AS dawn broke, the glories of the Hebridean sea loch stretched out before us - like a long finger of the Atlantic Ocean, dark, brooding, wild, yet intensely beautiful.

All around, the sights and sounds of nature were beginning to stir. Ducks, gulls, gannets and other seabirds were out early as though, in this remote part of the world, their survival depended on it.

Seals were visible in the waters of Loch Erisort while, many miles to the south-west, the majestic peaks of the Eishken Hills rose on the skyline.

A family of hen harriers treated us to an early morning aerial performance; curious stonechats visited our front door; black rabbits seemed to be running across every farmer's field.

And a few miles down the road, near the village of Balallan, a sea eagle came into view and we watched spellbound as this massive, magnificent creature soared over the loch and out of sight.

The "hoolie" that had blasted Lewis and Harris for two days had subsided and a relative calm had returned to this far-flung island, the largest in Scotland and the most north-westerly of the Outer Hebrides.

Although it is only a two-hour ferry ride from the mainland - or a 40-minute flight - there is something distinctly remote about this place, a certain edge-of-the-world existence.

It can be sobering to stand on one of the beautiful beaches on the west coast of Lewis, look out to sea and realise that the next landfall is Canada, more than 3000 miles away.

Lewis and Harris are often referred to as separate islands and a Lewis person would never claim to be from Harris or vice versa. The two "islands" are in fact one large island separated by a land border. Until 1974 they were administered by two different local authorities.

Geographically they could hardly appear more different. Harris is steep and mountainous, with hillsides that often look like moonscapes. Lewis, on the other hand, is flat, dominated by farmland and contains the only town of any size, Stornoway.

One feature they share is beaches - stunning, sandy beaches that might seem more at home in the Caribbean or Mediterranean than the wild and windswept Outer Hebrides.

At Uig Beach, on the west coast of Lewis, stand replicas of the most famous secret the island ever yielded. The Lewis Chessmen, an ornate chess set made from walrus ivory in the 12th century, was found in a sandbank on the beach in 1831.

The pieces are thought to have been made in Trondheim, Norway, and most are now exhibited in the British Museum. The family of the man who made the discovery was evicted a few years later when the area was cleared for farmland.

All over the island there are reminders of how a once-thriving population was eroded. Ruined cottages, the remains of old crofting and farming villages, are dotted everywhere.

Some traditions remain. The Harris Tweed industry is enjoying a renaissance and still employs several hundred people. Confusingly most of the Harris Tweed weavers are concentrated on Lewis.

The Stornoway fishing fleet is far smaller nowadays than in its heyday and fish farming has become an increasingly important part of the economy.

The boom industry on Lewis and Harris, as in much of Scotland, is now tourism and there is plenty to attract people here.

Anyone with a love of the great outdoors, who wants a "get away from it all" break, will find this place ideal. The hills of Harris are a mecca for climbers. The highest peak, An Cliseam, is designated a Corbett - a mountain between 2500 and 3000ft.

Hillwalking, bird watching, and activities as diverse as beachcombing, surfing, sailing, salmon and sea trout fishing and cycling on quiet single-track roads are all growing in popularity.

For nature lovers there is animal and bird life on these islands that does not exist on the mainland. Sea birds like gannets, kittiwakes, fulmars and, in the summer, puffins and guillemots, are easily spotted. Offshore, those with a keen eye can spot Manx shearwater, black-throated divers and several species of marine ducks.

But the area round Loch Erisort offers some of the most spectacular views of the wildlife that Scotland prizes. Majestic sea eagles and golden eagles are seen regularly as are red deer, otters and the occasional school of dolphins.

No trip to Lewis and Harris is complete without a visit to the site known as Scotland's Stonehenge, the Standing Stones of Callanish. Unlike the stone circles found on Orkney and elsewhere, these stones were built in a cruciform pattern, with a tomb in the centre and five rows of stones connected to the middle.

The reason for their existence is, for the most part, guesswork but it is estimated that they date to 2900BC. To stand and look at them, in a biting wind, raises the questions: "Who did this and why?"

Romance and luxury might not spring to mind when you visit these rugged islands but the accommodation that greeted us was unforgettable.

Eagle Bay Cottages, in the village of Keose, 20 minutes south of Stornoway, were built using stones from the old 19th-century blackhouses. They are perched on a cliff top overlooking Loch Erisort and blend so subtly into the environment that there is a certain James Bond quality to them.

Everything about our cottage screamed luxury, from the turf roof to the underfloor heating, stone floors, observation window complete with telescope, sauna, bathtub for two, and private terrace carved into the rock face.

It actually took the breath away. It was like walking into a magazine for beautiful homes, down to the touches such as complimentary champagne, fresh local produce including salmon and a selection of home baking, DVDs and books for every taste, television recessed into the feature stone wall, log fire.

And to cap it all, views to die for. Lewis and Harris is an island full of surprises. Eagle Bay Cottages are among them.

Iain Lundy stayed at Eagle Bay Cottages, Keose, Lewis

For information contact stay@eaglebaycottages.co.uk or telephone 01851 830489.

FIVE THINGS TO DO ON LEWIS AND HARRIS

Hebrides Fish'n'Trips: Skipper Lewis Mackenzie runs private fishing charters on Loch Erisort from the pier at Keose. Explore the many sea lochs on the east side of Lewis or visit the nearby Shiant Islands. Anything you catch on a sea angling trip you can take home and cook. www.hebridesfishntrips.co.uk

The Callanish Standing Stones: Only a 20-minute drive from Eagle Bay Cottages, these spectacular stones dating from the Bronze Age are a must-see attraction for anyone visiting the island. A compact visitor centre explains the history. There is no charge for visiting.

Gearrannan Blackhouse Village: On the west coast of Lewis, it is a fascinating reminder of a way of life that has long disappeared. Some of the houses are available for let, others form part of a museum and tearoom. www.gearrannan.com

Beaches: Luskentyre Beach on Harris is rated one of the top 10 beaches in the world. There are many more on the island including Uig Beach where the Lewis Chessmen were found.

Harris Tweed: There are a number of working Harris Tweed mills dotted round the island. Norman Mackenzie weaves tweed in a traditional manner in a shed on his property at Carloway and is happy to explain the process.