Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Thursday 11 August 2011

Tour of the Western Isles: more photos from Harris

A traditional style Hebridean blackhouse@Borve
Actually built in 1993

Yesterday was our last day on the Isles as we caught the ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool. Despite wild winds during the night the crossing was reasonably smooth – nothing more than a gentle swell. The weather became increasingly bad during the day with heavy rain for the drive from Ullapool across to Inverness.

Near where we were staying in Borve there was a blackhouse offering self-catering. Although built in the traditional style, this was actually built in 1993. Details here.
Heavily laden cyclists struggling up the hills of North Harris in foul weather

Scenes from a stormy North Harris



Mid-morning – not mid-night!


4 comments:

Jean said...

The first picture is amazing - such a lovely "old" cottage - but the other pictures remind me why I now take my holidays in France.
Maybe one year I will be brave enough to sacrifice my precious holidays to try again - but definitely no more camping !!

Jim's Loire said...

Jean. Actually the majority of the time the weather was surprisingly good. Indeed I was pleasantly surprised but yesterday was a real pig. I agree camping is now a no-no, especially in Scotland.

Still back to France very soon.

Niall & Antoinette said...

Had a holiday touring the west coast [not camping!!] to Ullapool and beyond before heading south to Inverness when weather gods smiled; lots of blue skies.

Luc Charlier said...

I toured the whole of Scotland during Summer 1983 - admittedly one of the best months of August they’ve had – on a Honda CX 500 (the poor man’s Moto Guzzi), sitting two up (ex-wife pillion, that is). We drove more than 3.000 miles from Kingston Upon Hull (Ferry landing when you cross the Channel from Zeebrugge) to Thurso (via all you can imagine in-between) and then Durness, going “down” again via Inverness-Fort William and indeed Mull, Kintyre, Arran ... Did not see one drop of rain, I swear by John Knox (Now, that’s an oath!).
What is the value of such a “hunting story” (casuistics in correct language) ? None.
But it means sometimes the weather is fantastic indeed in that most dramatic of all scenic countries: Scotland!