# Western Isles



## 96740

Anyone know any special spots in th Hebrides ? All of them.Uists , Lewis,Harris etc ?


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## Don_Madge

Here's a couple of posts from www.wildcamping.co.uk you might find the info useful.

We got the Calmac Hopscotch 8 ticket http://www.calmac.co.uk/hopscotch_route8

Also send for their brochure its quite useful, as is this web site and brochure

http://www.visithebrides.com

This leaflet details toilets/showers/Chemical disposals.

http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/hebrides/docume...anLeaflet06.pdf

Our trip was as follows

Oban - stayed at Oban Divers Campsite. Good Tesco's also has Petrol and cash points, no height barriers. Stock up as there is not much on the islands and Petrol is about 12p a litre more expensive.

Barra/Vatasay official wildcamping spots by the airport, large grassy area with litter bins only (don't expect to be alone), toilets and CDP 1mile up the road at Eolaigearraidh. Also cafe and toilets at the airport and ferry terminal (ardmhor) when open.

Not exactly sure where the place is on Vatasay, but the tourist info will be open when you get off the ferry 8pm ish and are very helpful if you email.

Eriskay - we didn't camp here, it's very small, but there was parking at the ferry and toilets and shower Â£1 a go, very good as well.

South Uist we drove up the west coast road (B888) and drove down to a site marked as parking and picnic area, its quite small but there were 5 of us here for the night. Had also been told about an area near a cemetry a few miles further north (it's shown on OS map) by a couple cycling with a tent, but there was no-one there and it was a bit open. Toilet and showers at Lochboisdale open during day, but disabled toilet seems to be open 24hr, also shop and tourist info here as well.

Orisay inn, signed on the right just before the causeway off to Benbecula was recommended to us for a meal and we were not disappointed.

Benbecula, we stayed at Shell Bay campsite, not the prettiest but with good facilities including laundry.

http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=40&c=22

There is a shop and petrol station by the airport at Balivanich, stock up, we didn't and got a bit low on petrol and knowhere is open on a sunday.

North Uist, we had to travel north to just passed Sollas, we followed a picnic area sign at Grenitote and found a small area, which we had to ourselves, apart from a young boy driving round the beach, there was also a small cesna parked on the beach. We had also passed a sign for picnic area on the west coast at Hosta, but the gates were closed so we drove on, but I think its OK to just open them and drive through. We also passed a camper parked up on some grass a short way into the C road across the island. Toilet and petrol at Lochmaddy.

Berneray, we had heard you could only park at the hostel, but found plenty parked on the area next to it and believe you can park at the picnic area at Borve, tap and toilet at the community centre here. Toilets, water and CDP at the ferry port, and toilets and showers at the harbour on the road to Baille.

South Harris - large area at Horgabost on the west coast, OS map shows toilets here but they had either blown down or been demolished when we were there.

North Harris - We stayed at the hostel at Rhenigidale in order to use showers, cost Â£4.50 each, basically just parked up outside. Very small grassy tent area also.
Camp sites at Cnip (kneep) in Uig area, we didn't stay but there are public toilets and a separate building with a sign saying for paying campsite users and a CDP behind. There was know one around to enquire about payment.

Another picnic spot at Ardroil overlooked large beach, with a sign saying camping by prior arrangement call at No.6. Â£1 per person per night. We didn't stay here as it was too early to settle for the night, but a couple of vans looked like they where going to stay.

Great Bernera - we went to the iron age house at the northern point which was closed, only open 12-4pm. We could have stayed in the carpark as there was no-one around and were toilets.

Lewis - the largest part with a few campsites , on the west coast at Shawbost, small site, small pitches with electric. we drove on to Butt of Lewis lighthouse and found another campervan so stayed, however a lot of cars came to walk dogs and watch birds and in the morning 2 coaches pulled up next to us, fortunately we were dressed and having breakfast !!

