I’ve travelled to many different places over the years. Roadtripped through many different countries, on many different islands. But, without question, the Outer Hebrides is one of my all-time favourite trips! The scenery, the people, the wildlife, and the wild weather, all make it that extra memorable.
Planning a road trip along the Outer Hebrides can be very overwhelming. From deciding which ferry route to take, how long you need on each island, understanding all the different islands, what wildlife you are likely to encounter, the best walks, the weather, and most importantly, what to do when ferries get cancelled. But don’t worry, in this guide I have it all covered!
On this guide, I will walk you through the route we took, my highlights, and everything else you need to know, to allow your trip to run as smoothly as possible.
More Than 100 Islands
The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Islands, are made up of over 100 islands. However, only 15 of them are inhabited. These are the 15 that are the most accessible to reach, and you will likely visit when road-tripping around the Outer Hebrides.
Here are the 15 islands you probably will want to tick off when coming to the Outer Hebrides:
- Isle of Vatersay
- Isle of Barra
- Isle of Eriskay
- Isle of South Uist
- Isle of Benbecula
- Isle of Flodaigh
- Isle of Grimsay
- Isle of Fraoch-Eilean
- Isle of North Uist
- Isle of Baleshare
- Isle of Benerary
- Isle of Harris
- Isle of Scalpay
- Isle of Lewis
- Isle of Great Bernera
The Ferries
The cheapest and easiest way to get to the Outer Hebrides is by ferry. Calmac, the ferry company that runs the ferry to and from the islands, offers five different routes from the mainland.
Please note the route to Lochboisdale, Isle of South Uist, changes slightly from the summer to the winter timetable.
The choice of routes are:
- Oban (mainland Scotland) to Castlebay (Isle of Barra) – 4 hours 45 minutes
- Mallaig (mainland Scotland) to Lochboisdale (Isle of South Uist) – 3 hours 30 minutes (summer route only)
- Oban (mainland Scotland) to Lochboisdale (Isle of South Uist) – 5 hours 10 minutes (winter route only)
- Uig (Isle of Skye) to Lochmaddy (Isle of North Uist) – 1 hour 45 minutes
- Uig (Isle of Skye) to Tarbert (Isle of Harris) – 1 hour 40 minutes
- Ullapool (mainland Scotland) to Stornoway (Isle of Lewis) – 2 hours 45 minutes
For more information about each of the crossings, please visit the Calmac website: https://www.calmac.co.uk/
Once you’re on the Outer Hebrides it is very easy to travel from one island to another! Many of the islands are connected by Causeways. If you are following the route we did, there will be another two additional Calmac ferries you will need to take.
The two additional ferries are:
- Isle of Barra to Isle of Eriskay – 40 minutes (across the Sound of Barra)
- Isle of Bernerary to Isle of Harris – 60 minutes (across the Sound of Harris)
The great thing about Calmac, any ferry crossing you have booked with them, you can change free of charge. So if you decide you want an extra day on a particular island, or the weather isn’t looking great, you can change your ferry crossing as longs as there is availability.
We changed three out of four of our crossings on our trip! Calmac cancelled one of them due to bad weather, and for the other two crossings was our decision.
If Ferries Are Not Your Thing
If you are not a fan of travelling by ferry, or suffer from bad sea sickness, don’t worry there are other options! You can fly to the Outer Hebrides. There is an airport on the Isle of Barra, the Isle of Benbecula, and the Isle of Lewis. Flying is more costly than the ferries, however, it’s another option you have.
The ferry crossings from the mainland can get quite choppy, as you are out in open water. The Minch, which is the body of water between Ullapool and Stornoway, is notorious for having quite a swell. The crossing from Oban to Castlebay is often known to hit big waves. However, that being said, we had a lovely calm crossing from Oban to Castlebay, and the crossing we had from Tarbert to Uig, was like a pond. It’s pot look what crossing you are going to get. It all depends on the weather on the day!
If you don’t have good sea legs on open waters, you could fly into one of the airports, which offers the best fares. Then use the two ferries between the islands, across the sounds. These two bodies of water; Sound of Barra and the Sound of Harris are a lot more sheltered from big waves and swell.
Getting Around the Outer Hebrides
I’m slightly biased being a vanlifer, but I believe the best way to road-trip around the Outer Hebrides is in a campervan. I love the freedom the campervan gives you. You can make up your route along the way, change your plans if the weather changes, find beautiful park-ups, and stay at locally run campsites.
