# Outer Hebrides



## Julie (Jun 13, 2006)

I've just got back from the Outer Hebrides, from Barra up to Lewis and can add a few wild camping spots to the database, but can't see which section under scotland to put them.
Can you advise please.
Also can provide losts of useful info if anyone needs it.
Jules


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## roifromnwales (Jun 13, 2006)

I would put it under buteshire as that includes rothesay which is inner hebs but i don't know for sure
the info would be welcomed by me if no one else.
diolch yn fawr
roi


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## Julie (Jun 14, 2006)

Hi roi, 
will add the sites when I get change, there were quite a few.
In the mean time here is our basic itinery.

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 £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 £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. £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.
Hope this isn't too long a post and is helpful to you

Just ask if you need any more info

Jules


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## roifromnwales (Jun 14, 2006)

excellent report Julie


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## sagart (Jun 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by roifromnwales_@Jun 13 2006, 10:39 PM
> *I would put it under buteshire as that includes rothesay which is inner hebs but i don't know for sure
> the info would be welcomed by me if no one else.
> diolch yn fawr
> roi*


buteshire! Outer Hebrides at least, Inner Hebrides includes Skye where I stay and sites in this area seem to have gone into Invernesshire - Julie's report is excellent, though there are some additions I must add. Can we get "Outer Hebrides" added to the Scottish section as it makes island hopping more accurate.
Just completed a month from Harris to Lewis and down to Barra...


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## roifromnwales (Jun 26, 2006)

don't shout at me- I'm only a member here not admin.
Buteshire was the closest I could think of from the list


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## virgil (Jun 28, 2006)

<------ Dons hard hat!


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## irenerobbie (Jul 2, 2006)

your reports of  the outer hebrides made  me want to rush straight up there.i did a cycle trip on the islands  (the ferry fair was too expensive for van) and used the Gatliff trust hostels. the hostels are amazing old style hostels, everyone sitting round aga stoves blethering and sharing food and drink. nice if you,re needing some company. the hostels can be used on a day bases for only a few pounds and you have use of all facilities apart  from a bed with most having parking close by(best of both worlds)

i agree the sight needs at least a space for the hebrides if not  inner and outer. the hebrides have so much to offer wild campers, just save up for that ferry fare and the high fuel costs, its worth it.


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## Julie (Jul 19, 2006)

Yes Irene, ferry fare was expensive. we stayed outside one gatlif trust hostel, they are very basic, glad we had the van for sleeping. there were almost too many wild spots to mention in my report, I'm sure there are lots more than we used.
I've emailed admin to request the addition of a hebrides section, but not heard anything. It looks as if the site isn't being actively managed at the moment.
Jules


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## sally green (Jul 25, 2006)

*wild camping in the hebrides*

hi i'm new to the forum but just wanted to pass on our experience of wild camping in the hebrides. we crossed over from uig to isle of lewis at easter and it's one of the best holidays we have ever had (even though ferry was quite expensive). 
from the ferry port we turned left and found dozens of wild camping spots right by the beach. the locals were very friendly and welcoming and one farmer even offered us water and a cup of tea. 
the beaches here are some of the best i have ever seen with white sands and stunning turquoise sea. i sound like a rep for the island but we loved it so much we are going back next week.
the local wildlife is amazing too and we saw deer and dolphins while we were there.


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## cas (Jul 26, 2006)

I spent a night at Kirkwall docks (inner Hebs) then went onto Isle of Sanday were I stayed with friends, the ferries were quite dear and they measured the van


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## andyval (Aug 16, 2006)

Just to support Julie, we've just spent 2 weeks exploring the Outer Hebrides, staying on lots of superb sites and there's nowhere to share our experiences.  Buteshire is less than close to say the least !


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## drbob (Sep 3, 2006)

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.

Phil


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## cas (Sep 3, 2006)

We didn't get measured, despite being borderline 5 metres with two bikes on the back.

Phil[/QUOTE]

I did, on my return from Sanday to Kirkwall I measured in at 5.3 and was charged a couple of pounds extra


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## drbob (Sep 3, 2006)

cas said:
			
		

> drbob said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



  At least it sounds like it didn't cost *too* much.

Although it didn't come to it, I did have the option of putting the bikes inside for the crossing and reducing the van to its native 4.5m. Was yours a busy crossing? None of the ferries we went on were full so maybe they don't bother measuring if it's not actually an issue.

Phil


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## cas (Sep 3, 2006)

drbob said:
			
		

> At least it sounds like it didn't cost *too* much.
> 
> Although it didn't come to it, I did have the option of putting the bikes inside for the crossing and reducing the van to its native 4.5m. Was yours a busy crossing? None of the ferries we went on were full so maybe they don't bother measuring if it's not actually an issue.
> 
> Phil



No it wasnt a busy crossing although the boats are quite small mayb it was because its not a standard van, but i did think it was under 5m


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## dollyannie (Sep 13, 2006)

Julie said:
			
		

> Hi roi,
> will add the sites when I get change, there were quite a few.
> In the mean time here is our basic itinery.
> 
> ...


What kind of transport did you have Julie?