On the east side are two camp sites, Laxdale, very neat with good facilities but the motorhome/caravan area is bit like a carpark, tent area was nice, also a bunkhouse, very convenient for stornaway, we also saw one at Coll on the B895, this was quite basic, didn't look like much in the way of facilities so we booked Laxdale, later learned if we'd carried on to Tolsa head we could have stayed overnight and it was lovely.

Ullapool - campsite right on the beach, you'll see it from the ferry, but we drove 3 miles north to Ardmair point camp site and it was lovely.

All in all a very good trip and found places to stay easily, this was our first time wild camping. Ferry over from Oban a bit rough (I was sea sick) so get some tablets if you don't have sailing legs. We booked this crossing when we got the hopscotch ticket and booked Stornaway to Ullapool the day before we sailed. Not many places stocked small(4.5kg) butane cylinders and ours ran out, got some at the coal yard just outside Tarbert, the man at the hardware store directed us. Very little is open on a sunday.
There only seem to be CDP's at the campsites in Harris/Lewis, unlike the more southerly islands which seem to cater for wildcamping as there are no commercial campsites.

In the absence of an Outer Hebrides category, this thread seems to be becoming the repository of information so I thought I'd add my two pennorth about our recent trip.

At the Butt of Lewis, there's some hardstanding (demolished boathouse?) above a lovely sandy cove about 200 yards south of the lighthouse which avoids the problem of coaches parking next to you in the morning.

On Great Bernera, we did stop at the car park above the iron age house at Bosta Beach and were treated to a stunning sunset and a peaceful night.

On Harris, we passed on Horgabost which was a bit busy and stayed at Luskentyre Sands a bit further north - £2 per person payable at the first house on the right in Luskentyre (ignoring the new one with a grass roof). There's parking and toilets by the cemetery at the end of the road through Luskentyre that it may be possible to stay at - if you do, you'll be close to one of the best beaches on the islands.

If you're catching the early ferry from Leverburgh, you can stay on the hardstanding at the old base near the hotel in Rodel - it's a bit of a strange place to stop otherwise. Don't miss out on the Anchorage restaurant at the ferry terminal in Leverburgh by the way - I had the best piece of battered cod I've ever had in my life.

On Berneray, it seems OK to park at the East Beach and West Beach at the moment. We preferred the more open spaces of the West Beach, but don't forget more shelter = more midges when you're picking your spot. The showers at the harbour are excellent as are the facilities (but no showers) at the ferry terminal. Make sure to at least buy something from the shop to say thank you for all these bounties.

On North Uist, we stopped literally feet from the sands on a gravel car park at the end of a track, but since this track leads through a nature reserve I won't be more specific in public.

On South Uist, we stopped at the picnic area off the B888 and there were four vans/cars there that night including the only Type 2 VW we saw on the whole of the Western Isles.

That's the wild camping. We also stayed at some campsites on Lewis/North Harris (Eilean Fraoich in Shawbost, Traigh na Beirigh near Cnip, and outside Rhenigidale Hostel) and found them all to be fine in their own way. The £5 service wash at Eilean Fraoich was particularly appreciated.

On the subject of Calmac ... Considering it allowed us to spend next to nothing on accommodation, I thought the ferry fare was a reasonable price to pay - about £150 for the Uig-Tarbert/Leverburgh-Berneray/Lochmaddy-Uig 5m motorhome and two adults rover ticket. We didn't get measured, despite being borderline 5 metres with two bikes on the back.


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## hirtag

Virtually anywhere and its all allowed so long as you don't annoy anyone.......fantastic place for a campervan holiday...have fun!


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## 2point

Fantastic post Don, we will definately use some of that info when we get over to the Islands.