However, if vanlife isn’t for you, don’t worry there are plenty of other options. You can brave the wild weather and camp in a tent, you can stay at local guesthouses, or find little camping pods at different campsites along the route.
The Roads
If there’s one place that does single-track lanes right, it’s the Outer Hebrides! The roads are so easy to drive along, even when you’re in a big campervan! Just as long as other road users and yourself know how to use a passing place!
For anyone who doesn’t know how to use a passing place. If the passing place is on your side of the road, you go into it. If it’s on the opposite side, wait next to it, and let the oncoming vehicle go into it. Obviously, if there is no oncoming traffic, you don’t need to go into a passing place every time you pass one.
Best Time of Year
It’s always hard to work out when is the best time to travel to the Outer Hebrides. The weather is unpredictable! This summer, it rained and blew a gail for almost all of it. Then the 3rd week in September during our visit, we had a heatwave and I wished I had packed my shorts!
Personally, I always prefer to travel in the shoulder seasons, as it’s quieter, but still can get some decent weather. I always say, the best time to travel to Scotland is in May/June or September/October. If you are planning on doing a lot of water activities, September is definitely more favourable, as that is when the sea is at its warmest.
If you want to visit when the weather is meant to be the driest and warmest, July and August are best. However, they are also the busiest months, as the Scottish kids have their school holidays.
From November to April, a fair chunk of campsites close (but not all), and ferries face more cancellations due to bad weather or planned maintenance work. The weather can get very wild, but everywhere will also be a lot quieter.
The Route We Did
If you don’t want to or have the time to do a lot of planning, here is the route we did, over two weeks. A route you can follow bit by bit, or adapt to suit you. We did the trip in our own campervan. If you don’t own your own, their are places all over Scotland, where you can hire one.
I’ve pinned all the places, including our park-ups onto Google Maps, via the link below. Hopefully, this will make it easier for you follow!
Click here to see all the pins: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rvSrxNrciG2vw7339
Summary of Our Route
- Day 1: Ferry – Oban to Castlebay
- Day 2: Isle of Vatersay
- Day 3: Isle of Barra and evening ferry across the Sound of Barra
- Day 4: Isle of Eriksay & Isle of South Uist
- Day 5: Isle of South Uist, Isle Benbecula, Isle of Flodaigh, Isle of Grimsay, and Isle of North Uist
- Day 6: Isle of North Uist
- Day 7: Isle of Bernerary and afternoon ferry across the Sound of Harris
- Day 8: Isle of Harris & Isle of Lewis
- Day 9 & 10: Isle of Lewis
- Day 11: Isle of Great Bernera
- Day 12 &13: Isle of Harris
- Day 14: Ferry – Tarbert to Uig, Isle of Skye
- Causeways – Isle of Harris, Isle of Lewis, & Isle of Great Bernera
- Ferry – Tarbert to Uig
Tip: Try and time visits to any beaches, when the tide is out!
Day 1 – Travel Day
Day 1 is a bit of a travel day! Get the ferry from Oban to Castlebay. Once you arrive in Castlebay, on the Isle of Barra, drive across the causeway to the Isle of Vatersay, to park up for the night. The causeway connecting the Isle of Barra to the Isle of Vatersay is only 250 metres long, but it took two years to build, and was only finished in 1991!
You can ‘wild camp’ on the Isle of Vatersay, in marked, spaces along the island. They ask for a small donation, which goes back into the community. Please, respect the island, and park only in places marked out.
Day 2 – Isle of Vatersay
The first island of your Outer Hebrides road tip, Isle of Vatersay. It is the southernmost inhabited island, with just 90 residents living there.
Here’s some of the island’s biggest highlights:
- If you enjoy a good walk, there’s a beautiful route you can do, on the Isle of Vatersay. I have a full separate hiking guide to the route, with step-by-step instructions, and downloadable GPX files: No.1 Hike on Vatersay
- If walking isn’t your cup of tea, there is a beautiful bay on the east side of the Isle of Vateresay, called Traigh a Bhaigh (East Beach) which is perfect for Paddle Boarding. If you are into bodyboarding, the beach on the west side has the waves!
- Take a visit to the Annie Jane Memorial. In 1853, an emigrant sailing ship called, Annie Jane was washed up onto the shores here on the Isle of Vatersay. The ship was on its way to Quebec when it ran into a storm. Sadly, 350 children, men, and women died.
