The Beauty of Lewis and Harris

We have spent the past two days at the island of Lewis and Harris, a part of The Outer Hebrides, also called The Western Islands. I didn't realize that Gaelic is spoken here and signs are in Gaelic. That was a fun surprise. But I guess it's a bit different from Irish Gaelic. I'll double check my spelling because I think Scottish is spelled differently. The majestic beauty has left us speechless at times. As we drive through the inner island I've been surprised by the almost alpine looking countryside that reminds me of being above tree line yet we have never gone above 2,000 ft. The lack of trees tricks us this way. The inner moorlands that go on forever, the rocky coast, the cliffs, the turquoise waters, the expansive white sandy beaches and dunes! Pure beauty and eye candy. Who would have though that the west coast of Scotland's western islands would have such mountainous terrain and such gorgeous beaches!? The northern tip of Lewis Old is obvious on this island as well. Whether it's standing stones that are scattered throughout Lewis or old churches remind us of the antiquity of the peoples who have inhabited these lands. The Callanish Standing Stones in the picture are believed to have been erected 3,000 BC. That is 500 years before Stonehenge. I was very pleasantly surprised that we were allowed to meander through them.