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Member since:30.04.2003
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Last month we spent just over 2 weeks on the Isle of Skye and whilst we were there we took the opportunity to spend 2 days on the island of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The experience was truly wonderful and now I want to share it!
Getting there and around. ********************* North Uist with Benbecula, south Uist and Barra forms the southern chain of the western Isles. A causeway links all the islands with the exception of Barra. The tiny island of Berneray to the north is now linked to north Uist via a causeway
There are 1-2 flights daily from Glasgow to either Benbecula or Barra operated by British Airways.Barra has the only airport in the world where scheduled flights land on the beach! The flight to either location takes about an hour and at present an adult fare will cost about £130 including tax. It is possible to hire a car at either location.
Caledonian McBrayne (calmac) is the only ferry operator sailing to North Uist. Ferries leave from Uig on the Isle of Skye to Lochmaddy on North Uist .The fare is not cheap at £64 for a car and £13.95 for each adult. Children from 5-15 pay half fare and under 5’s are free. There are concessions for those who have a disability. Prices go up when the
summer timetable starts on 24th of March. There are 1 –2 sailings a day and the crossing takes just under 2 hours. Book by phoning calmac on 01876-500337 or visit their website.
I really enjoyed the ferry crossing and our 2 children aged 2 and 7 loved the little soft play area provided. The staff both at the terminal in Uig and on board were very friendly and helpful. There is a good restaurant serving both hot and cold snacks and meals on board. We were lucky and the sea was calm but there are often storms here!
Transport links ************* Buses on North Uist are few and far between. There are several post buses available and the tourist information office at the port of Lochmaddy will be able to give you details.
We took our car across on the ferry, but car hire is available from the airport, tel 01870-602818 for details and prices. Alternatively you could hire a car in Glasgow and take the ferry from Uig.
Bike hire is available from Morrisons cycle hire (01876-580211) They will deliver your bikes to Lochmaddy too.
What is the island like? ******************** North Uist is only 17 miles long and 13 miles across. Freshwater lochs make up 1/3 of the landmass. It has a population of just 1,800. The island is mainly flat and the thing that first struck me was the lack of trees. The east of the Island is boggy and stark with lots of lochs. The north and west of the island has some of the most beautiful white sand beaches that I have ever seen backed by rolling hills and from the north, fantastic views to the mountains of Harris beyond. The highlights ************ We only had 2 full days to explore the Island which was no where near enough time to experience all this Island has to offer .The ferry from Skye arrives just before noon and so the first thing we did was seek out a beach to eat our picnic! We took the road from Lochmaddy to Clachan sands, just follow the road towards the ferry for Harris and follow the road past the graveyard. The beach is backed by sand dunes and machair (a rare form of grass that has amazing wild flowers in the spring) we were delighted to find a picnic table overlooking the beach! The weather was cold but dry and bright so we spent a few hours wondering along the white sand and the children run in and out of the gentle waves in their wellies! We had the place to ourselves apart from the numerous sea birds and a curious seal.
After lunch we decided to seek out a few of the numerous ancient monuments on the Islands. Barpa Langas to the south of the Island is a 5,000-year-old burial chamber. The chamber itself has partly collapsed and is dangerous to enter. However it is possible to look inside with the help of a torch. The cairn that tops the chamber is visible from the road. But if you want to take the short path to have a closer look wear waterproof boots! From the burial chamber we walked to see the stone circle known as Pobull Fhinn 1 km to the southeast. You will have to walk up a boggy hill to experience it but it is well worth it! The circle is not huge but the area is very atmospheric and overlooks a beautiful loch.
Further south you come to the small village of Clachan. From here take the road that leads to the Island of Benbecula. The small village of Cairnish was our next stop and having parked our car by the church we hiked through a very muddy farm to look at a ruined medieval ecclesiastical site dating from 1200. Again I found the site very atmospheric and in a beautiful setting. The site is known as Teampull na Trionad (temple)
To end the day we drove the circular road round the Island which passes Balranald nature reserve where, during the summer, you can go on guided walks to view the numerous birds that nest here, including the very rare corncrake. If we had had more time we would have made numerous stops to explore the white sand beaches we passed.
Our second day was spent on the tiny Island of Berneray, reached via a causeway from the north of the Island. The white sand beaches here are even more spectacular than those on Uist. We spent the whole day walking along the sand and were lucky enough to watch an otter frolicking in the sand dunes. I loved the peace and solitude of Berneray and vowed to return.
Wildlife ******* North Uist has a large variety of wildlife rarely seen in other parts of the U.K. We saw golden eagles, a hen harrier, otters and seals. North Uist is also a great place to watch for dolphins, whales and basking sharks.
Accommodation and eating ************************ There are numerous bed and breakfast places available on the Island but many are closed in the winter so if you want to come you will need to book ahead. I suggest you look on the Internet under accommodation for North Uist.
I can recommend the Cairnish Inn tel 01876-580673. This is a modern looking building where doubles cost about £70.
The Langass lodge is another good place to stay although its a bit more expensive. Both the Langass lodge and the Cairnish inn are open for evening meals to non-residents and welcome children.
We chose to eat at the Lochmaddy hotel and although the food was reasonable we found the staff unfriendly and I would not recommend it. We ordered our food at the bar and then went to get warm by the fire in the deserted lounge. We were quickly told that the lounge was for residents only and sent to wait in a freezing cold dining room with our children. I don’t think any of the staff even managed to smile during our visit! If you want to stay then rooms will set you back about £90.
If you want to buy picnic food then there is a very small co-op near Sollas. If you are self-catering then the NAAFI on Benbecula is open to the general public. There are also other small shops in Clachan and a reasonable range of facilities such as a bank, petrol station, doctors and tourist information centre in Lochmaddy.
As we stayed with friends I can only recommend places that they as locals have suggested so I hope its helpful!
Other tips ********* All road signs are written in Gaelic so I suggest you call at the visitor centre (open from april-sept) to get a map that gives both the Gaelic and the English.
The weather can change very quickly here so come prepared and carry waterproofs with you.
Don’t get caught out by the tides, which can come in very quickly. The beaches are wonderful to walk along and in your enjoyment it would be easy to forget about the tide!
We all loved the Island but acknowledge that 2 days is not enough time to spend here. We will return and would like to spend a few weeks enjoying the many walks, beaches and solitude!
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Pictures of North Uist, Scotland
The beach
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
This is a great review, i love scotland but have never been here. Im thinking about where to go later in the year and this sounds ideal I've just found a cottage where i can take the dog.
I hope it is as nice as it sounds :)
lisa8871 16.11.2006 22:37
HI great review. We go here every year as my in-laws come from here. We stay in a self catering house on benbecula called the gramsdale inn very reasonable. And backs onto the ford great for fishing & cockling.
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