An archaeological amble

Off today with a friend to one of the remote corners of North Uist - Lochportain - to explore some sites that I had visited once before.
A variety of things to look at ranging from Bronze Age cup marks (small depressions carved into slabs of rock, an Iron Age souterrain (dark muddy stone lined hole in the ground), shieling mounds and the ruins of a village deserted in the mid-19th century. This image is of the latter although what was built on the rise before the blackhouse is anyone's guess. The mussel farms on the loch bring the history right up to date.
Interesting to have the remains of four thousand years of history in one relatively small area.
It was also the friend's 65th birthday today so out to dinner to help celebrate that. Very genial evening that might not be the best preparation for teaching on Barra tomorrow.