Chambered cairn and wild weather

We were very grateful for the lovely weather of the last two days, whilst we were travelling. Now we have a return to true Hebridean weather – wild and wet. We don’t mind that much: it's why we keep returning to this wonderful warm, light, spacious, comfortable house, where we can settle down to read, write and watch the wild stuff outside.
 
North Uist has no mountains and very little in the way of hills. It is mainly flat peatland with very few trees, so the wind blows the rain across the land in swathes of white mist – great to watch, but not good to be out in.
 
Eventually this afternoon we did set out and made for a place not far away and one we have been to many times before – Barpa Langais, the best preserved chambered cairn in the Outer Hebrides and one of the oldest in the world. It was built during the Neolithic period – 4500 – 1200 BC, at a time when people were starting to settle and become farmers. They built houses, produced pottery and built impressive burial chambers.
 
Barpa Langais doesn’t look much more than a huge pile of stones from the outside, but the original roofed chamber inside is still intact and is most impressive. When we first came here it was possible to go in, but now it is deemed too dangerous (hence the sign outside) and is closed off. I hope they eventually make it safe. In the background you can see the typical watery landscape of North Uist, covered in mist. 
 

We were going to do more, but soon realised that we were much wetter than we thought and we hastened back to our house and cooked a lovely meal.