Some fabrics like cotton never really go in and out of fashion, and form the basis of most of the items in our wardrobe. Other fabrics like velvet or linen come and go with the seasons; you’d be hard pressed to find linen trousers in November or a velvet dress in June. Then there is the third category of fabrics which aren’t achingly trendy, but are an integral part of our style and way of life. One of the best known of these types of fabric is Harris Tweed. Harris Tweed Protected Name There are many different sorts of tweeds as the name just refers to the way in which the cloth is woven … [Read more...] about Harris Tweed from the Outer Hebrides
Islands
Isle of Handa
One of the lesser known, now unpopulated, Inner Hebridean Islands of Scotland is the Isle of Handa. It can be found in the north-west of Scotland, a few miles north of Scourie and 25 miles south of Durness. The name Handa origins from Norse and Gaelic and means "island at the sandy river". Handa currently has no human population but records show that 65 people inhabited the island in 1841 before potato famine forced the islanders away, they were moved across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia. Wikipedia writes that "The islanders had a parliament, similar to that of St Kilda, which met daily, and the … [Read more...] about Isle of Handa
Visit the Scottish Islands This Year
The Outer Hebrides and Inner Hebridean Islands of Scotland are a very popular tourist destination. The islands all have their own unique character and it's sometimes like visiting different countries when you hop from one island to another. As more and more folk take advantage of the RET scheme, (Road Equivalent Tariff), the islands become more and more popular and the amount of ferry space is coming under pressure. In recent years it was sometimes impossible to book a ferry for several days in a row on some of the popular routes to the Western Isles. We ourselves have been stuck on North Uist … [Read more...] about Visit the Scottish Islands This Year
Orkney and Shetland Islands, Scotland
Orkney Stretching out into the North Sea among strong winds and rough seas, Orkney and Shetland are Scotland’s most northern isles. The most southerly of them and a short distance from the northern Scottish mainland is Orkney, also referred to as Orkney Isles, rising modestly from the sea, this cluster of more than seventy islands is a sparsely populated but very fertile land ideal for farming. During the long summer days the land is awash with wild flowers covering the meadows with enormous bright skies, with the sound of millions of sea birds along its stunning coastline. Shetland … [Read more...] about Orkney and Shetland Islands, Scotland
The Long Road on the Isle of Jura
The Isle of Jura is not an island for an impromptu visit since it doesn't have a direct car ferry link with the mainland. Only in the summer there is a passenger ferry, a RIB for 12 persons, operating a service from Tayvallich on the mainland to Craighouse on Jura. So Jura is quite remote and one of the few inhabited islands in Scotland not being serviced by Calmac directly. The only car ferry to Jura is operated by the Argyll and Bute Council and sails between Port Askaig on the Isle of Islay to Feolin on Jura. It's a five minute crossing over the Sound of Islay, the fast flowing channel that … [Read more...] about The Long Road on the Isle of Jura
Beaches, Birds and Whisky Galore on Islay
When you think of Islay the first thought that comes to mind is probably whisky! Not strange considering this relatively small island is home to nine whisky distilleries, all famous the world over for their unique taste and character. A few of the distilleries on Islay such as Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin produce some of the peatiest whiskies in the world. It's not without reason that Islay is a whisky region on its own. The whisky distilleries attract thousands of visitors each year from all over the world so distilling whisky and the related tourism are an important source of income for … [Read more...] about Beaches, Birds and Whisky Galore on Islay
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