Thanks for visiting! We hope you will enjoy our stories and find some information that is useful to you. Please let us know if we can be of any help.
Glad to see you back!
The Isles of North and South Uist offer a unique sense of being at one with nature and seeing Scotland at its most remote. The Uists are a colourful and charming oasis – not to be missed!
- Key info
- Itinerary
- Photo gallery
- Further reading
- FAQ
Wondering how to plan your trip to the Uists ? Here are all our top tips and most essential information!
Key info
Transport
TransportGetting there:
We made our way to the Uists after visiting the Isles of Harris and Lewis, so took a short CalMac ferry from Leverburgh (Harris) to Berneray, the island right at the top of the chain of islands that includes North and South Uist (sometimes the whole chain is referred to as the Uists). It is also possible to access the Uists directly from the mainland, in which case you would take the ferry from Mallaig to Lochboisdale (South Uist). There is also a ferry link between Uig (Isle of Skye) and Lochmaddy (North Uist). This is the ferry we took to get home. Check out CalMac’s interactive map to see all the possible route options!
Whilst there:
We drove around the islands, and this is by far the most popular option, though lots of people also cycle. Unfortunately we didn’t take any public transport, so can’t offer much advice on how frequent the buses are. Check here for more information about bus services on the islands, and here for the timetables. Many of the roads on the Uists are single track - watch this guide on how to deal with driving these sorts of roads!
One of the best things about driving on the Uists is the friendly wave drivers give when you pass them on the roads - this is something we only encountered occasionally on other islands. On the Uists, it was everybody, and we soon found ourselves waving back!
When to go
When to goWe’d recommend visiting the Western Isles between May and September, though this is no guarantee of good weather! Weather changes quickly, so always be prepared, but also take this as reassurance that a wet and windy day could still turn sunny! We found the Uists to be relatively quiet even in mid-August, as tourists normally just visit Harris and Lewis.
Length of stay
Length of stayWe’ve put together a 3 day itinerary, although it really depends on your mode of transport, and whether or not you are camping and have to pitch and pack your tent each day. Most distances do not take long to drive, although do factor in more time for journeys if you’re on more remote single track roads. We’d say you need 2 days at least, and if you want to factor in activities such as surfing/kayaking, some longer hikes, or continue exploring down to Barra, then adding few more days could be a good idea.
Accommodation
AccommodationWe camped on the Uists, with the exception of one night at the lovely B&B The Old Shop House, which we booked on the day! If you don’t have a tent as a backup plan, we wouldn’t recommend not booking in advance as during summer most places could be full. However sometimes you can be lucky and find a great B&B by calling/emailing some of the places on the Visit Scotland page for North Uist and South Uist.
We give more details about where we wild camped in our day-by-day itinerary.
Where to eat
Where to eatIts a wise idea to have lots of snacks and food in the car, as there aren't enormous amounts of restaurants or shops on the Uists. We often cooked ourselves with our camping gear. However, we do have some recommendations of cafes:
Lochboisdale Café
Nunton Steadings Tea Room
There's also the Am Politician Pub (on Eriskay) - named after the story of the islanders ‘rescuing’ the whisky of the shipwrecked SS Politician
Language
LanguageSomething you'll notice whilst travelling around the Uists is that all the road signs are in Scottish Gaelic, sometimes with the English underneath. The Gaelic language is an incredibly important part of the Outer Hebridean identity, and these islands are one of the only places it is still spoken regularly in some households. You might be able to pick up a few words in Gaelic just from noticing patterns in the place names, i.e. eilean - island and tràigh - beach. Don't panic though, you'll get by perfectly fine with just English!
Currency/Cash/ATM
Currency/Cash/ATMLike the rest of Scotland and the UK, the currency is GBP/£. We found that pretty much all places accept card, but it’s wise to have some cash on you too as ATMs are few and far between - your best bet is near the ferry terminals.
Let us know if you have any questions about how to plan your trip to the Uists!
Don't forget to check out our day by day itinerary and our photo gallery for the Uists!
Day 1
Day 1We arrived in the late afternoon on the ferry from Leverburgh, Harris, and the scenery immediately made a fabulous first impression! We loved the instant feeling of wilderness, driving on beautiful roads and constantly wanting to stop to take photographs of idyllic cottages, or stunning lochs.
There was just enough time to visit the RSPB Balranald Nature Reserve before sunset. This reserve is has a great visitor’s centre that provides lots of information about the area and the species you can find, as well as leaflets on exploring the Uists. We picked up a leaflet for a short trail, and decided to follow it as the sun was setting. The beach it led to was remote, wild and beautiful! Unfortunately on our way back the heavens really opened, and we got soaked! But luckily for us we were staying in a B&B for the night (a big luxury after our wild camping on the Isles of Harris and Lewis).
Day 2
Day 2In the morning, we went to a place on the Bird of Prey trail called Committee Road. We had enjoyed following parts of the trail on our trip through the Outer Hebrides so far! This spot is supposed to be a good place to see short eared owls, due to the proximity of the woods and the many fence posts they like to sit on to survey the fields! No owls were spotted here, but we did see a stag looking very majestic on top of the hill.
Next, we drove to Piobull Fhinn Stone Circle. The stones are incredible for their position overlooking the stunning Loch Langais. Not all of the stones are still standing, however, you can still make out their circle formation. We parked at the nearby hotel, where you will find directions for the walk to the stones. It was quite boggy and wet when we were there, so be prepared! You start the walk from a gate in the car park and quickly arrive at the loch, where you can take a path up slightly to the stones.The weather started to brighten making for amazing views over the loch and all the pink, greens and yellows were stunning! We saw dragonflies, butterflies, many birds and even an eagle soaring high! No otters unfortunately, however they have been seen around Loch Langais before.
We tried to camp at a campsite on Benbecula, however timed it terribly as this was the night 150 cyclists were camping midway through a race! They had no room for us so we had to look for a spot to wild camp, and found a lovely one at a beach near Nunton, where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Remember, when wild camping, always do so responsibly and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, leaving no trace that you were there.
Day 3
Day 3We enjoyed exploring Nunton beach in the morning, having a relaxed breakfast before driving back to South Uist to do a coastal walk by the sea Loch Skipport. On the way, we had the most amazing encounter, spotting a short-eared owl flying low over a field, at around 10.30am! The coastal path is really lovely and offers some beautiful views, as well as the chance to see some Sea Eagles, though we weren’t as lucky with that this time! You might also be able to spot some otters at Loch Skipport. Be sure to check out the nearby Druidibeg Nature Reserve too. On the road to the reserve we were lucky enough to meet some Shetland ponies! They ran right over and were very friendly, it was such a wonderful encounter.
Then we drove to Lochmaddy to take our ferry back to Uig, on the Isle of Skye, leaving the Outer Hebrides behind for good after one epic road trip! Check out our top tips for Skye here!
Let us know what you think of our 3 day Uists itinerary in the comments!
Don't forget to check out all the key information you need to plan this trip and our photo gallery for the Uists!
Further reading
Please note that this is not sponsored in any way. These are articles/websites we've come across during our long planning and that we thought could be of interest to you. All links were correct at the time of publishing.
- Read this great article giving a fascinating insight into life on the Uists and what to know before going!
- An interesting read by National Geographic.
Coming soon!