Day 3 – Isle of Barra
There is quite a bit to do and see on the Isle of Barra! Sadly, our time was cut short due to an oncoming storm. Therefore, instead of having two days on the island, we only had one and caught the ferry across the Sound of Barra in the evening onto the Isle of Eriskay.
One day was enough to see the main points of interest on the island. However, if you wanted to do any of the walking routes, I would recommend and extra day!
Barra’s Highlights
Here are the highlights of what the Isle of Barra has to offer:
- Watching a seaplane land on Traigh Mhor is a must! They can only land and take off at low tide. Therefore, there are only a couple of scheduled planes a day. You can view the plane’s land and take off, free of charge at the airport car park. However, I do recommend getting there in good time, as the car park does get full!
To see the daily timetable, please click on this link: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airports/brr
- Drive the A888 ring road! There is only one road that goes around the Isle of Barra, the scenic A888 and it doesn’t take long! The road is just 13 miles long (21 km)!
- If you only have time for one beach, Eolaigearraidh Beach is a must! One of the most beautiful beaches on the Outer Hebrides. If it wasn’t for the grey skies, and the cold weather, I could of quite easily mistaken myself for being in the Maldives!
- Look out for Kisimul Castle, located off the shores of Castlebay. If you caught the ferry from Oban to Castlebay, you would have likely spotted it, coming into harbour. It is the only significant medieval castle in the Outer Hebrides.
- If you had our extra day, I would have liked to have walked up Heaval (Sheabhal). It’s the highest hill on the Isle of Barra, sitting at just 383 metres high (1,256 feet). Apparently, the views are incredible at the top!
Day 4 – Isle of Eriskay and Isle of South Uist
During this part of our trip, our plans changed a lot due to the wild weather! Sadly, this is not uncommon on the Outer Hebrides, so be prepared that this may happen to you too! Walks we had planned to do, we no longer could do. But the great thing when you have a camper van, you can change plans easily!
If you are looking for a campsite in South Uist, I recommend Kilbride Campsite. I have pinned it on the map above!
For anyone who’s following my road trip, we stayed at this campsite on day 3, the day we crossed the Sound of Barra. The following morning, we drove back on ourselves to Eriskay.
For any of you who are following my guide day by day, we spent the morning on the Isle of Eriskay, and the afternoon on the Isle of South Uist.
Isle of Eriskay
Isle of Eriskay is only a little island, connected by a causeway to South Uist. As the weather was pretty wild, we didn’t spend long on this island! But if the weather is in your favour, the island does have some beautiful hiking routes, meaning you could easily spend a day on the island exploring!
If you don’t have a lot of time, or the weather is a little wild to do any of the walks, there are two stops I recommend not missing:
- Eriskay Ferry Terminal – a lovely little beach you can walk along.
- A viewpoint at the side of the road, as you drive up from Eriskay Ferry Terminal, towards the causeway to South Uist. The views up here are beautiful! I have pinned the exact spot, on the Google Map link I’ve provided above.
Isle of South Uist
The Isle of South Uist is perched between the Isle of Eriskay, and the Isle of Benbecula, connected by causeways.
On our trip, we spent the afternoon on Day 4 and the morning of Day 5 exploring Isle of South Uist!
Here are some of the highlights the Isle of South Uist has to offer:
- Cladh Hallan Round Houses
- Ormacleit Castle – a castle that took 7 years to build, then 7 years later it burnt down!
- An Carra Standing Stone
- Lochboisdale – not a lot there, but it is the largest town on the island!
- Our Lady of the Isles
The prettiest beaches on the island:
- Stilgarry Beach
- Kilaulay Beach
- Kildonan Beach
Day 5 – Isle of South Uist, Isle Benbecula, Isle of Flodaigh, Isle of Grimsay, and Isle of North Uist
Day 5 was a day of a lot of driving! The weather was pretty rubbish all day long! We had a lot of wind and rain, which meant a lot of views were enjoyed on the road, through the van windows!
We basically started the day on the Isle of South Uist, drove through the Isle of Benbecula, had a little pit stop on the Isle of Flodaigh to stretch our legs, and carried to the Isle of North Uist, driving through the Isle of Grimsay.
All four islands are connected by causeways, making it very easy to travel between one another!
