Corrrrr! Lucky you! Seems a little churlish to have been given the opportunity to go to Lewis for work and then moan that your employers won't pay for the car ferry.... however...

I haven't been, pebs, but I seem to recall that TomBo went without a car. TomBo?

If it were me I say 'hang the cost' and shell out for the cost of the car... what price seeing Callanish, eh?

When you going? Got any room for a passenger?
J
xx

It's easily done, pebs, but you have to take care to arrive on the island at the right time. We got there in the early evening and by then the buses had all finished for the day. If you get to Stornoway before, say, half four in the afternoon then you'll be able to get a bus straight to Callanish - there's one roughly every hour. The bus station is dead close to the ferry terminal and it'll drop you off in the visitor centre car-park at Callanish. If I were you I'd stay on until it gets into Callanish village so that you can do the last mile or so on foot. That's just me, though - I wish I'd approached the monument from the avenue end (thus avoiding the visitor centre), and I like to walk the last part of my journeys to the stones in any case. I've heard that it's MUCH cheaper to take the car if you get the ferry from somewhere other than Ullapool, but I can't remember where. I have a feeling that involved going via Skye.

It'll blow your mind! Be sure to see Cnoc Fillibhear Bheagg - that's the place to get a real feel for the Callanish landscape from. The main monument usually has a thousand camera lenses on it.

Now, when you think you're having a hard time remember the tale of eight people on Lewis going to the bar over a cliff top path, on a night. Coming back later and not finding out till the next day that only seven had returned. (It's an old story - but true).

Callanish is one of the ten sites in the world that is observing the next lunar standstill, either April 4th or September 29th 2006. I'm thinking 'tides' and trying to re-align my chakras by plugging in to the Tyne rythymns (or similar). There's high tides due, as we know, and I want to get some pictures of them.

But why bother with all the car fare nonsense, and the possibility of falling off a cliff in the dark on the way home from a bar, when spectacular landscapes and Rock Art are 'on view' in Bolton?

Hi Pebs

Only just popped in for 1st & prob last time today. However you do it you'll love it.

I reckon it'd be do-able by bus to see the sites around Callanish on foot (as Tombo sez Cnoc Phillipa Veg is a MUST) but you'd be MILES better with a car.

Without quite a while to spend (& I had longer than you!) I didn't get hold of Margaret & Ron, but I must admit I liked looking around on me own (with Ginger John) first. Since before I went (?!) I've always planned to go back anyway so, assuming I do, plan to get the 'Curtis experience' then.

Actually I didn't find the natives/atmosphere etc in Stornoway as odd/'puritanical' as people had suggested. But mebbe that means I'm just odd meself anyway....

love

Moth

PS Jane - what're you like? 'Any room for me...' Tsk! I'm not good enuff 4 U now is it?!

but then be stuck without a car.

The Scotsman and BMI are doing some cheap flights at the moment, running from next Monday to the 16th of June (9th to 13th April excluded)

Edinburgh to Stornoway is £59 inc taxes.

I have the password you need to apply if you're interested. flights have to be booked by midnght March first tho'

moey

As predicted, it wasn't to be... YET!

Trip delayed until at least April, or most probably May, due to situations at 'their end'. Which is good as I will have more daylight ;-)

.o0O0o.

Simply brought to the top for Graham