Contact: Joan Morrison Iomairt Nis
Tel: 01851810244 or 01851810800
Email: lvda@supanet.com
Tolsta to Ness coastal walk
More than eighty years ago Lord Leverhulme set out to develop and bring prosperity to Lewis and Harris. He did not spare himself, and in his activities he poured his boundless energy, commercial and financial expertise, drive and enthusiasm. Not only that but, generously, he drew on his personal fortune to bring about his grand design for the Island. Part of his plan was to improve the transport framework and, in so doing, to provide much needed employment by building roads. This included the Tolsta to Ness road link - due to various difficulties, the road was never built, but maybe one day the idea will be resurrected.
Today, we can re-trace the route of the original intended link between Tolsta and Ness along the moor clifftops. There is a waymarked walk from Tolsta all the way across the moorland to Ness (10 miles / 16 km), but there is no track as such, is quite a demanding trail due to the conditions underfoot, and the company of a local guide is recommended if the whole walk is to be attempted, particularly if fog or mist are possible.
You may not wish to walk all the way there and back (if you can't arrange transport at the other end), but it is worth walking a little way to see the 'Bridge to Nowhere', a key part of Lord Leverhulme's idea for a road to connect Tolsa with Ness. Further along the clifftop, there is a late prehistoric/medieval dun (Caisteal a' Mhorair) on a rock stack. On the track a kilometre north of the waterfall, you will see a fort (Dun Othail) and a possible chapel on another rock stack.
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