Harris, Lewis and the Long Road to Ardnamurchan

As April arrives, Scotland begins to open up again, with castles, cafes and other seasonal tourism sites coming out of winter hibernation. Naturally, that means things start getting a little bit busier for me, but there’s another reason that this month is always a wee bit hectic.

Anybody driving around the Scottish countryside will have seen that there are lambs popping up everywhere! Later this year, I’m getting married to the daughter of a sheep farmer and that means I get dragged up to the Angus Glens to help with lambing for at least a week every April! 

It’s incredibly tough work, with a typical day starting at 6am and ending after 11pm, but it’s very rewarding. Sheep farming is so culturally important to Scotland and it’s great to see it first hand, although I’m glad I never have to do it for the whole month! 

Aside from the farming life, I spent a lot of the rest of the month on the road taking private driving tours. The first saw me heading to Ardnamurchan, the most westerly part of the Scottish mainland and somewhere that still feels off the beaten path. The winding road isn’t for everybody, but there are more than enough interesting places to stop along the way and catch your breath. 

The treat at the end of the road was Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, an engineering marvel from the early 1800s. After being greeted by Ted the lighthouse dog, it was a dizzying 152 steps and two ladders to get out onto the top of the building. The views out to the Small Isles and stories of the old lighthouse keepers are definitely worth the effort! 

From the westernmost point we headed to the Western Isles, more specifically Harris and Lewis. While physically they’re joined together, culturally and visually, these are considered two very separate islands! 

Harris is a place of mountains and golden sands, with Luskentyre often showing up on lists of the best beaches in world. Personally, I much prefer a wander on the quieter Huisinis, with a fold (not a herd) of Hairy Coos sunning themselves not far away. It’s somewhere to just exist for a while, breathe in the salty sea air and listen to the crashing waves. 

The Isle of Lewis might be flatter, but it’s no less dramatic, crammed with interesting places full of fascinating stories. As always, I wish we’d had more time, but exploring the mysterious Calanais standing stones, Dun Carloway broch and then Arnol Blackhouse gave us an incredible journey from ancient history to more recent times. 

This epic trip ended with a last night at Shieldaig, near the edge of the Applecross Peninsula. It’s one of my favourite places anywhere in Scotland, with an epic sunset over Shieldaig Island followed by an early morning drive over the Bealach na Ba. 

Anybody who loves a road trip will love travelling that winding mountain pass, although it’s definitely not for nervous drivers! It was the perfect way to opening to the season of touring around Scotland, helped by near- constant blue skies and heat that we’re not used to at this time of year. Lets hope we get lots more of the same over the next few months!

You can follow along with Graeme’s journey every month in this series, as he continues to travel the length and breadth of Scotland with his dog Molly—uncovering stories, meeting locals, and sharing the kind of places that make you want to see it all for yourself.