Grave matters

Had a long chat with Norman the grave digger at the cemetery on Point, which is the bit of Lewis sticking out into the sea east of Stornoway. The cemetery is long and thin, stretched along the causeway between Broad Bay and The Minch. According to Norman, over 8000 people have been buried there. He showed us how, before digging a grave, he tested the depth of previous burials with a long metal probe. The cemetery was beautifully kept - evidence of Norman's hard work over many years. Just nearby was the13th century St Columba's church which was well worth a visit, and next we went to the Iolaire War Memorial. This commemorates the tragedy of the sinking of the Iolaire on 1st January 1919 just 20 yards from shore, with the loss of 201 men (mostly soldiers returning home after WW1).

Today's beach is at Tolsta, on the East coast of Lewis, where we will be spending the night.