North Uist, Scotland

...be a stepping stone between North and South Uist.
So he spent most of his holidays there.
After we had our first child he wanted to take us both up and let the family see his son.
I must admit i did start thinking i should of met someone from a more exotic location!
I started to imagine spending a week in the middle of no-where and in the pouring rain bored out of my tiny mind.
But i agreed to go and stocked up ...
...before they could go to north or south uist.
Also a lot of the roads have single track and passing places.The road signs also have dual language. Gaelic & English. To be honest i'm glad i wasn't driving.
The drive was beautiful, the sun was shinning and the water in the Lochs was a deep blue. The first thing i noticed was there were no trees, a lot of bushes,heather and hills but no trees!
And the breeze, there is always a breeze ... more

It may not be the most glamorous holiday destination but i love it and here's why.

MY FIRST TIME
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The other half is Scottish. He grew up in Glasgow but his mum was from Benbecula .Which appears on the map to be a stepping stone between North and South Uist.
So he spent most of his holidays there.
After we had our first child he wanted to take us both up and let the family see his son.
I must admit i did start thinking i should of met someone from a more exotic location!
I started to imagine spending a week in the middle of no-where and in the pouring rain bored out of my tiny mind.
But i agreed to go and stocked up on books to read.

THE JOURNEY
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We decided to drive up and with a small baby we thought it would be best to do this through the night and stop when he got tired.
So we set off from Kent.
Sorry can't tell you much about the first part of the journey as i slept through most of it.
So eventually we got to Glasgow and stayed over with family so he could get some sleep and then the next day we started off again.

The first thing i noticed was that Scotland is very green even driving through the towns. And seeing as i was brought up in a concrete jungle this was quite strange to me.

The first main stop we got to was Loch Lomand, which is absolutely gorgeous.
There are a lot of B&B's which all charge different prices. There is also a camp if you prefer roughing it (he keeps threatening me with this).

Then on to Fort William & Ben Nevis the drive to here is spectacular. The waterfalls and mountains are out of this world. If we stopped at all the places i wanted to we would never have got there.
Just pass Ben Nevis is Spearn Bridge which was an old mill turned into a tourist shop and restaurant. A good place to stop for a meal. The food is great, especially the soup.
There is also the commando memorial, which is worth paying a visit.

Then on to Skye.
Before the skye bridge was built you could only get across to skye by ferry and these were quite small so you could be queuing for ages but then they built the bridge. There was a lot of controversy about the bridge as it became the most expensive toll bridge in the country and even the locals had to pay.
The first time we went over the bridge there was a big demonstration against the charge. On the 21/12/04 the charges were lifted.And now you can drive across free of charge.

We then drove on to the ferry terminal at Uig.
You can stay over night if you want to break the journey ,there are a few B&Bs and also the small hotel The ferry Inn, which is nice and cosy and also has a nice restaurant and a good fry up in the morning! it is also a pub which suits the other half.
The western isles know Uig as the stepping-stone you can get the ferry here to most of the islands.
They used to run steamboats across but were replaced by car ferries in 1968.
Caledonian Mcbride run the ferries and they usually run 2 per day in the summer season and 1 a day during the winter. If the weather is bad then the ferries are off.
The prices also vary, in the summer months you can pay between £150-£180 and lower in the winter months. You can also get a island hopper ticket, which means you can visit a few of the islands. You can book this on line www.calmac.co.uk . This is for a car and 4 people. We got the ferry to Lochmaddy.
When you arrive at the terminal you can park in the queue, show your tickets to the steward and go off for a look around.
If you want to you can visit the uig pottery store that makes all their own pottery on site and then the other halfs favourite the skye brewery!
Just make sure you are back in time to board otherwise you will end up like me.
I had taken the baby into the toilet to change a nice smelly nappy when the otherhalf burst in said something about moving the car and ran out again. When i got out all the cars had gone onto the ferry and i had to run down the long pier with baby and his bag. I just made it onto the ferry and the other half pretended not to know me!!
The ferry is ok, it has a restaurant which is a bit expensive, a small childs play room and of course a bar!
The journey takes under 2 hours in good conditions.

COMING HOME
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It hit me so fast when we got off the ferry ,i was home. It was the weirdest feeling i suddenly felt very calm and peaceful.

We drove from Lochmaddy down to Benbecula.
You have to drive over the causeway, which is a long road over the sea. Before this was built the locals had to wait for the tides to go out before they could go to north or south uist.
Also a lot of the roads have single track and passing places.The road signs also have dual language. Gaelic & English. To be honest i'm glad i wasn't driving.
The drive was beautiful, the sun was shinning and the water in the Lochs was a deep blue. The first thing i noticed was there were no trees, a lot of bushes,heather and hills but no trees!
And the breeze, there is always a breeze or if you are unlucky strong wind. But on the plus side it does keep the midges away!

