Barra –Eriskay – South Uist – North Uist – Lewis and Harris

The Outer Hebrides are located to the North West of Scotland and are generally accessed by ferry but there are also limited small commercial flights. Bear in mind that it never gets that warm here, (unless there’s a heat wave!) is likely to be raining most days even if it is just a bit of drizzle for a while and there is usually a wind coming off the Atlantic. We went in June which is one of the driest months, but that’s all relative.

Travelling

The first thing I would say is to consider what it is you are looking to get out of visiting the Isles as it will affect what type of transportation you want to use. We decided to do this as a Motorhome trip to give us the flexibility to do what we want.

Motorhome – whilst this gave us plenty of space to live in and carry all the equipment and clothes we might need for activities, it brought its own problems as it is 7 metres long. If you are travelling through all the islands you will need to use two ferries connecting between the isles. These are not that big so if you have a sizable vehicle there are limited spaces where they can put you, and there are quite a few trucks going back and forth so they get booked up. Apart from Lewis, 99% of the roads are single track with passing places so you do need to keep a look out and check if the space is big enough (one or two were a bit neat). Also, roads leading down to the beach tend to fizzle out to not much more than a dirt track and there can be limited or no real parking at the end. Parking in general is limited around the isles and what there is, is designed for cars not vans. Having said all that, we did see people with larger motorhomes and caravans on the campsites, but maybe they were looking for different experiences from us.

Campervan – There were VWs and panel van conversions everywhere. They certainly will allow you access to everywhere, can be parked in car sized spaces and easier (and cheaper) to get on the ferries. The compromise is the space you have and most of the smaller vans had the minimum of a tarpaulin roof attached to the side of the van with a windbreak, up to the tents that have a connecting attachment onto the van. Bearing in mind the average temperature high in June was 14C, sitting outside to eat etc might not be the best experience.

Car – Again lots of flexibility and cheaper to get around, but you will need to get some accommodation. There were some hotels, B & Bs and glamping pods, but I could see these will fill up in peak season so will need to be booked ahead. The important thing to bear in mind is that restaurants are limited and tend to be open more in the day than at night.

You can of course go with a tent, and we saw quite a few cars with tent boxes. With the rain and wind im not sure this is the best option, but maybe im just getting soft in my old age.

Cycle – yes, it’s a thing! You can do the Hebridean Way from the bottom of the Isles to the top with your tent on the back, or if you are really keen you can walk it as well.

Plane – Logan air operates out of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness and flies into Barra, Benbecula and Stornoway. Do consider your onward journeys as there may not be taxis or buses as readily available as at larger airports.

Ferry Routes

Ferries are operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac). Prices vary depending on the length of your vehicle. If you have a bike rack on the back it adds another metre onto your length.

Oban to Castlebay (Barra) – 5 hours 35 minutes

Mallaig to Lochboisdale (South Uist)- 3hours 30 minutes

Uig (Skye) to Lochmaddy (Harris) – 1 hour 45 minutes

Uig (Skye) to Tarbert (Harris) – 1 hour 40 mins

Ullapool to Stornoway (Lewis) – 2hrs 45 mins

Ardmhor (Barra) to Eriskay (for South Uist) – 40 minutes

Bernaray (North Uist) to Leverburgh (Harris) – 1 hour

As we were driving up from the south side of London, we chose to take the ferry out of Oban rather than go all the way to Ullapool. We also thought it better to get the 5h 30 ferry journey over first. The Hebridean Way officially starts at Vatersay just to the south of Barra and heads north, but a lot of guide books start from Lewis and Harris and go south so there is no real correct way to do it, just work out what suits you. Also, you don’t have to do it all in one trip. We spoke to several people who had previously only done some of the Isles and were coming back for the rest, it depends on how much time you have to spare.

Barra

This is quite small and basically has one ring road round the island with a spur off towards the airport and northern beaches. The road is approx. 16 miles in total so great for cycling round. We had taken our bikes (me on the electric) and had a lovely day going round. The roads had recently been re-laid so were a bit gravelly so not good for the other halfs road bike. The slight issue with single track is you are pulling in a lot to give way to the cars and you do need to keep your ears on for cars coming up behind you. Everyone is pretty considerate but it does mean you need to get on and off the bike a lot stopping momentum – not so great on the uphills.

