Scotland’s Paradise Islands
Does standing on the very edge of Europe in a remote and peaceful place with spectacular powder white beaches lapped by the Atlantic waves, un-spoilt moorland and rugged mountains, majestic wildlife, wonderful walks, authentic island culture, a vibrant traditional Gaelic music scene and some great eating places (oftentimes the freshest seafood from the shore on the menu) sound good to you? We know just the place.
Each island in the Outer Hebrides (‘The Western Isles’) is a little different. On a tour we can visit them all or can hand-pick the ones that appeal to you the most.
Here’s our quick summary (from north to south):
Lewis is awash with archaeological treasures, including the astonishing Standing Stones of Callanish, the Pictish Carloway Broch and Blackhouse Villages. Six of the iconic Lewis Chessmen can be seen in a museum. You’ll find food artisans whose local specialities allow you to connect with nature and find sustainably produced delicacies including Stornoway Black Pudding.
In Harris the community Gin (local sugar-kelp infused) and Whisky Distillery is at the heart of Harris along with galleries and crofts making and selling traditional artisan crafts, including the world-famous Harris Tweed. A game of golf is possible or a walk on some of truly spectacular west Harris beaches including Luskentyre, often voted the best beach in Britain. We can arrange extra special boat trips from Harris with a local skipper.
A one-hour ferry ride connects from the south of Harris to the Isle of Berneray. Road causeways connect Berneray to North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay, 6 islands known collectively known as ‘Uist’.
Berneray with stunning beaches including No. 3 in Lonely Planet’s Top 20 Best beaches in Europe in 2021. (The Thai Tourist Board actually mistakenly used an image of the West Beach to promote Kai Bae Beach in 2009. We forgave them. After all, turquoise sea and three miles of white sand made up of broken shells – it was an easy mistake to make.
North Uist is a place where traditional crofting is still very much alive. A day on a croft offers a special retreat, learning about crofting life and heritage versus larger scale farming practises. Highland Cows and other livestock all play their role in the management of this unique landscape, feeding on machair – a unique, rare grass-land habitat found on the western shores.
An off-the-beaten track island adventure can be arranged to take you to the hidden gems of the islands including witnessing the wildlife in their natural habitats, from red deer to sea eagles, wader birds and otters. We can even visit some of the Bronze Age sites and take you back in time through the power of augmented reality.
Benbecula home of the Borve Castle ruin and where beautiful west coast beaches sit by low-lying machair – one of the rarest habitats in Europe. From May it’s starts to burst into beautiful wildflower being particularly spectacular from late June to mid-August. A meet the maker visit to a local craft Gin distillery provides you a lovely island initiative you could perhaps try at home! Could you harvest local botanicals in exchange for gin?! You’ll gain an early insight on the future plans to produce an ancient heritage barley Scotch Whisky.
South Uist is where golfers can play a round at Askernish’s ‘lost golf course’ created by ‘Old’ Tom Morris. Nature and plant lovers can explore the vast Loch Druidibeg Nature Reserve where a colony of Greylag geese and hundreds of different plant species can be discovered. Brown trout fishing in South Uist is considered to be some of the best in the world due to the machair lochs. Leave it to us to organise a ghillie and boat permit so you can head out onto the water and have the best chance of catching some fish with the expert local knowledge of the ghillie. From South Uist we can also jump onto the Isle of Eriskay and follow in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Barra is the only place in the world where scheduled flights land on a beach, with schedules dictated by the tides. The beautiful white sand beach of Traigh Mhor offers the perfect landing. Sitting at the Southern end of the island chain of the Outer Hebrides, Barra, Vatersay and Mingulay offers something for everyone including the more adventurous with watersports including surfing, kayaking and snorkelling with seals or cycling options.
If it’s the islanders’ social and cultural history that really sparks your interest a visit to the local heritage centre reveals the changing lifestyles over the years including maritime, crofting and language developments. The medieval Kisimul Castle, the ‘Castle in the Sea’ sits on a rock bay islet and can be reached on a five-minute boat trip.
Situated north-west of the Uists, this archipelago is one of the most remote parts of the British Isles. The toughness of life here has meant inhabitants abandoned their homes forever in 1930. As the UK’s only UNESCO Dual World Heritage Site and National Nature Reserve it is however one of the most special places on earth and home to northwest Europe’s largest seabird colony.
Here lives the UK’s largest colony of Atlantic puffin and northern Fulmar. It is also one of the World’s largest Gannetaries. After arriving by boat visit the St Kilda museum, school and Church which provide a fascinating insight into the way of life of St Kildans prior to their evacuation.