric" civilizations that did this - so long ago we can't even explain why?
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Oh, and one last thing - the these islands are known for their connection to the production of Scotch Whisky, as mentioned above. We took a tour of one distillery, (that also makes the top notch Harris Gin), and they have Whisky in barrels aging for release in a few more years. All Scotch Whisky is aged, and has to come from Scotland. One such barrel, or cask, is shown below, with the owners name on it.
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