Isle of Bebecula
The Isle of Bebeccula is only a small island, yet ever so beautiful! It’s an island famous for its long military history! The airfield located in the north was originally built during World War II, and became the control centre for the Hebrides rocket range. Today, it now operates as Benbecula Airport.
Here are some of the highlights it has to offer:
- To a walk up Rueval Hill – the highest point on the island!
- Lookout for otters along the causeways.
- If you need to top up with food supplies, there is a little Coop with everything you need!
Isle of Flodaigh
The Isle of Flodaigh is a teeny tiny island! The best way to explore the Isle of Flodaigh is on foot! So park your van or car where it is safe to do so, and get out for a walk along the country lanes!
Isle of Grimsay
The Isle of Grimsay is only a tiny, tidal island. Just 3 miles long, and 1.5 miles wide, yet packed with beautiful scenery! It’s connected to the Isle of Benbecula, and the Isle of North Uist by causeways, making it very accessible!
Unfortunately, because the weather wasn’t on our side, we didn’t stop to explore the Isle of Grimsay. Instead, we just enjoyed the beautiful views from the road!
Day 6: Isle of North Uist
The Isle of North Uist is one of my favourite islands in the Outer Hebrides! This was also when the weather improved for us, so we decided to spend two nights here on the island.
If you are looking for a good campsite, I recommend Moorcroft Holidays. A beautiful campsite, with great views looking across towards the Isle of Grimsay. (Pinned on the map above!)
Here are some of the highlights North Uist has to offer:
- A great family-friendly walk – North Uist Beinn Langais Hike
- Scolpaig Tower
- Watch out for wildlife – we saw deer, stags, and Highland Cattle
- Drive the scenic ring road around North Uist
- Feeling adventurous? Take a hike up Eaval, the highest hill on the island!
- Visit Lochmaddy, the biggest town on the island.
After some pretty beaches?
- Clachan Sands (somewhere you can stay in your campervan overnight with an honesty box)
- Traigh Iar Beach
Isle of Baleshare
If you have a little bit more time on your hands, you could plan a trip across to the Isle of Baleshare. Another little Outer Hebrides island to tick off your list. It’s connected to North Uist via a causeway, making it easily accessible!
Unfortunately, this was an island we didn’t have time for on our trip!
Day 7: Isle of Bernerary and afternoon ferry across the Sound of Harris
Day 7 of our trip didn’t go quite as planned! Orginally, we planned to spend the full day exploring the little island of Bernerary, and catch the ferry across the Sound of Harris the following morning. However, at lunchtime, we received a message from Calmac, informing us that our crossing the following day had been cancelled due to bad weather!
We had a feeling this might happen! There was a big storm coming our way! Thankfully, Calmac was able to fit us on a crossing later that day. However, this meant our time on the Isle of Bernerary was cut short! Nevertheless, we still managed to enjoy some time on the Isle of Bernerary!
The Isle of Bernerary
The Isle of Berneray is a beautiful, but small island! It’s home to two very, picturesque beaches, and one of the best spots in the Outer Hebrides to see seals, close to the shore!
Here are some of the best highlights, the Isle of Bernerary has to offer:
- See the seals at Backhill Village.
- Visit West Beach (also known as Bernerary Beach) – a beach that has won many awards, and is voted the 3rd best beach in Europe!
- Visit East Beach (photo below is of East Beach) – a perfect spot to stay overnight with the campervan (there’s an honesty box to pay), and great location for paddle boarding!
- If you have a full day on the island and are feeling adventurous, walk the Bernerary 7-mile Circular.
Day 8: Isle of Harris & Isle of Lewis
Day 8 was a day of a very wild storm! The first part of the day, it was too windy to even attempt to drive anywhere in our van, so we stayed sheltered and chilled.
In the afternoon, as the wind began to ease, we decided to go for a drive. We decided to leave the Isle of Harris and drove onto the Isle of Lewis. We had a potter around Stornoway, the ‘capital’ of Lewis, stocked up with food at the biggish Tesco’s store, and then got out for a walk around Aline Community Woodland in the rain!
The Isle of Harris and the Isle of Lewis are two islands, which are connected by one land mass!
Day 9 & 10: Isle of Lewis
The Isle of Lewis is one big island with a lot to offer! We spent two and a half days in total on the Isle of Lewis, but you could easily spend a week here!
