Beach Butter

Archive for July 8th, 2010

Are you giving thought to taking a short break in the British Isles? While nearly all people taking a vacation in the British Isles decide to stay in famous destinations such as London, others would rather visit places such as Scotland. In the following article I describe the Isle of Harris and the reasons why it makes such an amazing vacation destination.

Although London may have some of the most stunning galleries and museums in the whole of Great Britain  together with some of the most well known tourist attractions  the capital city will not appeal to tourists of all types.

Some folk prefer less hectic vacations while other people have a preference for vacations which feature a little more action for example sports vacations. Strangely the island of Harris, in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles), appeals both types of visitor.

Like a great many other folk Sun bathing on the beach for the whole of my vacation has never been my my thing. Please do not get the wrong idea, at times I really do enjoy relaxing on a beach, and the Isle of Harris certainly has some of the most breathtaking beaches in the United Kingdom, however, I also like to travel a little inland too. I thoroughly enjoy taking in the atmosphere, I also like to experience the local culture and especially enjoy sampling the food. In truth each year I enjoy visiting new places and I go to great lengths trying to discover somewhere one hundred percent unique and different. This is why, most probably, I so thoroughly enjoy visits to the Hebridean island known as the Isle of Harris and why I often choose to stay in self catering houses on Harris.

One of the most common factors in attracting visitors to the Isle of Harris is to enjoy the the landscape and culture of the islands. The culture of the Isle of Harris has, over hundreds of years been greatly influenced by the Scottish, English, Norse and Celtic races. These days the vast majority of folk speak in the Gaelic language and although many speak English, it is more often their 2nd language. The Harris people are amongst the most friendly in the world and the hospitality is well known across the globe. The people of the Isle of Harris are justifiably proud of the amazingly beautiful Harris countryside and try very hard to keep the island tidy and clean so it is vitally important clean up after yourself.

It is vitally important to keep in mind that rubbish doesn’t just make the countryside look unsightly it is also incredibly dangerous to wildlife.

Another thing to learn is that the roads on the Isle of Harris are not the same as elsewhere in Britain stretches of single track road are common and you will have to, at times, use passing places to allow traffic to pass from ahead and behind. Just remember to pull over to the left. However, if it is a large vehicle wishing to get past and the passing place is on the right of the road you may carefully pull over into to it to let the vehicle pass more easily but at all times be careful not to drive off the edge of the road too much.

I hope that artcile above sufficiently interests you in taking a short break on Harris. Many visitors the Scotland’s Western Isles decide to stay in two vacation destinations. There are a small number of other islands to visit including North Uist, Lewis and South Uist. Why not think about staying in a self catering house on Harris for a short while and then stay in a room in a North Uist hotel or a South Uist hotel for the remainder of your vacation?