Seasons on Harris
A Year in Scotland's Outer Hebrides
Chapter One
Learning the Land
First we had to find an island home. A good place to live.
"I'm still not exactly sure what it was about Clisham Cottage in the village of Ardhasaig on the west coast of Harris, four miles or so north of Tarbert, that made us impulsively pick up the phone in New York and call the MacAskill family, owners of the place.
In front of us on my studio table we had this colorful brochure of self-catering cottages on the island, each with a photograph and listing of key features. The initial entry for Clisham Cottage read: "A superbly appointed cottage in a beautiful coastal position overshadowed by dramatic mountains."
Appealing, of course, but so were the other fifty or so offering such enticements as "Short drive from the cleanest beaches in Europe; a truly secluded traditional Hebridean retreat; thatched black house–style cottage in breathtaking scenery; a delightful water's edge escape . . ."
We couldn't even remember the village of Ardhasaig from our ... read full excerpt from: Seasons on Harris ebook