Thanks

Graham


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## 96740

*so far so very good*

Havig a great trip apart from the wind which has been abit strong (Force 7/8)

Lots of great spots , Lighthouse at Butt of Lews, Bosta Beach near Iron Age Longhouse, carpark at horgabost, carpark Huisinis my favourite so far there is also plenty of room here on other side on the dunes but the carpark has toilets and a tap.
Currently carpark nr sidheann tuath, awesome. will dom a proper report end of trip  , if you've never been like me make the effort , it's the business.


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## 102586

*Re: so far so very good*



bigsnail said:


> Havig a great trip apart from the wind which has been abit strong (Force 7/8)
> 
> Lots of great spots , Lighthouse at Butt of Lews, Bosta Beach near Iron Age Longhouse, carpark at horgabost, carpark Huisinis my favourite so far there is also plenty of room here on other side on the dunes but the carpark has toilets and a tap.
> Currently carpark nr sidheann tuath, awesome. will dom a proper report end of trip  , if you've never been like me make the effort , it's the business.


Snail

Appreciate if you could elaborate a bit more on the precise locations of these spots (and any others you came across), as I'm off to the Outer Hebrides in June/July 2007 for the first time. Sailing from Ullapool to Stornoway and coming back from Castelbay to Oban, I'm planning on doing the lot including Barra.

Did you find 2 weeks enough or would you recomend longer?

I'm using a Transit SWB Camper which I bought to do this trek which should be easy to 'fit in' any small spots.


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## Shen

*Lusskintyre Beach*

Hi,

I remember seeing some vehicles parked on the left hand side of the road by the houses near to the abandoned grass roofed one and wondering why they were there. So they were paying for the privialage? OK

We camped wild one mile from the turn off from the "main" Tarbert road. There is a wide layby on the left that takes our vehicle nicely and there is also a rudimentary washing line that we set up from the people who were there before us had set up etc.. Three miles further down that road there is the toilet block which had certainly not blown down last August.

The loos are not signposted off the main road and to be honest it was only because I cycled down that road that I found them at all. I cycled it in 2005 and stopped at the first graveyard thinking the road stopped there, but then last year I found it actually goes another 3/4 of a mile or so to the loos and space to turn a MH no bother. Well mine at least at near 7m would be no bother.

The views there are utterly awesome and the beach is deemed one of the best in the world.

On top of that after the tide goes out it is near enough immediately dry and firm to walk on in my experience, and the dogs just loved it.

Harris is a wonderful place to visit. Talk about an atmosphere. I read the paper at midnight just to see if I could. I could. Leave your TV at home and chill..................

Shen


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## 101660

*western Isles*

Thanks don & madge for info . we are going 18 May for 3 weeks we have been promising ourselves to do this trip for years so doing it instead of having a Golden wedding party Joan


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## Danumboy

Hi,
There was an excellent article in the April 2007 edition of Practical Motorhome on this very subject. We plan to do this next year.

Danumboy


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## 89333

Just back from 11 nights wild camping in the Western Isles. Started at Barra and went all the way up to the Butt of Lewis before going home via Tarbert. I have actually written a journal of the trip which I will post a link to once I've added a few pictures. Main points I would make:

* Barra and the Uists (inc Berneray) are very motorhome friendly. There are lots of toilets, showers, fresh water points and CDP disposals. Because of an absence of official sites it appears as if the locals have done their best to make motorhomers feel welcome by providing these facilities.

* Harris has a couple of excellent stopping places but no facilities other than a few public loo's

* Lewis is in our opinion not motorhome friendly. Both official campsites are very small and cramped and neither were overly helpful. Laxdale in particular were pretty to the point in their disapproval of wild camping. There are a few places to stop but none have the same appeal as those in Barra, Uists and Harris

In summary if you've already been to Lewis I'd suggest giving it a miss and going no further north than the area around Tarbert.

PaulC


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## daddydave

Danumboy said:


> Hi,
> There was an excellent article in the April 2007 edition of Practical Motorhome on this very subject. We plan to do this next year.
> 
> Danumboy


Super spot at Ellenabeich Easdale just outside Oban. Quiet car park on the beach


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