Outer Hebrides Hopscotch

Your first Hebridean destination is the Isle of Barra in the south; your ferry departs from the port of Oban on the west coast. Look out for whales and dolphins as you cross the Sea of the Hebrides.

Your Accommodation on Barra

A short drive from the arrival port in Castlebay brings you to your first accommodation, where a traditional island welcome awaits. Here you’ll begin to discover the stories of Barra, including the part the island played in the classic 1948 film Whisky Galore. Your comfortable home-from-home is a great spot to begin your Hebridean odyssey.

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, 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.

Leaving the little island of Barra via the ferry to Eriskay, you will then travel along the spectacular waterside roads of Uist to your next destination in the north.

Your Accommodation on North Uist

In an ideal position near the southern tip of North Uist, a few short steps from the unspoilt machair and sandy beach of Carinish, your family run hotel here is a pretty little island haven.

Recently refurbished throughout, splashes of bold colour sitting comfortably alongside the sturdy original masonry in the sun lounge and bar. From the kitchen to the dining room table, a menu of the very best local produce, including shellfish from the Minch is served in homemade style. En-suite rooms feature views of the ruined 13th century temple to the west or the moorland and distant hills to the east.

The islands of Eriskay, South Uist, Benbecula, Grimsay, North Uist and Berneray are all inter-connected by causeways, making it easy to explore them all. Do take heed of the signs and watch out for otters crossing!

There are abundant local walks whether on wide-open empty beaches, along the machair or in the heather-clad hills. Just take a range of clothing and a few supplies, as facilities can be few and far between in this remote corner of Scotland, and the weather changes rapidly. Woodland is sparse here. In fact there are very few trees at all. Look out instead for the furrows and little heaps of peat, still cut by hand for winter warmth.

You’ll see ruined and restored cottages and blackhouses across the islands; evidence of a larger population before the Highland Clearances and emigration in the nineteenth century. Take a drive around the northern loop on North Uist, and you will come across the Georgian folly of Scolpaig Tower, plus one of the smartest and most photogenic of blackhouses, huddling under its thatched roof, against a backdrop of shimmering sand.

Birdwatchers will not want to miss the RSPB Balranald Nature Reserve on the West coast of North Uist. It is home to thousands of coastal waders and divers, an ideal place to hear the distinctive call of the elusive corncrake as well as being lovely place for a stroll.

Your last destination on the Outer Hebrides is found near the main island village of Tarbert on Harris.

Your Accommodation on Harris

This modern four star guest house exudes a warm, traditional Hebridean welcome and offers a quiet retreat from which to appreciate the beauty of the surrounding area where reed-edged lochans and undulating hills drift into the distance. Yet it’s just a few minutes’ drive or a 20 minute walk into the main settlement of Tarbert.

With its magnificent scenery and spectacular beaches, Harris offers unrivalled opportunities for hillwalkers, anglers, divers, birdwatchers and wildlife lovers. And don’t miss Rodel’s exquisite 15th century church of St Clement’s, with its wonderful medieval tombs and wood carvings. The prehistoric sites of Lewis, including Callanish standing stones, are perfectly feasible for a day trip.