Having travelled on many trips to Scotland over the years – including Orkney, Shetland and the Inner Hebrides – the Outer Hebrides, or Western Isles as they are alternatively known, was the last part of Scotland that we had not had the pleasure to visit.
The Outer Hebrides are made up of many inhabited and uninhabited islands, the principal ones being Lewis, Harris, Uists, Benbecula and Barra. Our intention was to drive up to Ullapool on the west coast of Scotland and take the ferry across to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis to start our trip. This was a drive of 636 miles with an estimated drive time of around 11 hours, so we decided to make a stop just outside of Glasgow for the night, at Motherwell which was a mere 400 miles.
The drive to Motherwell was virtually all on the motorway but from Motherwell to Ullapool the roads were very good, but mainly single lanes so the last 200 miles were slower. Part of the route we took from Inverness was on the NC500 – the 516 mile scenic route that goes around the North Coast of Scotland. The NC500 is a nice trip to make as it takes one to parts of Scotland not normally visited by most tourists. We made this trip many years ago before it became the tourist event it is now.
After reaching Ullapool we caught the ferry for the voyage across to Stornoway which takes circa 2hr 40 minutes. Before travelling we had engaged a local travel agent in Stornoway to book us accommodation in the Outer Hebrides as this is limited and in the peak season can be difficult to find. The other peculiarity that travellers to the Outer Hebrides need to be aware of is that, on a Sunday, most shops, petrol stations and restaurants close all day, so if you want to eat you need to book in advance in the few restaurants that do open. It was just like the rest of the UK used to be in the 1950s. Also there is no public transport on a Sunday.
The structure of our trip was to start on the Isle of Lewis and drive down the islands, visiting various historical and cultural sites including the World Heritage Site, St Kilda (Hirta), finishing on the Isle of Barra where we would get the ferry from Castlebay back to Oban on the mainland of Scotland.
Words and photos: Copyright John Cruse 2024. Map courtesy of d-maps.com