It felt like approaching a mirage in the desert. No matter how long we walked towards it, our destination never seemed to get any closer.
Our walk was taking us towards Northton Temple (known as Rubh’ an Teampaill in Gaelic) in the Isle of Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. I’d wanted to make the journey out to the 16th century ruin for years, but the weather was never in my favour – until now.
Days like these in the islands are rare, but all the sweeter for it. The scent of machair grass mixed with sea salt filled the air, and everything felt vividly technicolour: the bright green of the grass, carpeted with daisies; the sparkling blue of the sea; and the white sweep of sand that greeted us around each curve in the coast.
My Dad and I began our journey to the temple from the village of Northton, having been told the walk would take about 30 minutes.
It would not take us 30 minutes, but we didn’t know it then. On our way through the first gate separating the machair (the rare grassy meadow found on the west coast of Scotland) from the village, we met a local crofter who was heading out in his van to check on the cows.
“Are you off to the top, then?” he asked us, nodding towards the hill, Ceapabhal, looming at 365m above sea level. We laughed, and explained that no, we weren’t climbing the hill (although I hear the views from the top are spectacular). We were skirting its base before going out to the coast to reach the temple next to it, sitting alone on a small headland.
Or rather, we would have skirted the hill’s base, if I hadn’t spotted both the handmade sign warning us to “Beware of the bull,” and then seen said bull up ahead at the next gate, happily munching on his food. Leaving him in peace, we instead cut away to the coast immediately, a more up-and-down-walk over dunes and avoiding rabbit holes, but one that I was glad we’d made as soon as we reached the top of the dunes and saw the scene below us.
We were greeted with the sight of four perfect white sand beaches, one after the other, with the temple ruin sitting just beyond the last sweep of sand. I was in awe. How had I never been here before, so close to the end of the village road? It was perfect. We made our way onto the sand and walked along the water’s edge, trying not to scare off the flock of oystercatchers chattering nearby.
Back up on the machair track, the mirage period of the walk began.
But it didn’t matter, not really, as the journey there was so enjoyable. Sheep and their lambs ambled alongside us, unfazed by our presence. What looked like rushes grew in clumps alongside a stream, and we were intrigued to see a well-built stone wall by the hill’s base, this far from the village. The views just got better and better, beaches and sea and sky combined, the spectre of the Isle of Berneray looming on the horizon, so clear on a day like this it felt like I could reach out and touch it.
When we finally reached the headland that Northton Temple sits on, we stopped to read the information sign built into the ground. Or rather, we tried to, as the lambs relaxing in its shade had absolutely no intention of leaving. I learnt that although the temple ruin in front of us was likely from the 15th or 16th century, the headland had been the site of a broch, an Iron Age fort, over 2000 years ago. We discovered the reason for the unusual stone wall too: it had been built as part of Northton Farm here in the 18th century, which replaced a village cleared during the Highland Clearances.
While it was fascinating to see a medieval ruin, and think of the people who would have made their way out here to worship along the same route hundreds and even thousands of years ago, what really got me was the view. It’s a cliché, yes, but the view back along the south coast of Harris took my breath away – so much so that I just stood there quietly for a moment, soaking it all in.
My Dad and I took a breather, snapped a few selfies, then began the walk back to Northton.
We followed the track the whole way – no sign of the bull this time! – and returned to the car. In comparison to where we’d just come from, the one-street village felt busy: there were a handful of tourists on Northton Beach, and cars stopping at the honesty box nearby, but no-one else was venturing past the gate into the open machair.
I looked behind me once more, and a bit like those mirages in the desert, the temple and beaches had vanished, hidden as they have been for centuries behind the dunes.
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NEED TO KNOW
How do I get to the Northton Temple walk? The walk to Northton Temple begins at the edge of the village of Northton, in the south of Harris. There is very limited parking here, with just enough space for a few cars at Northton Beach (please don’t park in driveways!), so be prepared to possibly park further away and walk towards the start of the trail.
How long does it take to walk to Northton Temple? We were told it would take 30 minutes to get there, but in reality, it took us almost an hour each way. (Although that timeframe also accounts for me stopping frequently to admire the views and take many, many photos!) I had also read online that the walk is suitable for all ages, but while the machair track is relatively flat overall, it is a bumpy track with lots of dips and rabbit holes. If you’re not steady on your feet, it would definitely be more difficult, and easy to trip or sprain an ankle. Because the coastal walk is very exposed, I’d also save it for a day when the weather is good.
What should I bring with me? We were dressed in regular clothes – jeans and trainers – and had a bottle of water in my bag. What I’d do next time is take a picnic and enjoy it at the temple (making sure to bring all rubbish back with me, of course), and because someone on social media told me they go for a swim at each beach on the walk, I’d also bring a swimming costume and some towels, too!
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Have you ever done the Northton Temple walk, or would you like to? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!
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If you enjoyed this, you might like:
A Coastal Walk to Macleod’s Stone, Isle of Harris
A Summer Walk to the North Harris Eagle Observatory
14 Useful Things to Know Before Visiting the Outer Hebrides
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It’s many years since I visited The Temple and now I’m in my 80s I probably will not attempt the visit again.