After a good night’s sleep I awoke ready to seek out St. Clement’s Church in Rodel described as the “grandest medieval building in the Westers Isles”. It is about an hour drive to St. Clement’s from Tarbert past two of the most beautiful beaches on Harris, Seilebost and Horgabost, which we shall visit tomorrow. The sun is up before 5 AM and I left the apartment at 6 AM in order to catch the morning light before it became too harsh. I have been blessed with days of glaring sunshine which is not that conducive to getting good photos! Where are all of the dramatic clouds I am used to here in Scotland?
The church was built using local Lewisian gneiss rock for the chiefs of the MacLeod clan in the early 1500’s. It fell into decline at the Protestant Reformation, but was restored and partially rebuilt in the 1700s and 1800s. The interior is peaceful and ethereal, especially when the morning sun streams through the windows. Around 1528 Alasdair Crotach MacLeod, the 8th Chief of the MacLeods, prepared for himself a magnificent wall tomb within the church – possibly the finest medieval wall tomb in Scotland. It is one of the most ambitious and richly carved tombs of the times.
The MacLeods fought as Highlanders at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411 in support of Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles and chief of Clan Donald. The Clan MacLeod once again supported the Lord of the Isles, at this time John of Islay, Earl of Ross, in 1481 at the Battle of Bloody Bay.
I followed the Golden Road back to Tarbert which was quite the adventure. So named because of the cost to construct it, the single-track road at times seems barely wide enough for one car as it dips and turns through the hills. There are sharp turns and blind summits that will excite or terrify you as you drive along the 20 mile length. This area was settled by the victims of the forced evictions from the fertile land on the west coast known as the clearances. Relocated to provide land for sheep grazing they were pushed to the very edge of the island where the soil is only a thin layer on top of the bedrock. Imagine trying to eke out a living under these conditions. Stanley Kubrick used this location to represent Jupiter in his 2001: A Space Odyssey. There are several “lay-bys” so you can pull over and take in the views provided someone in a camper van has not blocked the entire space. By 10:00 AM I was back at my accommodation having been exploring for 4 hours. It will be back out again tonight once the sun drops a bit lower in the sky.
