Sometimes it’s good to just get away from it all, but on our crowded island, where to go?
How about visiting some of our far flung islands of which there are several off our shores, with a large grouping off the west coast of Scotland.
I’d been to a couple of the west coast islands before and know how beautiful they are so I’d long wanted to revisit with my husband so he, too, could enjoy their glory.
For us, the choice of which to visit was easy. My best friend, Maggie, lives in Inverness and was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides so we arranged to visit her and her lovely partner, Richard, so the four of us could load Richard’s car and head west.
First, we flew from London Gatwick to Inverness with EasyJet. The flight was delayed by an hour due to bad weather at Gatwick but we arrived around 1.5 hours after eventually taking off to find fine weather in Inverness. And aside from one day when we experienced showers, that was the story for the week. Terrible weather down south and glorious clear, sunny skies in Scotland.
After an overnight stay in Inverness, we were up early for the hour-long drive to Ullapool on the west coast. Ullapool itself is a quaint town with many attractions but most people head there for the ferry terminal to catch the Caledonian MacBrayne crossing to Stornoway, the capital of the Isle of Lewis.
The crossing takes around 3 hours on an extremely comfortable ship. There’s a café serving refreshments or a full meal and plenty of comfortable seating. Being with people who are “in the know” after securing the car in the hold, we scuttled up to the observation deck at the front of the ship where the seats are luxurious and the views spectacular. A bit like being at the front of a double-decker bus. On these crossings one is almost guaranteed to see dolphins. A sighting is signified by several people simultaneously exclaiming “Ooooh,” resulting in others dashing in that direction to catch a glimpse. Sadly, this happened while hub and I were scoffing in the café!
On arrival in Stornoway, we called into the town’s main supermarket for a few provisions and set off on the hour-long drive to our AirBNB accommodation on the Isle of Harris.
I should explain that the Isles of Lewis and Harris are a single landmass but the north of that mass is called the Isle of Lewis and the south is called Harris. The entire landmass has a population of only 19,000 (humans, there are probably more sheep!), and the terrains of each island are strikingly different. The Isle of Harris is wilder than the north featuring towering mountains, clear, sparkling lochs (not lakes!) and real “get away from it all” charm. The east and west coasts of Harris also enjoy their differences with the east coast being more craggy and rugged while the west coast features miles and miles of smooth golden sandy beaches.
Getting around the island takes time. The roads are narrow, often single file with frequent passing places, the occasional monstrous camper van and the ever-present danger of wandering sheep, Highland Cattle and even otters! But the views throughout every drive are spectacular, and we had the best chauffeur we could wish for, so we were able to sit back and enjoy the scenery.
On day one, we took a walk to the Isle of Scalpay – one of several small islands smattered around Harris, some only accessible by boat, but Scalpay is connected by a bridge – to visit Eilean Glas, a lighthouse that’s been in existence since 1789, the year of the French Revolution. It’s quite a trek to reach – mostly on foot, but a fabulous walk – and worth it to see a part of such history.
What may surprise you is that there’s a lovely café there, too, where you can enjoy a cuppa and a slice of home-made cake! The couple who run it lug all their offerings there on foot, despite being far from spring chickens. They’re also very interesting to chat with, being the nearest things to tour guides at the site. On a wall in the café is a chart that details recent wildlife sightings including whales, dolphins, otters, puffins and more. It certainly serves as a fabulous lookout and you can sit on the benches outside and just enjoy the solitude whilst gazing out across The Minch. The Minch is a strait of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the Outer Hebrides island group (which includes Lewis and Harris) from the Scottish mainland.
In the evening, we dined at the Harbour Bistro, also on Scalpay. The atmosphere was casual and the wine excellent. The bistro focuses on fish dishes with locally sourced produce, although also caters to vegetarians and those who eat meat. The food was good but very pricey with the bill for three courses for four people totalling £231 and including only one drink each.
The following day we headed off to the west of Harris and attempted to visit the Secret Beach. We’d been warned that it involved a strenuous walk, but gave up halfway there when it transpired that it was more of a mountaineering expedition and I’d forgotten to pack my pterodactyl. Besides, the infamous west coast midges were making a meal of my hub who’d chosen to wear shorts since the weather was so good. Fortunately, we met a kindly couple en route who offered a few squirts of their repellent. Incidentally, many people swear by Avon’s Skin-So-Soft body oil which I’m told is very effective at keeping midges at bay without having to dowse oneself in poison.
I reckon we made it halfway to the Secret Beach and we did enjoy some breathtaking views across to the small island of Scarp, which hosts just two dwellings and is only accessible by boat. Walking back to our vehicle, we met the lady who owns one of the dwellings. From The Midlands, she told the story of how her husband happened upon the house for sale whilst holidaying on Harris. Having a toddler and a babe in arms at the time, she dismissed the thought of buying such a holiday home, but the idea grabbed her husband and would not let go. She told us things weren’t right between them for 2 or 3 months and one morning she woke to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her, totally still and quiet until he said “If that house on Scarp is still for sale I’m going to buy it.” That was 30 years ago and they still visit each year. A similar story was repeated by the hosts of our AirBNB who spent years looking for the right property to buy on Harris following a holiday. They moved from Bristol.
As a reward for our mountaineering efforts, we called into the Harris Hotel in Tarbert, Harris’s main town, for a casual pizza in the bar. It was reasonably priced, very fresh and absolutely delicious.
On our final day, en route to Stornoway for the ferry back to Inverness, we ticked of a “Harris must-do” by visiting Luskentyre Beach. Whilst there are several beautiful beaches on this coast, Luskentyre is probably the largest and attracts the most visitors since it’s easily accessible and offers good car parking facilities. Despite this, it wasn’t crowded. It was well worth the visit with lovely sand dunes and turquoise water that will rival anything you’ll find in the Caribbean. I’ll say no more but will let my photos do the talking.
I’ve found my spirit wandering to Harris many times since our return south. I can understand how its magic grabs people. There are several more islands that make up the Outer Hebrides, all of which have their own attractions. One of the southernmost is Barra which has the only airport in the world where scheduled flights use the beach as their runway and the flight schedule depends on the tides. Loganair fly direct from Glasgow.
With distances much greater than most people think, it’s the challenge of reaching these places that adds to their charm but the experience is worth every effort. Visit at least one of the islands in your lifetime. If you don’t have the time to enjoy a leisurely ferry ride, you need to get yourself to Glasgow, Edinburgh or Inverness to catch a flight to Stornoway. To see the island, you’ll want to hire a car on arrival. Oh, and make sure you’ve pre-booked accommodation as it gets booked up pretty quickly.
Sounds absolutely idyllic! I’ve always dreamed of exploring the Scottish islands – it’s wonderful to hear about the beauty of Harris.