The blackhouse village

Richard Ford samples some very unique accommodation on Lewis

You wouldn't be mistaken for thinking Gearrannan to be the name of an Elven stronghold of Middle Earth... nestled perhaps between Rhovanion and Eriador. Instead, Gearrannan is the name of a restored crofting village offering unique accommodation on the Isle of Lewis, in Scotland's Outer Hebrides.

Gearrannan village comprises a cluster of traditional Hebridean ‘Blackhouses' (or cottages), a handful of which have been carefully refurbished to varying degrees of comfort to gain between one and four of the VisitScotland's coveted stars.

With their thick stone walls and golden thatch, they may look like Viking longhouses from the outside, but on the inside the houses tell a different story. All of Gearrannan's selfcatering cottages come with fully fitted modern kitchenettes, shower rooms and solid fuel stoves, and if you're still not feeling toasty, three out of four of these come with under-floor heating, offering the perfect contrast to the chilly island winds outside and the best way to bring your toes back to body temperature.

If the description thus far hasn't got you reaching for the red wine and the corkscrew, then imagine watching the sun go down over the Atlantic Ocean, only a few yards from your front door, or picture the silhouette of the Calanais Standing Stones (just down the road from Gearrannan) against the dusk hued Hebridean sky.

Gearrannan offers four self-catering cottages and there's also a youth hostel on site run by the Gatliff Hebridean Hostels Trust (...

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• By : Richard Ford
• In : Best of Scotland
• Issue : 36
• Page : 25
• Words : 638