Fly-drive through the Western Isles

Your first Hebridean destination is the tiny island of Barra, where you will enjoy the unique experience of landing on the Cockle Strand, after a short flight from Glasgow. The flight schedule varies with the tides!

Your accommodation on Barra

After collecting your hire car at one of our favourite airports, it’s just a short drive to your accommodation which you’ll find on the way to the main settlement of Castlebay. A warm island welcome awaits, helping you settle into a more relaxed pace of life at the start of your island-hopping adventure through Scotland’s captivating Western Isles.

What to see and do on Barra

Take a walk along the sparkling white sands of Cockle Strand and spot a plane landing at low tide, an unforgettable sight. Drive or cycle up to Eoligarry and feast your eyes on the springtime profusion of primroses as you gaze across the sound to Fuday, Eriskay and South Uist in the distance. Or head south to Castlebay, the island capital, and visit Kisimul Castle; the restored ancestral home of the clan MacNeil. Stop off at the highly informative Heritage Centre, where you can enjoy coffee and refreshments, before perhaps taking a picnic across the causeway to Vatersay, with its glorious twin beaches.

Leave the little island of Barra via the ferry to Eriskay.  You will then travel along the spectacular waterside roads of Uist to find your next destination in the north.

Your Hotel on North Uist

This characterful former hunting lodge oozes historic charm within its original walls and has also been tastefully extended to open up panoramic views over the nearby loch and surrounding countryside. The restaurant is a great draw and the food is deliciously fresh and very local. In fact, you might even catch a glance of the fisherman delivering the day’s catch from the loch.

What to see and do on the Uists

North Uist offers unlimited access to the interconnected isles of Benbecula, Grimsay, South Uist and Eriskay, all of which are ideal for walking, kayaking, cruising and wildlife-watching. Birdwatchers will not want to miss the RSPB Balranald nature reserve on the west coast, home to thousands of coastal waders and divers. Meanwhile, Lochmaddy itself boasts several unusual attractions, including a camera obscura and the impressive Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre.

Your next ferry takes you east across the sea to Skye, with your hotel a welcoming small hotel on the edge of Portree, the island capital.

Your hotel on Skye

Built over 200 years ago, and still, in the hands of the same family, this hotel is peacefully set in its own wooded grounds yet within a very short distance of the centre of Portree. It feels like a country house or shooting lodge yet has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The public rooms have family pictures, Persian rugs, log fires, stags’ antlers and relics of the family’s colonial service. There is a TV lounge, but no TVs in the bedrooms, allowing you to truly get away from it all.

What to see and do on Skye

This is a perfect, central location for exploring this, the largest Hebridean island, with many contrasts of its own. In the north of the island, you’ll find historic Dunvegan Castle and the stunning Trotternish peninsula. In the south, the Sleat peninsula, known as the Garden of Skye, take time to visit Armadale Castle and Gardens, or walk to the Point of Sleat, and gaze across to the small isles of Rum and Eigg and dream of future visits! The Cuillin mountains seem to frame every view and there is a myriad of walking opportunities for all abilities.

Today you cross by ferry to Harris, with your hotel in a peaceful location in the south of the island.

Your guest house on Harris

This B&B, a newly built house in the coastal settlement of Strond, decorated to a high standard. Boasting spectacular views over the Sound of Harris looking towards Uist, Berneray and Skye, the house is located a mere five minute drive from Leverbrugh ferry terminal and pier from where the St Kilda boats depart regularly in the summer months.

What to see and do on Harris

With its magnificent scenery and spectacular beaches, Harris offers unrivalled opportunities for hillwalkers, anglers, divers, birdwatchers and wildlife lovers. Marvel at the sight of golden eagles, cormorants and buzzards swooping down over the uninhabited offshore islands. And don’t miss Rodel’s exquisite 15th-century church of St Clement’s, with its wonderful medieval tombs and wood carvings.

No ferry today as Lewis is part of the same landmass as Harris, reached by crossing a barren rocky “moonscape”. Time to explore as you travel, with your next hotel on the edge of Stornoway, the main town of these islands.

Your guesthouse on Lewis

Your accommodation in Stornoway is a newly refurbished, family-owned bungalow with just two very comfortable and cosy en-suite bedrooms. The Stornoway born-and-bred host is here to ensure your complete relaxation and satisfaction, serving authentic, locally sourced breakfasts and giving unique, local advice on anything you might need to know about the Outer Hebrides.

What to see and do on Lewis

Lewis is positively bursting with archaeological treasures, notably the eerie Standing Stones of Callanish, the Pictish Carloway Broch and several blackhouse villages. The bustling town of Stornoway boasts a vibrant social scene, where traditional music and crafts thrive in lively pubs, clubs, markets and shops. Combined with its incomparable scenery, the Isle of Lewis offers plenty of activities for those interested in history, wildlife, walking and much more.

Return your hire car in Stornoway and catch your return flight to Glasgow, with other options to Edinburgh, for onward connections.