Читать книгу Walking on Harris and Lewis. 30 day walks exploring the islands онлайн

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The sheer variety of terrain and the dramatic changes within the space of a short car ride are what make Harris and Lewis so appealing. Not only is there the possibility of four seasons in one day with the weather, but there are also high hills, remote moorland, vertiginous rock faces, deep sea lochs, silver beaches and emerald seas all in one neat package. You can rise early and enjoy a strenuous walk in the hills in the morning then chill out on a deserted beach in the afternoon sun. There are few other parts of Great Britain that can provide the same exhilarating mix, and while those seeking derring-do may only come to the island in their later years, what they will find here is much like well-aged single malt – well worth waiting for.

Four seasons in one May morning on Oireabhal – snow, then hail followed by sun and eventually a shower (Walk 13)

Flowers and vegetation

Pollen grains preserved within the peat bogs indicate that, following the ice ages, the terrain on these islands was colonised by a pioneer community of sub-alpine herbaceous plants and low shrubs. This was followed by heather, juniper and grass and subsequently, around 8000 years ago, by trees such as birch, hazel and oak. Large pieces of ‘bogwood’ are occasionally uncovered under the peat layer and indicate that Harris and Lewis once had more trees and shrub cover than they do today. This is particularly evident in Marbhig in the North Lochs area of Lewis where tree stumps are regularly unearthed.