Walking off into the sunset
It's a question I often get asked by my mainlander friends, so what is there to do up there?
Well, to tell you the truth the answer is more often than not, "not much!". However, since converting to a full time Hebridean (and occasional 'maw') I have started to see that I would come to this this dilemma from the perspective of, 'what is there I can spend money on in the quest to cure boredom' and thankfully the answer remains, not much.
It really didn't take long for me to find new and far more engaging ways to keep myself occupied in down time, inherent lack of distractions let me to take up far more practical and interesting pursuits such as fixing things, mainly knackered old cars! Above all, I rediscovered my photography and my fascination of the outdoors. Yes, it offers freezing cold winds, driving rain and a healthy dose of self-contempt for ever making such a decision but prepare yourself properly, get a nice rain jacket, good pair of boots and a flask full of tea, you might get it. Probably not on your first outing though!
(Nightlife) Photography in the city was a chore at times, often working till 3 or 4 am arguing with bouncers even though their boss was paying me to be there, is pretty much all I remember doing and feeling like I should probably give up pursuing photography because of it. Coming to Lewis changed that completely, bringing with it a whole different set of challenges but also shaking up the drive to shoot more and actually enjoy it!
Sunset from Cross shoreline, Ness - Isle of Lewis
OK, so the sun might not shine on us very often, we have to pay for our sunshine in harsh, unforgiving winters but get that chance to really look at the Hebridean landscape that sits beneath those treacly grey skies and sit atop the coastal cliffs in awe of its vastness, isolation, 4000 miles of Atlantic horizon and a warm cup of Assam (milk & sugar please) you might start to see how incredibly lucky we are to live, work and play on what probably is one of the last un-spoiled corners of the British isles. So in truth, this is what there is to do in the Hebrides and that is more than enough.