Friday 12 June 2015

RAASAY

 Last year in March ,I popped over to Raasay for lunch. It is just a short ferry ride from the Isle of Skye side, where the ferry leaves from Sconser, to the newly built ferry terminal near Raasay House. Raasay is 14 miles wide, north to south, and 3 miles wide, east to west.

 
It always feels like an adventure on a ferry.


Beinn na Cailleach, and  Sconser.

Looking north towards Portree, with Ben Tianavaig in the middle.
 One minute it looked a bit grey, but in typical Skye fashion, that soon changed to blue skies, and it was quite warm, yes, I know, quite strange...
Final stages.

 Raasay House is just recovering from a devastating fire that all but ruined the building. The roof , and almost everything internally was destroyed. There is a little of the original building left, the Library in the West Wing ,which gives an idea of how wonderful it would have been when it was originally built.


New slate roof and chimneys.
The house was built in the mid 18th century.It has had additions added by subsequent owners, and to-day, the house is owned by the local community.
It has evolved in to a wonderful 4 star hotel ,with a restaurant, cafe, bar ,and an outdoor centre.

Towards the new pier at Churchton Bay,  Raasay.

The Fountain Pond.




..and finally, with some blue skies, snow on the hills, and March sunshine, it was back, over the sea to Skye.