Hebrides

[Elen Sentier]

OK, the BBC2 programme has completely hooked me, I'd love to go next year.

• Does anyone live there?
• All advice for my planning very gratefully received.

 

[Limaed]

What do you need to know? I've been a few times and have a few friends from the Isles.

 

[Elen Sentier]

Limaed, ta - What's the best way to get there? I can get to Glasgow by train easily, what do I do from there? Is it worth flying from Glasgow? What's it like to camp? When is the best time with regard to midges?

 

[Limaed]

Elen

You can fly direct depending on where you want to get to though flights can be sporadic. I think it's better to drive (even if you have to hire a car). You can get the ferry from Skye or Ullapool to take you to Tarbert or Stornoway then journey on to the other islands. I think it would be hard to get around on public transport. Some of the sites of interest are far apart, for example the Callanish Stones are over an hours drive from the beaches at Horgabost (good campsite here). Harris is radically different to Lewis in geography (and geology).

Late May is the best time to visit as the Machair is in full bloom, Sept could also be good as the light changes towards Autumn (hard to describe this). I would never recommend Scotland in July & Aug as it's (usually) muggy and midgy. You can reach Ullapool in 1 1/2 hours from Inverness.

CalMac ferries run most of the routes, the ferry journey is grand and you can look back on to the lovely Wester Ross mountain scenery. Hope this helps!

 

[brambles]

Ellen , you'll need to narrow it down a LOT more than the "Hebrides" as there a great many islands , all with very different features and landscapes. For example, i've just come back from a week in Tiree - brilliant place but don't go there expecting to use a hammock as there are zero trees ....

 

[SCOMAN]

I've done a south to north of the outer Hebrides a few times, camping and B&B. I took a car, ferry from Oban to Barra, Barra to Eriskay, camped as I slowly travelled up S Uist, Benbecula and N Uist. Ferry across the sound of Harris to Leverburgh and the Isle of Harris. I think you can get a run out to St Kilda by boat, don't think you can land though. Then explore Harris and Lewis both very different from each other. Then leaving from Stornoway to Ullapool. The ferry tickets for car and 1 passenger will be about £200 using the island hopper tariff. If your not finished with islands by then go back using the Tarbet to Uig(Skye) ferry and explore Skye. They are beautiful and it's incredibly relaxing. Both times I've gone was in Sep, people sometimes walk or cycle the length. A car allows you to explore all the little roads giving easy access to areas of real beauty.

 

[Toadflax]

Here's an email I've just written for a work colleague who is going camping there in a couple of weeks, primarily about Harris, as that's where we've been mainly.

Hope it is of use.


Geoff

If I assume that you will be travelling across from Uig, on Skye (that is the route we know, although you could cross from Oban to South Uist or Barra and drive up the chain of islands), then you will land up in Tarbert at the North end of Harris.

Communications
Vodafone is really the only phone network with anything like reasonable coverage, though this is patchy. You are unlikely to get WiFi anywhere, and we don’t know of any internet cafes.

Camping
We’ve not camped, but there is a site at Horgabost on the west coast of Harris with a lovely beach and I think there are some others (http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/townlisting.asp?town=Isle Of Harris&county=Hebrides).
Also look at the West Harris Trust web site (still partially under construction), the charitable trust who own the West Harris Estate, particularly their camping page: http://www.westharristrust.org/camping/

Shopping
Everywhere closes on Sunday, so make sure you have food /petrol. Some locals aren’t impressed if you do anything but go to church on Sunday, though this attitude is relaxing nowadays.
Tarbert: A D Munro butcher and general store is a good place to stock up, though there is another general store, a bank, a cash machine (in the main square), petrol (at the garage next to the Harris Hotel), a small cafe (very good for a light lunch), and another hotel /bar (Waterfront).
Leverburgh: An Clachan community co-op has a good range, though fresh fruit /veg only comes in a couple of times a week, so you have to find out when that is. There is also petrol here.
Croft 36 (Northton): a hut with an honesty box sells homemade bread, cakes, fresh fish, eggs and they will do takeaways (very good) if you book a day in advance. http://www.croft36.co.uk/ Have a chat with Julie if you can.
Stornoway: big Tesco and Co-Op with various other shops (including a smokery – delicious smoked seafood). The administrative centre of the islands, so various other shops and facilities. An interesting (though rather hard to find) museum.
If you meet the fishing boats as they land, you may be able to get fresh fish, or damaged /small lobsters and prawns that can’t be sold commercially.

