Callanish Standing Stones

Callanish Standing Stones - June 21st 2015

On the Western Isles, no shops are open on a Sunday, not even the supermarkets in the towns.  We did not need to shop as we were going to see the Callanish Standing Stones, one of the main places we all wanted to visit during our week.  These stones are about 5000 years old - that is very, very, VERY old!  Unfortunately it was raining, but that had not stopped a lot of people having the same idea.  It was difficult for us to take photographs, not only because of the rain, but it almost impossible to avoid people, or bits of people.  Here are a few  of the images that Grannymac managed to take.

These stones are very special.  They are all Lewisian gneiss, one of the common rocks on these islands.  Grannymac is very interested in rocks and minerals and all that sort of thing, so she knows a little bit about geology, which she told me is the word for that kind of science.  The stones are different sizes, the tallest being 4.75 metres.  This is her favourite photograph from that morning - pity about the fence, she says.

This is such a special place that we decided we would come back again another day, at a different time, in the hope that it might be quieter.

We then drove north, with a plan to visit to one of the sandy beaches for which the Hebrides are famous.

Yogi, Lady Helen and Yogi decided to walk out towards where the sea was, quite a long way away.

    Grannymac, Bella and I stayed nearer the car as it was too far for Grannymac on her crutches.  There were quite a few wild flowers, which Grannymac likes.  She enjoyed taking photographs of some of them.

Yogi took some photographs of the part of the beach he, Lady Helen and Mr Apache had walked out to.  He also photographed an interesting rock.

When Lady Helen came back, she told Grannymac that she had found one or two hairy caterpillars on the grassy area beside the beach.  Of course, Grannymac wanted to see them too, especially as she wanted a photograph of a Very Hungry Caterpillar for her Photo 500 Challenge.   When they looked they found lots and lots of them - they were everywhere and, my word, they certanly were hairy!

Time to go back to the car and head 'home'.  There is a wood-burning stove at our house, which Mr Apache and Yogi wanted to light at some point.  In my last photo, Yogi is carrying a broken pallet which was lying on the beach - some fuel for the fire.  I think I will need to write a separate post about the house soon, but not tonight.