This past Sunday evening, I made a last minute decision to brave the wilds of the Ness moor and join a friend in her family's airigh. An airigh (also known as a sheiling) is akin to a summer home for the people here on Lewis. When one wants to get away from it all...you leave your seaside house and go to the moor, where you will sometimes see more rather than less of your fellow islanders, but less of the modern conveniences that can sometimes complicate our lives.
I'd been on a brief visit out to what seems to me to be an village of sheilings, so I was very very very excited about staying there overnight. Especially when I was informed that there was a toilet of sorts. No trees for privacy out on the moor!
Once I finally arrived to the airigh (after taking the scenic and slightly squishy route), I made myself comfortable and had a great night! With a "wee blaze" going in the fireplace, a combination of candles and an awesome kerosene lantern, I felt right at home.
The next day I got the grand tour of the area which included a trip to the beach, multiple crossings of a cute little stream, mussel and winkle picking (kept me busy for hours), and ambling through the grass and heather barefoot. Definitely a good day, and I have a feeling that there's even more to see on my next visit...