We took the spur road up to the airport as this is the only commercial airport where the beach is the airstrip.  A quick google will get you the times of the flights as of course it is dependent on the tide. They manage to squeeze 3 flights in and out each day. The café at the airport was serving some lovely food on top of also having some fresh bread, vegetables and general tourist trinkets. The one thing we noticed is that cafes like this are something of a destination in themselves as there are limited amenities in the isles. The airport departure/arrival gate is the smallest Ive ever seen, but then the plane (an Otter twin propeller) only holds 13 passengers. There is a good-sized car park alongside so quite a few people turn up to watch the landing and take offs.

Having cycled over to the other side of the Island we stopped for a look round Castlebay. So named as Kisimul Castle, built by the McNeil’s, is situated out on a rock in the bay. It is under restoration at the moment so unfortunately, we couldn’t go and visit it. We did stop at the Café Kisimul for lunch though. This is an Indian restaurant, but at lunchtime it had gone for wrap options with Indian style fillings and an Indian version of coleslaw and crisps on the side. Different but delicious. There is also a bank and post office (with a tea room) and a co-op supermarket which was a good size for the Islands. There is a heritage and cultural centre and the Buth Bharraigh community shop. There is also the Castlebay Hotel which will offer meals to non-residents. There are not a lot of shops on the islands so it’s good to pick up some supplies where you can, and have 2 -3 days’ worth of food in the Van.

We had chosen to stay at the Bovre Campsite, right on the edge of the coast line on the West side. There are 7 sites in total on Barra. We happened to be a short walk from the Beach Hotel so popped in there for a drink. We were surprised that there were no beers on tap and wine by the glass was basically the small bottles that are 185ml, but I guess they don’t get the volume of business to make it viable to do otherwise.

Barra is a great place to do boat trips. You can do kayaking and paddle boarding or boat trips around the island, or take longer trips to Mingulay or St Kilda. We took the trip to Mingulay as we had missed out on the Puffins when we visited Mull as it was too late in the season. We chose to go with Hebridean Sea tours. This is around a 6-hour day trip, the boat is not the biggest but it does have a toilet (there is nothing on the island) and they did make us tea/coffee when we got back on the boat. Do remember to bring a packed lunch and think about the weather in terms of clothing, there is nowhere to shelter if it rains so have waterproofs and sturdy shoes. Most importantly bring your camera and binoculars. You will have to land against the rocks and climb up a bit but they are naturally stepped so not too hard and the team will assist you. It is worth the effort as there were so many Puffins flying around and standing on the cliff top. There were also loads of seals as we approached the bay. There are some National Trust Staff living on the Island and they were able to advise on some other birds nesting on the Island and we were able to spot some Golden Eagles soaring overhead. Mingulay is no longer inhabited but there are the ruins of the buildings to look at and some information at the school house on how they used to live.

Eriskay

The ferry departs from Adhmor where there is also a café of repute. We were on an early ferry so had ‘breakfast’ there. I went for a coffee with a Dubai chocolate brownie. After chatting to the lady, she explained that she basically tries to make her own version of whatever is the latest trend, last year it was all about the Biscoff. It certainly tasted delicious and with the view across to Eriskay I could see why it would be worth calling in here. On arriving at Eriskay it would be easy to just drive through on the short stretch of road and cross the causeway into South Uist without stopping. Given how heavily it was raining on the day we crossed it was very tempting but we did our best to see what we could. No sooner have you crossed than the beach on your left is where Bonnie Prince Charlie is supposed to have landed (minus any army or money). We also made a point of stopping at the Eriskay community shop. This is basically the only shop on the island so has a bit of everything, the usual groceries, plus hardware items and touristy sweatshirts. There are some wild ponies running about but we didn’t see any on our travels.

We had decided we would go to Am Politician restaurant for lunch. So named after the SS Politician that ran aground here with a load of Whisky on board and was the inspiration for the Whisky Galore films. They have one of the old bottles on show behind the bar and a good range of whiskies on offer.

As we were early, we went for a walk on the nearby beach which is supposed to be beautiful, but in the pouring rain it didn’t have quite the same appeal so we hid in the Van until it was opening time. We sat in the back in the conservatory area which had a lovely outlook. I went for the steak pie which rather large but delicious. Although the Island is small there are 3 campsites if you would like to spend time here.