There is a lot of places to stay on the island including B & Bs, The dark island hotel and a camp site.
We are lucky, the other halfs family have 2 houses and a farm and we stay in a self-catering house called gramsdale Inn that is owned by relatives.
The house has 3 bedrooms and sleeps 7 people. It has a large kitchen with all mod cons, dinning room, lounge & bathroom. They charge about £250 per week. Pending on the season.
It also has a large garden that the kids love. It backs on to a field and then the ford.

THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO SEE
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If you like a lot of excitment then this is not the place for you. If you like relaxing and fishing then you will love it here.

The ford is good for fishing, cockling & mucking about in rock pools. You do have to be careful of the tides as they can be a bit decieving and come in behind you. We spend hours down here as the boys love it.

The beaches are out of this world. Sandy white beaches and clear blue sea. The best beach is at culla bay, if you are lucky you will spy the seals playing. This is my mum-in-laws favourite, she spent hours here as a kid. over the years i have noticed the beach has got busier , instead of 10 people there might be 20! much to her disgust (she still thinks of it as her's). The only beach i wouldn't advise is stinky corner. Well the name explains the reason!

Fishing is also good here and we have caught a good few trout. Even i have caught a couple, but then they all take the mick because i won't touch it.

You can also walk for miles or if you are mad climb the hills.
If you are walking you must be careful as a lot of the island is built on peat and you do get peat bogs which are hidden by the heather. so wear your wellies.
You also need to take a torch if you are night walking as there is no streetlights in most places and it is very dark.

There is also horse riding, a small golf course and a small leisure centre with a nice swimming pool. This is situated in the school. It is quite a large school because it is the main school for the highlands. A lot of children spend the week with other families and go back home at the weekends.You can also find the library here which has internet accsess.

There is also is a airport on Benbecula and you can fly here from Glasgow. There is only 1 airline which is BA and the prices can vary anything from £120-£250. This usually depends on the time of year and when you book.
To be honest i have never flown up. The planes are quite small.
the planes also deliver the newspapers and they even get them on a sunday now too!!

If you go to north Uist there is a Museum and arts centre that also has a family run cafe.There is also a RSPB reserve for all the birdwatchers. And also has it's own Stonehenge!

South Uist has a golf club and also a museum and numerous beaches and ruins.
You can also go to Barra, which has a fantastic airport. the planes actually land on the beach. So no sunbathing there then!

SHOPPING
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There isn't many places to clothes shop on the island. Most people use mail order.
Food shopping is quite good. There is a Co-op and a few other supermarkets
(sorry no tesco's) There is also a fantastic jewellery shop called Hebridean jewellery that makes a lot of the stock on the premises. It also has a nice little coffee shop and sells my sons favourite sweet called tablet. It is like fudge but a lot sweeter.

Just down the road from the house we stay in is the islands bakery which delivers to most of the shops on the island.
It also has a small shop and sells some of the best cakes and pies i have ever tasted. Especially the millionaire shortbread, toffee cakes, empire biscuits,and scotch pies. The best thing is i can walk there which means i burn all those calories off!! (i wish)

NIGHTLIFE
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There are a few pubs and restaurants; the best one is the dark island. You can eat in the restaurant or in the lounge bar there is also a back bar that has a pool table. They also have some live music and discos.
The low flyer is near the airport and you can also get take away here.
There are also 3 or 4 others that i have fallen out off!

GETTING AROUND THE ISLAND
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The best way to get around is by car. You can't really get lost as you just drive round the island (I still need a map!)
There are buses and you can get the timetables from the tourist information.
You can also hire bikes or walk.

THE LOCALS
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Very friendly, will always stop to help with directions.
Gaelic is the most spoken in the islands. My kids have picked up a bit, none of it repeatable!! They do also speak English.

VALUE FOR MONEY
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This can be expensive, taking into account petrol, ferry prices and food but if you plan in advance you can do it cheaper.

THE WORST BITS
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Apart from the end of the holiday, the weather can play a big factor in how much you can do. we have been lucky, we usually go in August and only get a bit of rain. So we take plenty of games for the kids. Sometimes they are glad for a wet day so they can actually play them.

The other one is THE MIDGES, or the smidges as my little one calls them!
If the breeze drops and it is warm they will be out. I am lucky i don't suffer too much but my older boy gets eaten alive. we have tried numerous lotions and potions but now he just runs around with a midgey hat on!!

THE BEST BITS
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Where do i start. I know this would not be a lot of peoples idea of a good holiday but it's the perfect way to relax.
I love all of it but my favourite is the nights, when the sky is clear the sunsets are spectacular and the sky seems to be closer, the stars are so bright Due to lack of light pollution So i sit out there with my glass of wine and actually feel relaxed.

I have been to a few places abroad but this is my favourite place. It's not as backward as most people think. You even get mobile phone reception! (if you point your phone in the right place!) and they even have electricity!
And on these cold winter nights I can remember sitting in the heather with a glass or two and watching the sunset. 

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