Harris

Tarbert is the principal town on Harris. The name means isthmus in Gaelic and actually refers to the short neck of land which prevents the southern part of Harris becoming an island.

North Harris has been owned by residents following a community buyout in 2003. The villages around the shores of Loch Seaforth joined in earlier this year.

The highest mountain in the Western Isles is the Clisham at 799 metres part of a range towering above the landscape. The only overland route between Lewis and Harris transverses its steep slopes.

The old Bunavoneader whaling station is marked by its tall chimney stack. Built by Norwegians in 1904 it was taken over by Lord Leverhulme around 20 years later. It fell into disuse when he died three years later but experienced a brief revival in the 1950s when it processed around 60 whales harpooned around St Kilda.

Amhuinnsuidhe Castle was built in 1886 by the Earl of Dunmore. Salmon can be seen leaping upstream the river running along the public road which leads past the castle windows to Huisinish, the next village. Author J M Barrie wrote his play Mary Rose here.

The Rocket Post a cinema film was made of an unique communication experiment on the tiny island of Scarp off Harris in the 1930s. Gerhardt Zucher to shoot mail across the narrow strait to the Harris mainland. Test flights exploded and the trial halted.

/*Picture: VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint Scalpay*/

Scalpay is linked to mainland Harris by a £6.5 million bridge. It opened in December 1997 doing away with the small ferry that the 370 residents previously relied upon. A £ 5 million salmon processing factory was the main employer untilit shut some years ago. It will now have a new lease of life as a net repair station. It is seen nestling to the left of the bridge when approaching the tiny island from Harris. The adjacent pier is used by local fishing boats.

A ship made out of concrete has been stranded for decades in Acarsaid a Tuath on Scalpay. The Cretree was launched in Aberdeen in 1918 as a bulk carrier for coal. She is thought to have seen Government service in Scapa Flow during World War II. She was used as a floating coal warehouse in Stornoway. In 1955 she was sold to Scalpay, again as a coal hulk. She was later abandoned and is now used for storing fishing nets.