South Uist

Out of the 2 campsites on South Uist, we chose to stay at the Kilbride Campsite which is near the causeway from Eriskay. This is located across the road from the beach with lovely views.  The walking route for the Hebridean Way follows this coastline for a large part of the island so with the aid of the Uist Unearthed app (and some sun!) we followed the route up to the ruins of the roundhouses at Cladh Hallan. The app will help you reimagine how the roundhouses would have looked and how they believe they were used based on their findings. The app covered some other archaeological sites in Uist also on the route. It also includes locations of restaurants and cafes and tourist shops so worth downloading. The beaches were glorious, and not that many people around. We really noticed the birdsong – Oyster catchers, Skylarks and Lapwings were everywhere. On the return we called in for a drink at the Pollochar Inn which is on the route, only 15 minutes from the campsite. This did have beers on tap and was also serving food in the evening.

The Kilbride Café is located on the campsite. We took the opportunity to have breakfast here. I had a roll which included some Stornoway black pudding. Apparently, this has a protected status and I have to say it was a really good black pudding.

Following along the main road you will often spot some honesty boxes. These may be fresh eggs, honey, or some home baked goodies. On the road to Dailburgh at Gearraidh na Monadh there is a sign for ice cream and treats. We followed the road down and found the ice cream caravan featured on the TV show Designing the highlands. As well as ice cream, juice, coffee, bread and baked goods were being offered so we went with a Toblerone cookie and a Daim Brownie. Well, you have to support the local community, right?

There is a Coop just outside Daliburgh so we took advantage of the relatively easy access to pull in and top up. Follow the road to the right and it will lead you to Lochboisdale, one of the bigger villages on the Island. We went on a Wednesday so a few of the shops and cafes were not open. The village is mostly about the ferry so there wasn’t a lot to see but we did pop into the bakery. It was open to the kitchen which was unusual, and the ladies were busy prepping up the next batch of muffins. Further down towards the harbour there is the Hebridean coffee roasters which also has a café.

Continuing along the spine of the Island you will arrive at the Kildonan Museum. On the day we visited unfortunately it was closed due to lack of volunteers. There was also a building with a Viking longship in it but it was also closed. There is a café here and also a shop with lots of handcrafted items in it. We thought we would drive down to Kildonan Beach which was opposite and is said to be a beautiful beach, but having gone quite a long way on tarmac it petered out to a rough looking track which the other half didn’t like the look of. This is where you have to use your own discretion on whether you continue or not, Fortunately, there was room enough to turn around in and return to the main road.

Continuing on you will pass the An Carra Standing Stone. There is a small car park where you can stop and walk down to see the stone. There is no set path and it can be boggy. We personally chose to save ourselves for other stones we planned to see later on in the trip.

Continue along the road and there will be another causeway onto Benbecula.

Benbecula

You can either head straight up and continue onto North Uist, or as we did take the road round to the east side. There is just 1 campsite on this island on the south side along this road. We stopped at the North Uist distillery where they are making both Downpour Gin and Whisky. They only started in 2019 so the whisky is not ready yet. It sounds promising as they have gone back to traditional ways and are using bere barley that is grown locally. In the meantime, I had a taste of the Gin. Whilst I’m not a big Gin drinker the Sloe and Bramble Gin was rather nice so I indulged in a bottle. They are keen to be environmentally friendly, so if you are local, you can bring your bottle back for a refill at a discounted price.

Carry on and you will come to Balivanich. This is good shopping area, there are 3 supermarkets, a hardware shop, a tourist shop, a bank and a filling station. We also had lunch at the Stepping Stone. This was a lovely restaurant and we had a very enjoyable meal. I had a smoked salmon and cream cheese baguette using the local Salar smoked salmon and they were very generous with the portion. You can call in at the Island Deli and croft shop nearby and buy some for yourself.

There is also Charlies Bistro nearby for an alternative venue for food. There is also another Whisky distillery as you head towards the causeway called Benbecula Distillery. This is also not ready yet but you can book a tour.

North Uist

We chose to stop at the Moorcroft campsite which is not far along from the causeway. It was nicely set up with views back toward Benbecula.  All 4 campsites here are on the southern side of the Island. We had a walk along the Knockquien road just along from the campsite. When the tide recedes, it gives access to little islands with grass and wild flowers on. The sheep were happily grazing on these but by the time we had walked out and back the tide had come back in and completely changed the look of the area.

Just up from the campsite is the Hebridean Smokehouse. This has a window onto the smokehouse so that you can view what they are doing. Unfortunately, when we called in, they were having a big clean down so there wasn’t anything to see. We did go into the shop and buy some peat smoked salmon along with some smoked mackerel. If you like your whisky on the peaty side then you will enjoy this, for me it was a bit of an acquired taste. We also indulged in some cheeses and tablet (for the uninitiated it’s sort of like fudge only crumblier).

