Beach Babe...

Backblip

Final day in Harris before heading home tomorrow.  Boo hoo!  A week is not nearly long enough.  Would love to spend a month here.

After our perfect day yesterday, it would have been foolish to expect the same today and yes, there was a farcical element to our adventure, but if anything it made us laugh and appreciate the bits that did go right...and there were lots!

Today the plan was to drive down the Golden Road to Finsbay and hopefully see some seals, before following a rather narrow road inland to Leverburgh, then follow the road past the south Harris beaches and stop to have lunch at Talla na Mara. 

We set off in glorious weather (we have been so lucky with the weather this week) and had a lovely drive down the Golden Road.  The scenery inland is amazing and the views out to sea, absolutely stunning.  We could see the mainland...Skye at the start then the Uists as we got further south.  Sadly no seals were seen.

We cut inland and drove along a very narrow past Loch Langabhat, emerging at Leverburgh.  As we passed Northton we stopped to take photos of Scarista beach and decided to head to Temple Harris for lunch instead.  Quick turn around and soon we were pulling up outside this little oasis in Northton.

Took a bit of an effort to get my wheels to a picnic table as the ground is covered in quite thick stone chips, so it took a bit of pushing and pulling on D's part with me setting it at speed 5!  I could not stop laughing as we screeched into place.  Alas to no avail...we were hungry and looking for a proper lunch but only coffee and cakes (and very delicious looking they were too) available.  Nothing else for it but to screech and wheelspin back to the car!

Back to plan A - Talla na Marra.  Got there a few minutes later (stopping to photograph the stunning south Harris coastline of course.  Pics in extras) to find it closed!  Oh. 

Plan C then, back to Tarbert, stopping at the Cake Shed at Luskentyre.  All week we'd been telling Patricia about the amazing home baking available in this wonderful little shed.  Oh the anticipation of scones the jam and clotted cream, Lemon drizzle cake or chocolate brownies.  When we got there, yes you've guessed it, it was closed!!  Arrrghhhh!

By now we were starving!  Back to Tarbert to the Waterside Cafe and our bottoms hit the seats at 3.29pm with last food orders to be in by 3.30pm!  Phew!  Just made it!

What a charming little cafe.  Staff so friendly and food delicious.  What a life saver!  And then back to the cottage for our final evening and to pack.

It was such a lovely evening, packing was delayed slightly while we sat on the deck enjoying the view for a final time with a drink to toast a wonderful holiday and this amazing place.

I made Mac n cheese for dinner then the inevitable couldn't be put off any longer, time to pack.

Looking back over the day, our farcical attempts to have lunch were eclipsed by all the special moments.  The lady in the sea, the coos on the beach, more sheep on rocks, our evening drinks in the warm sunshine - no midges!  Bonus :-) and that wonderful, ever-changing view from the house.

Bliss.