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## Julie (Sep 13, 2006)

Hi there,
we where in an Auto sleeper Harmony, which is a smallish hightop van conversion (transit van size). which has a cassette toilet and washroom.
I think we are just under 3metres in length. we did see a few caravans and even a couple of tents, as well as loads of various sized motorhomes.
There are almost too many stopping places to list here, we saw many possibilities, but I've mostly listed the places we stayed.
Julie


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## Simon_o (Sep 13, 2006)

*Lewis tomorrow*

Off to Hebrides tomorrow , starting at Tarbert eventually leaving from Barra to Oban.  I'm tempted to say I'll make a list too , but would too much info spoil the fun ?  I'm very re assured hearing about friendly locals , easy wild camping , and some basic info on water and cdp's is great , but to the newbie (me included) a bit of info on good spots is very welcome.

Anyways my first Hebrides trip , can't wait.


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## ashbyspannerman (Sep 14, 2006)

wish i was there right now, we had a lovely time in the outer hebrides in july http://groups.msn.com/scotland2006intheiveco/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=180


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## steve4kay (Sep 30, 2006)

hi there sally...what time of year did you go and what was the midge situation like...stev4kay


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## Rhona (Oct 5, 2006)

*Western Isles*

We are recently back from the western isles, this being our second trip.  I looked at the site before we left and we used some of the info.  We had our first night on Erisky and found a great spot just past the second cemetry, with a great view of the sea and South Uist and of course Barra.  Bernary was lovely and we camped on the west side near a lovely beach that we had to ourselves, very stormy that night but we were well sheltered. Horgabost beach on Harris where we had stayed previously was very disappointing as the toilets had been knocked down and the area was littered with rubbish.  Spoke to one of the locals and there are plans develop the site again.  At the end of the road to Luskentyre we found new public toilets beside the new cemetry but ask about funerals as the road is very narrow.  The beach was lovely and again no-one else in sight.  The 10 days we had on the islands were so good and we felt very relaxed.  Got caught out with the lack of shops again on the road from Butt of Lewis to Uig but the Uig community shop was open and we stocked up before settling for 3 days at Kneep.  This was a great find and we really enjoyed the walks around this area, plus the luxury of a shower.  Hope this helps for your trips to Outer Hebrides if you need more info about camping spots I will check map references.  But you will never be short of a beautiful spot to camp overnight and the views are stunning, we have never seen the sea with such beautiful colours.  Took ages to speed up to mainland life when we got home.


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## steve4kay (Aug 24, 2008)

there will soon (october 19) be a new fare structure subsidised by the scottish government that will reduce the fares dramatically thereby opening up a lot of opportunities for camperer visits.


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## sagart (Aug 28, 2008)

steve4kay said:


> there will soon (october 19) be a new fare structure subsidised by the scottish government that will reduce the fares dramatically thereby opening up a lot of opportunities for camperer visits.



http://www.calmac.co.uk/ret-road-equivalent-tariff.html rather takes the edge off this.

To quote "All three of the mainland to Outer Hebrides routes will feature in the pilot exercise, which has been developed by consultants on behalf of the Scottish Government: from Stornoway to Ullapool (52 miles), from Uig to Tarbert (29miles) and Uig to Lochmaddy (29 miles), from Oban to Castlebay and Lochboisdale (89 miles) and the service from Oban to Coll and Tiree (59.7 miles). 



The two inter-island services operated by CalMac across the Sounds of Harris and Barra in the Outer Hebrides will not feature in the pilot. The fares for the inter-island legs (between Castlebay and Lochboisdale and Tarbert to Lochmaddy) will not be at RET rates but will be set at the same level as the fares on the Sounds of Barra and Harris. The length of each route to be used in the calculation of the RET fare has been determined by the consultants. CalMac will calculate the new fares on the basis of the information and data supplied by the consultant. 

Why have other island areas not been included in the pilot scheme? 

There are two reasons. Firstly, the SNP manifesto commitment was to introduce a pilot scheme for routes to and from the Outer Hebrides. Second is the matter of affordability. The finance available (£22.5million in 2008-9, 9-10, 10-11) has been approved in the recent Scottish Government Spending Review and Budget".

Our "local" ferries, Skye-Raasay and Armadale to Mallaig are not involved while the first on cost per journey mile is probably the most expensive in the Calmac fleet.


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## Davesport (Aug 28, 2008)

I'm at work & don't have an atlas here. Can anyone tell me how many driving miles it is from Loch Boisdale up to Stornoway please ?

Many thanks, Dave.

NB. Very usefull link & thanks for posting


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## Julie (Aug 28, 2008)

Davesport said:


> I'm at work & don't have an atlas here. Can anyone tell me how many driving miles it is from Loch Boisdale up to Stornoway please ?
> 
> Many thanks, Dave.
> 
> NB. Very usefull link & thanks for posting




Just put this in multimap and it comes up with  110.46 miles
about 5 hours 7 minutes to travel, I'd add a bit more travel time due to single track roads.

Jules


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## Davesport (Aug 29, 2008)

Thank you Jules.

I've got a short 4 day window of opportunity to get away soon. I suspect I won't have enough time to do the Western Isles justice. I might have a look at Arran instead. 

Many thanks, Dave.


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## Julie (Aug 29, 2008)

Arran would be an excellent choice for a short break. It was one of our first trips to scotland.
we didn't wild camp as there were a couple of good campsites ( seal shore and Lochranza) and just enough to see in 4 days.
Jules


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