Take the road towards Lochmaddy and from here and you can head for the famous Clachan Sands. This is a lovely straight section with 2 lanes. Along this road you can stop to visit the Hercules the bear statue for those of us who are old enough to remember who he was. Follow the road round to the left then turn right in the direction of the ferry. A word of warning, we stopped at the first sign for Clachan Sands near the telephone box which is now an honesty box. This was not the easiest approach to the beach though we did see some lovely cottages on the way, but then there is no real path and you have to find your own way to the dune top and finally the beach. I would advise you carry on till the next turning which is also where the burial ground is – for some reason there is often a burial ground at the end of the road to the beach. It is a beautiful silver beach with turquoise waters and we enjoyed the walk.

We continued along the top of the island as we were staying at the Balranald campsite. This site is in a great location on top of a lovely beach and right next to the RSPB reserve. Even in June it was fully booked, so worth phoning ahead to check availability. We discovered that there was a tractor rally happening just up the road at the North Uist Showground at Hosta. Sometimes you can find yourself in the right place at the right time, its worth joining in if you can. Whilst it was mostly a local’s event everyone was very friendly and we got an insight into life on the island.

Just along from here you can drive up the hill to the view point for St Kilda. From the beach you can see the Haskier Islands but you need the height to see all the way to St Kilda. If you are keen there are boat trips that will take you, but its very weather dependant and it’s a long way on the Atlantic Ocean. I felt our Mingulay trip offered a similar enough experience.

The RSPB Nature reserve has a marked circular route which gives both a lovely view round the peninsular and a chance to spot some wildlife. I’m not an expert on these things but manged to spot some redshanks and ringed plovers as well as the usual oystercatchers, gulls etc.

If you are into sea birds then you might enjoy a trip with the Lady Anne Wildlife Cruises. They depart from Grimsay and take you round the more inaccessible coastline of the island.

The food stand at the campsite is open to all and is certainly popular. We tried the scallops and Stornoway black pudding roll, crab roll and hummus and avocado roll which were lovely. There is also a rather unusual building next door called the Dunes Larder which also has food available in little lockers. We used them to rescue some chocolate brownies, but you could get smoked salmon and haggis etc as well and there was a vending machine for coffee etc.

Harris

The ferry leaves from Bernary and arrives at Leverburgh in South Harris. There is a community shop just after the ferry. We got what we needed but it was a bit light on fresh fruit and veg. Tarbert is the main village in the south. No trip would be complete without a visit to the Harris Tweed shop. One shop has huge reels of fabric that you can buy by the metre and opposite a shop selling clothes and other items utilising tweed. The other half did try some jackets on but they weren’t quite long enough for him. We also went into the Harris distillery where he tried some whisky, it was nice but not quite to his taste. There are a few shops here to pick up some groceries and some cafes. We ate in the Waterside café which is quite a cute little cottage, offering the usual lunchtime light bites.

Our campsite was at Horgabost. There are limited campsites here, so we chose this one though it didn’t have a hookup. There are 3 sites on the East coast but that is a more ‘interesting’ road to drive on. There are 2 sites on the west run by the local community but the availability is limited. They also have some designated parking spots where you can stop for 1 night but its first come first served. Horgabost is a small but lovely beach. A mobile sauna had been set up on the beach that you could book and use the sea as your plunge pool, which seemed to be very popular.

There are a lot of beautiful beaches on the Isles and much debate on which is the best. One major contender is Luskintyre. We drove over to have a look for ourselves. We were able to go all the way in the Motorhome as there is a sizable car park at the end. This beach is quite different from the others, its more golden and sweeps round the corner. There is a great view across to the Isle of Taransay (the one Ben Fogle was on for a year). You are also likely to find windsurfers and kite surfers in the bay.

Close to the Horgabost campsite is the Talla na mara café. This is also run by the community. Additionally, it has some artist workshops where you can buy their items. Booking seemed to be a thing here even though it was a café doing soup, sandwiches and cakes so we had to wait for a bit for a table to come free. The food was good and the view would have been lovely if it wasn’t for the rain. From here you can walk over to the McLeod stone, which is a neolithic standing stone which was renamed in honour of the clan chief.

