Outer Hebrides
Has anyone any useful tips on touring/staying on Outer Hebrides? Where to stay etc.
Comments
-
Its a wonderful part of Scotland. There are many places to stay and see, It is quite an undertaking to tour the whole of the outer Hebrides in one holiday, so if you tell us what Islands you intend to visit on your tour we will do our best to recommend
places.K
0 -
Don't know about the sites and we haven't been to the Scottish islands for a while,and not towing, but the ferries were not 'RoRo's' - you have to reverse on which can be tricky when the ramp is steep because of the tides. Don't know how you'd manage with
a caravan although a motorhome would probably be easier, we have friends who've done it several times! (although with quite a small motorvan). Sorry didn't want to put you off before you've started0 -
We have been there 3 times, we love it. Get in touch with the Western Isles tourist office, and ask them to send you the latest list of crofters who offer camping on their crofts.They will vary in terms of facilities, some will offer EHU, and water, but cassette waste can be a problem, there are disposal points at ALL Cal-Mac ferry ports, but they can be hard to find, ask.(please don't dump anywhere else!!). There are also a few Sites on the islands, some quite good. Again get a list from the Tourist office for the latest list. Our personal favourite is on Barra
Another really good one on North Uist, called Moorcroft.
But best go find your own, best time is Spring ,late May/June. Enjoy. All of the ferries on the main routes ARE ro-ro.
0 -
With reference to Steve's post.
We were there a couple of years ago for the second time with the caravan on tow and there was no need to reverse on any of the ferries. The roads are great for towing much of it single track with frequent passing places. Scenery is fantastic. People are laid back and friendly. Go for it and enjoy !!!!
K
0 -
You may want to check out Andrew Ditton's videos on YouTube - everthing you could posiibly want to know about vanning on the Hebrides and more.
0 -
Look at Calmac for some ideas www.calmac.co.uk (I've visited some of the Inner Hebrides, would love to see more!)
0 -
Decide when to go. Get Cal Mac booklet. Think Midges. Think of driving slowly ( May take you longer than a mainland trip) Ferries are easy.Beware of the wind.None of these should put you off, just a little bit ifferent. If going May/June you should get the
best weather and 20 hours of daylight. I do it in a motorhome so cant comment on lugging0 -
Yes the midges can be a problm in late June,July and August. A number of ferry fares have been drastically reduced this year , in line with those that were reduced a couple of years ago, which makes it much more attractive to visit the Islands.
0 -
Scraper, we toured the Outer Hebrides and Skye in June and June 2014. The blog posts I wrote at the time (with campsite details and costs first) can be seen here: http://wanderinghans.weebly.com/home/category/hebrides
We had absolutely no problems although midges, except on Skye, and the ferries were all substantial boats - no reversing required! The CalMac app is worth downloading if you go, it has up to the minutes details on sailing times, which can change daily with the tides and seasons.
Hope it's of some use.
0 -
Only the really small isles that have ferries that are not caravan friendly. You may find some small islands are not towing friendly either due to poor roads. BUT remember a lot of inhabitants are farmers, so tow stock trailers all the time. "Visit Scotland"
is very helpful, as is the Calmac website. Keep a full tank of fuel as much as possible. The introduction of RET has reduced the fares; good on you Nicola!0 -
Don't know about the sites and we haven't been to the Scottish islands for a while,and not towing, but the ferries were not 'RoRo's' - you have to reverse on which can be tricky when the ramp is steep because of the tides. Don't know how you'd manage with
a caravan although a motorhome would probably be easier, we have friends who've done it several times! (although with quite a small motorvan). Sorry didn't want to put you off before you've startedNot our experience at all. We never had to reverse on.
0 -
We 'did' the OH in June 2014 (best time of year for Scotland IMO). Some observations:
- Don't assume that you can just roll up to a ferry. Pre-book to be safe. And for better value (it's still expensive!) get a block ticket (forget the name). Calmac (the only ferry company) allows dogs in the accommodation (eating areas excepted) which we thought was great - why can't other ferry companies do this?
- Fuel is expensive. A fair number of cashpoints. Except for Stornoway, there are no proper supermarkets, just what elsewhere might be called convenience stores.
- Best place to review OH campsites is http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/ Wild camping is allowed but you need to be careful where you do it. Right next to a cottage is not advised!
- Midges seem less of a problem than on the mainland, though they can still occur.
- Real ale is rarely found. Decent pubs are not abundant.
- If on Barra try to get to the Castlebay Bar on a Saturday night - if you're lucky the Vatersay Boys will be playing; great entertainment.
- Lots of single track roads, but they have passing places and you can see someonecoming from a long way off!
- Luskentyre Beach is impressive.
- Friendly people.
- Scenery varies wildly. Some great beaches. Lots of wildlife. Good place for dogs.
Overall I have to say that, whilst the trip was a great experience, on balance we preferred the mainland.
There's a photo album of our trip here that might give you some feel for it. Enjoy your trip!
0
