Monday, September 15, 2014

Holiday in Scotland - Day 17 Eye Peninsula and the road to Tolsta


I found free wifi in Tesco Car Park Stornoway so could briefly check my mail. Then we went to search for the Iolaire memorial on Holm Point where on New Years Day 1919 205 men perished within a few feet of land , They were men who had served in the Royal Navy and survived WWI only to drown at the entrance to Stornoway harbour. It was the worst peace time maritime disaster ever in British waters and devastated every community on Lewis. The rocks where the ship foundered are the Beasts of Holm. Only 79 men survived the wreck. From this tragic place we went to the lighthouse on the tip of the Eye Peninsula then ate our lunch at nearby Port nan Giuran looking across Broad Bay to Bac. We drove through Bac stopping at the memorial to the post WWI Land Raids, erected at the place where Lord Leverhume has offered the men of Lewis new houses and jobs in Stornoway only to be told they wanted the land that the government had promised them for new crofts. We followed the road to its end at Garry where the road ends at The Bridge to Nowhere, a great piece of engineering that Leverhume had built to take the road to Nis, the far north of the island. The road was never built beyond the bridge at Garry where in good sunshine we enjoyed a walk on the perfect beach with the tide coming in and seagulls in plenty. Then it was back to our holiday home. Driving here is a pleasure with so few vehicles on the roads.

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