Planning Your Holiday

The Islands

Lewis:
The largest and lowest lying of all the island chain. This island’s peat moor land is indented with many fresh water lochs. The east coast has incredibly long inland sealochs while the west coast has beautiful machair shores and sandy bays.

Harris:
Harris is the ‘hilliest’ of all the Hebridean islands. The North Harris Hills separate Harris from Lewis and include the Clisham, the highest hill in the islands at 799 metres. The east coast of South Harris has amazing rocky bays while the west coast has miles of sandy beaches and machair with beautiful views of offshore Atlantic islands.

North Uist:
North Uist is a circular island with rocky hills and bays in the east and machair shores and sandy beaches in the west. There are innumerable fresh water lochs throughout the island and as with all the islands, because settlements tend to be coastal, inland areas are mainly wilderness.

Benbecula:
Linked by causeway to the two Uist islands, Benbecula is relatively flat and almost drowned by water. There are great inter-tidal bays and sands, while the interior is made up of heathery peat moorlands.

South Uist:
This is a long linear island with one main artery road running down the middle. The east coast is heathery uplands and sea-lochs while the west coast is one long sand beach, over 20 miles in length. There are lots of freshwater lochs throughout the island.

Barra:
The smallest of the Hebridean island chain, Barra has a character that is totally addictive. A small circular island, with causeways to Vatersay, the highest hill is Heaval at 383 metres. The main town is Castlebay, a lively port with lots of social events.

For more detailed information on the islands see Visit Hebrides - Islands...