A GRAND TOUR OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES
EXAMPLE ITINERARY (some dates will operate in reverse)
DAY 1
We depart from our designated pick-up points and head north, stopping en-route for refreshments (not included), travelling via Glencoe, Fort William and Glenfinnan to Mallaig. From here we take the ferry to Lochboisdale in South Uist, cross the causeway to Benbecula, the ‘stepping stone’ between the Uists, and continue to our accommodation at the Dark Island Hotel. Meals include: Dinner
DAY 2
After our full Scottish breakfast we will depart for Barra, travelling via the little island of Eriskay, just three miles long and two miles wide, with a great sandy beach known as Prince Charlie’s Bay – Bonnie Prince Charlie having landed here in July 1745. From Eriskay we make the short ferry crossing to Barra and have a tour of the island, including a visit to Cockleshell Beach, the unique runway whose use is governed by the tides. In the course of our tour today we also hope to see some of the hundreds of species of wild flowers that grow on the island, particularly on the machair, the fertile, grassy pastures that lie between the moorland and the sea. We return via the Eriskay ferry to our hotel. Meals include: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3
After an early breakfast we check out of the hotel and take the early afternoon ferry from Berneray to Leverburgh at the southern end of Harris and visit St Clement’s Church at Rodel. The church tombs are among the most spectacular in Scotland. There are outstanding views as we travel along the coast, including the island of Taransay of ‘Castaway’ fame, and the wonderful beaches at Scarasta, Horgabost, Borve and of course Luskentyre, which was voted among the world’s 25 Top Beaches in 2020. We will pause for refreshments (not included) in Tarbert, before continuing through the mountainous countryside of Harris which eventually gives way to the rolling moorland of Lewis. We continue to the island capital of Stornoway and our comfortable accommodation at the Cabarfeidh Hotel. Meals include: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 4
This morning after breakfast we will travel to the west coast of Lewis for a visit to the 5,000 year old Standing Stones of Callanish. Undoubtedly the most remarkable antiquity in the Western Isles, this collection of almost 50 stones forms a well-marked megalithic avenue, comprising 19 monoliths, ending in a circle of 13 stones, with a great cairn at the centre. Entry to the Visitor Centre is included. From here we move on to the Black Houses at Gearrannan, typical of the crofting settlements which until relatively recently were found throughout the Western Isles. The final visit on our circular tour is the Norse Mill at Shawbost, a reconstruction of the type of grain mill used originally by Viking settlers and by islanders up until the 1930s. A short walk past a small lochan leads to two beautifully restored little thatched buildings with a fine view to the ocean beyond. Meals include: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5
This morning we check out of the hotel and take the early morning Caledonian Macbrayne ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool which takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. Breakfast is served on board. We then continue our homeward journey, arriving back at our original pick-up points during the evening. Meals include: Breakfast