Here are some of my biggest highlights on what the Isle of Lewis has to offer:
- Stornoway
- Aline Community Woodland
- Mangersta Sea Stacks
- Mangersta Beach
- Calanais Standing Stones
- Gearranen Blackhouse Village
- Garry Beach – one of my favourite beaches of the whole trip! Please note, that you need to plan your visit a low tide to see the incredible stacks and caves!
- Butt of Lewis – supposedly the windiest place in the UK and the most northern point in the Outer Hebrides!
If you are following my guide day by day here’s what we did on each day:
(As mentioned above, we visited Stornoway and Aline Community Woodland on Day 8 of our trip!)
Day 9:
- Mangersta Sea Stacks – we found the footpath not very clear down to the stacks! So we ended up just making our own down!
- Mangersta Beach – visit on a windy day and you will see some very impressive waves coming in off the Atlantic!
- Calanais Standing Stones – great to see but does get busy with coach parties turning up!
- Gearranen Blackhouse Village – to add a little more to your visit, as you reach the bottom end of the village, you can head through the large gate and follow the track down to the beach. Or you can head through the little gate to your right-hand side, and take the path up the hillside. As you head up, you will be rewarded with incredible views!
Day 10:
- Garry Beach – must visit at low tide to see the stacks and caves!
- Butt of Lewis – known as the windiest place in the UK and the northernmost point in the Outer Hebrides!
Camping on the Isle of Lewis
If you are visiting the Isle of Lewis in a campervan, you can pay to stay at a lovely, locally run campsite. One we stayed at, and recommend is Eilean Fraoich Camp Site.
If you prefer the wild camping style, you can pay to stay in a community-owned park-up, where they ask for a small donation per night. You don’t need to book! Just turn up and pop your money in the honesty box.
These park ups are dotted all around the island and can be found on: https://park4night.com/en
Day 11: Isle of Great Bernera
The Isle of Great Bernera is only a little island, but one of my favourites in the Outer Hebrides! It’s connected to the Isle of Lewis by a causeway, making it very accessible! It’s just 8 square miles (21 square km), meaning it can easily be explored in a day!
The Isle of Great Bernera is home to adorable Highland Cattle, gorgeous turquoise waters, rolling hills, and one of the most remote petrol stations we’ve ever filled up our campervan at!
The best way to explore Great Bernera is on foot! You can either walk the long trail, which is found on AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/scotland/na-h-eileanan-an-iar/great-bernera–5?u=m&sh=m7tudq
Or you can follow my route, a shortened version: The Isle of Great Bernera Hike – Shortened Version
Not only will you experience one of the most gorgeous beaches in the Outer Hebrides, Bosta Beach. But also, as you head over the tops of the rolling hills, on a clear day, you will see views for miles and miles!
Day 12, 13 & 14: Isle of Harris
The Isle of Harris, connected to the same land mass as the Isle of Lewis, is home to some of the biggest stretches of beaches I’ve ever seen! If you love a stroll along a beach, you will love the Isle of Harris!
We spent two nights on the Isle of Harris, camping at Horgabost Campsite. It’s a great campsite beside the beach! It’s a perfect spot for watching beautiful sunrises and paddle baord, when the weather is on your side!
If you’re road-tripping around the Isle of Harris in a campervan and wild camping is more your cup of tea, there a plenty of beautiful park-ups to choose from! The Harris Trust just ask for a small donation to park for the night.
To find the park-ups head over to: https://park4night.com/en
Here’s what to see and do on the Isle of Harris:
- Visit Tarbert
- Walk along Luskentyre Beach
- Visit Seilebost Beach (looks spectacular from above)
- Paddle Board at Horgabost Beach
- Drive the Golden Road
Day 14: The Ferry to Uig
Sadly, day 14 marks the end of the two week road trip! To get back to mainland, the Tarbert to Uig (Isle of Skye), is your closest crossing. We booked ourselves on the afternoon crossing and spent the night on the Isle of Skye, before making our way home.
The crossing from Tarbert to Uig takes 1 hour 40 minutes.
Isle of Scalpay
Isle of Scalpay is a small island, located off the east coast of the Isle of Harris. Sadly, we didn’t have time to explore this little Outer Hebride island. However, if you are an early riser, you could always add a trip here on the day of your ferry crossing to Uig!
Hope you have enjoyed my guide and has been helpful towards the planning of your own Outer hebrides road trip!
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