Eating out
Generally expensive, as it caters for tourists, but good.
Scarista House: very high quality meals and a good place, set menu, need to book.
The Anchorage (Leverburgh): good food, though it looks from the outside like a big hut on the waterfront.
Harris Hotel (Tarbert): good but not particularly unusual.
Rodel House (Rodel): we had a good lunch there.
Ardhasaig House (Ardhasaig): evidently very good, but we’ve not been there.
Cafe in Tarbert
Waterfront bar in Tarbert

Driving
Many single track roads, but frequent passing places. Road manners are generally good, when cars are approaching each other, one will normally indicate and stop at the passing place. Also, it is good practice to pull into a passing place to allow people behind to overtake. Petrol is about 10p a litre more than here.
Worthwhile driving the Golden Road (runs along the East coast of Harris) – quite tortuous but worth it.

Walks
If you only go to one beach, go to Luskentyre. On the way (if you pre-arrange it) you can visit Donald John Mackay at his loom shed, who is the current leader in promoting Harris Tweed.
Scarista Beach is also amazing. Park on the road side by a big metal field gate, approx 1km beyond Scarista House (when going towards Leverburgh) and walk across the field to the beach.
Standing Stone and beach at Scarista Mhor. Park at the picnic spot (500m east [i.e. Tarbert direction] from Blue Reef Cottages /Golf Club) and walk across to the standing stone and beach. You can also walk up the hills from here to Meabhal and get a view of the whole island. There aren’t footpaths, but these are the common grazings, so just climb carefully over fences. I found the best way was to follow a broken down wall up the hill that runs alongside the stream at the picnic spot, and then cut across once you have gained some high ground. You may see some ruined blackhouses to your right as you climb.
Walk from Northton to the ruined chapel on Toe Head. Or you can go for the whole day and go all the way round toe Head (9 miles or so, we haven’t done this yet).
Another good beach and standing stone at Horgabost. This stone, the one at Sgarasta, and one across on Taransay form a triangle.
Half way between Tarbert and Huishinish there is a walk to the Golden Eagle observatory. We saw two of them harassing a flock of geese. If you walk over Huishinish you can see the island of Scarp, where a German rocket scientist in the 1930s tried to set up a ‘rocket post’ system to send the mail by rocket over the water gap between the island and the mainland.

Places
Rodel Church
Mission House Studio
Skoon Art Cafe (good cakes)
Hebridean Art (good cakes)
Callanish Standing Stones and Gearrannan Blackhouse Village (fairly close to each other), but further afield on the west side of Lewis. Also Carloway Broch if you are up that way.
Lighthouse and seabird cliffs at Ness, top end of Lewis

Weather
Can be windy.
Rains quite a lot, but the weather usually passes over so quickly that you can wait 10 minutes and it will be sunny. But if you go walking, do take foul weather gear.

This is also worth looking at: http://www.explore-harris.com/, particularly the downloadable guide.

 

[Soloman]

I agree with all above,weve been going to Harris for the past five years and are looking for a small place to buy as a fixer upper.Dont miss the iron age house on great bernera its a must.We did not like the service in the anchorage,look up andy at the hebridean fishing experience and catch yourself dinner.

Steve

 

[Elen Sentier]

Thank you all so much, it's really helpful.

I'm seriously considering a long trip and driving up there, calling on friends on the way, driving slowly and camping whenever.

behind every creative woman there's usually a very talented cat ...

 

[Soloman]

Well worth an extended trip.
Soloman