Hebridean New Year

Luskentyre beach isle of harris

Photo: Dawn at Luskentyre beach, Isle of Harris, Scotland.  January 2011

December already…

In what seems to be quickly turning into an annual tradition, I’m making plans to head up to Scotland’s Outer Hebrides to bring in the new year.  More specifically we’ll spend New Year’s eve in the tiny, cosy thatched roof hostel on Berneray, where I’ve brought in the last two years.  After that, the schedule is open, with a week to explore the Uists, Harris and Lewis.  And on the 12 hour drive back to Wales we’ll probably take a night or two in Glen Coe to break up the drive a bit.

I’m a bit worried about a repetition of last year’s festival of wind and gales, which if you asked me to describe in one word, I would say: shit!  Two words: Total shit!. Three words: well you get the picture…  So far the weather has been a fair amount calmer and colder (which is good), so hopefully conditions are closer to two years ago where there were at least a couple calm days to be had, and some snow on the islands, which makes for nice photos.  But being the north of Scotland at the darkest time of the year, just about any type of bad weather is possible.  On the bright side, at least I wont have to worry about midges…

Large winter waves crash against cliffs at Butt of Lewis, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Photo: Winter storm crashes into coast at Butt of Lewis, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.  January 2012

Callanish standing stones lit by light at night, Isle of Lewis, Western Isles, Scotland

Photo: Callanish standing stones, Isle of Lewis, Scotland.  January 2011

 

Photo: 12 hour drive to the north, then a ferry

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