Scottish Isles
Has anyone experience of travelling to the Hebrides in recent years? Without main sites on the islands I was wondering how best to arrange where we stay in our Motorhome... wildcamp or sites? We intend to travel to Harris, Lewis, North & South Uist and Benbecula from May this year Covid permitting.
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We did the trip in 2018 from Ullapool to Lewis, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra and returned to Oban using a Calmac Hopscotch ticket. I suggest you include Barra in your trip - you'll not regret it.
The sites are very good with up to date facilities. Wildcamping is approved in some places and not in others - check the West Harris Trust for beautiful approved but chargeable (£5) places.
There is a ton of info out there on the internet. Sites can be found via UK Campsite and the Visit Hebrides tourist info site.
I have a feeling the islands may be busy this year, along with the north of Scotland and I'm not sure how welcome visitors will be.
My tip is to respect both the landscape and the islanders ways, particularly their Sunday observance practices.
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John and Gill
May I suggest you have a look at Andrew Dittons excellent YouTube videos on the Hebrides. This is a link to the first one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnCY6cizghg you can then follow the series. Lots of practical information from ferries to campsites.
David
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We went to Harris and Lewis October 2020 for 3 weeks. Then, and now, it is expected that you book sites prior to travelling due to covid. We don't normally book anywhere in advance, but we're glad we did. Not only out of respect for the islands and islanders, but because the sites were busy. The other thing to note is that all laundry facilities were closed except for at the site in Stornoway, as were all shower blocks. This was even the case where it said they were open on individual campsite web sites. It was difficult to dispose of toilet waste unless you were staying at a site, whereas normally they will let you for a fee.Islanders were extremely respectful of all covid social distancing measures in shops and on sites etc. Far more so than in England.
We really enjoyed ourselves - l hope my comments help you plan a great trip.
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That's a very different experience from our pre-covid trip, Gibbs. The only site we prebooked was our first stop on Lewis. Others we rang a day or two in advance and were always able to reserve a pitch. Similarly, the only ferry we booked in advance was the outgoing crossing Ullapool to Stornaway, again ringing a day or so beforehand to secure a passage on the others.
I’m glad you enjoyed your trip but, tbh, I don’t think it’d be for me with toilets/showers and laundry facilities closed. It's never going to be easy to empty the toilet cassette off site but the ferry ports usually have emptying points.
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Hi TW, yes we would normally do what you did and just go with the flow - it did feel like a military operation booking sites in advance. I agree about ferry terminals having waste disposal, water and usually showers, but those facilities were all shut too!
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I thoroughly enjoyed the islands - a whole different world. Hopefully life there, and here, can return to something like the normality we remember before too much longer. Meanwhile, I can understand islanders being careful and wary of visitors. Many people have similar feelings in Cornwall.
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Thank you for your comments everyone...going at the end of May we are hopeful that things will begin to open up...but your recommendations are very useful...Cheers. John & Gill
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