As you pass from South Harris into North Harris you can turn to the left and make a stop at the Bunavoneader Whaling station. You can’t get access but can take photos from the roadside. Further along the road is the Eagle Observatory and the road continues on to Huisinis beach where there is a campsite. This is quite the narrow and twisting road so not for everyone. Continuing towards Lewis you will take the Harris Mountain Road where the road becomes more dramatic and steeper, but fortunately is a two-lane section. We noticed the snow poles at the side of the road so it looks like the weather gets a bit interesting in winter. I felt for the cyclists doing the Hebridean way at this point. That being said, this is one of the most scenic parts of the Isles and so different to the rest.

Lewis

The Mountain range is the divide between Harris and Lewis. As you move into Lewis most of the roads are now two lanes. We had booked to stay at the Kneep Campsite, near Great Bernera, (one of 2 in this area) so decided to visit the Callanish standing stones on the way. We made a small diversion just past the turning towards Callanish to get some fuel and supplies at the Lochs Services. Callanish is a very popular attraction and we anticipated the parking might be difficult especially as the Visitor Centre is currently closed for redevelopment. There are several sets of standing stones so we stopped at the good-sized parking bay opposite Callanish III. From this stone circle you can see across to the main set of stones standing on the hill. On the way into the village you will pass Callanish II and the Alpaca Farm. The main set of stones are not like anything I’ve seen before. The layout is almost cathedral like in shape. There are 8 sets dotted around the area if you are interested in seeing them all.

Head off in the direction of Uig, and you will shortly be back onto single track roads. It’s worth the journey as this road was really quite picturesque. Uig has a community shop and café, and is famous for the Viking Lewis Chessmen that were found in the dunes on the beach – you can see some of these in the museum in Stornoway. We headed to the Kneep campsite on Reef beach. The road here was a bit tight in a big van and climbed quite steeply over the hill, but the site was lovely, right next to the beach. There was a food van next door which was open to till around 7pm.

From Callanish you can take the road heading up to the Butt of Lewis. On the way you can stop at Gearrannan Blackhouses. This is a small village with traditional houses that had been abandoned but have been restored to show the traditional way of life. Some of the houses are available as holiday homes. There is a reasonable sized car park so room for motorhomes and coaches. Continuing along the road you can also stop at the Norse Mill and Kiln which is near to Shawbost beach, another great beach. Further along is the Arnol Blackhouse.

There are 3 campsites along this part of the road. We had booked to stay at the Uncles Croft campsite, just along from the Port of Ness close to the Butt of Lewis. There were limited facilities here but a great site with its own honesty box with cakes and jams, and an honesty bar in the greenhouse! We were able to get out to the cliff top at the end of the croft and walk along to the lighthouse. The cliffs are very dramatic and from the lighthouse you can see across to the top end of the North West coast of mainland Scotland. This is also where the Hebridean Way finishes.

Returning back on the same road you can then cut across to Stornoway. There is one campsite at the Laxdale Holiday Park, just at the back of the town. There were buses going down into the town but we chose to walk in. We visited Lews Castle where the Museum nan Eilean is. There were many interesting artifacts including 6 of the Lewis chessmen, and some of the Whisky Galore bottles. There were also some insights to Island life and the emigration of many islanders. Whilst the main part of the castle is not open to the public you are free to walk around the grounds and of course there is a café.

Stornoway has a lovely harbour to wander around and seemed to be offering some boat trips on very fast large ribs. There are lots of independent shops here and even a Tesco. Apparently, there was quite a scandal when they wanted to open on a Sunday, needless to say they backed down due to pressure from the church. We treated ourselves to a ‘posh’ evening meal at the Boatshed set inside the Royal Hotel. We also had a lovely meal at La Balena, an Italian restaurant. There are quite a few restaurants and cafes available. There is a large ferry port here and we returned back on this crossing back into Ullapool.

Take aways from the Isles

Golden rules of going on the Calmac ferry. If its lunch or dinnertime get the Calmac n cheese, it’s a thing. If its breakfast, go for the full monty and get the black pudding, square sausage and tattie scone.

Having been to some of the other Islands before I thought I knew what to expect – wrong! This was rural with a capital R. Accept that if you want to eat out it will be easier to do this at lunchtime and aim to have supplies in for your evening meal.

Take cash, camp sites generally are not set up to take cards and have some loose change for honesty boxes.

A bit of research goes a long way. I found street view to be very useful to get an idea of layouts and anticipate any issues.

It doesn’t really matter which beach you go to; they are all stunningly beautiful.

Whether the Weather whatever the weather, you’re in the west and its likely to be wet and windy, get your waterproofs on and get out there.

Relax. Just enjoy the location, listen to the birds, enjoy the views. Whilst there are some interesting historical things to see, it mostly about the landscape so just enjoy being in it.