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Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides (5 Days)
From £695
Summary
This extended tour has proved extremely popular, offering as it does a unique opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the Western Isles. Our grand tour takes in all the beauty and diversity of this very special environment with ten different islands and four ferry trips included. Two comfortable hotels ensure that this holiday is as relaxing as possible while at the same time offering great variety and the sense of a true journey of discovery which will live long in the memory.
Our odyssey begins as we travel via Glencoe, Fort William and Glenfinnan to Mallaig. From here we take the ferry to Lochboisdale in South Uist, cross the causeway to Benbecula, the ‘stepping stone’ between the Uists, and continue to our accommodation at the Dark Island Hotel. From here we visit the islands of Eriskay; Vatersay with its fantastic sandy beaches, and Barra, including visits to Cockleshell Beach, used as the island’s airport.
A captivating journey follows as we travel by ferry from Berneray to Leverburgh and continue north through the magnificent mountain scenery of Harris to the Western Isles’ ‘capital’ Stornoway. From our base here at the comfortable Cabarfeidh Hotel we explore the rolling moorland of Lewis, with visits to the remarkable Standing Stones of Callanish, the tranquil little Norse Mill at Shawbost and the distinctive Black Houses at Gearannan. Our return route takes us by ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool.
NC500: Please note that this itinerary features part of the North Coast 500, the highly scenic coastal route which begins and ends in Inverness.
Departure Points
Keeping you safe on your next tour
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FREE 'Travel Safe' kits for every traveller
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Self-drive options
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Enhanced Health and Safety audits
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Distanced seating on coaches
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'Get me home' service and private airport transfers
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COVID protocols at our hotels, and aboard our cruise ships
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Packed lunches and flexible dining options
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Flexible balance payment date and COVID-friendly refund conditions
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COVID-testing and training for tour staff
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Constant monitoring and post-tour tracing
Meet your Experts
Alastair Walker
Tour Manager
A native of Inverness with a rural background, Alastair’s knowledge of Scotland is wide ranging, from the Northern Isles and the Hebrides to Perthshire, Galloway and the Borders.
Your itinerary
Day 1 -
We depart from our designated pick-up points and head north, stopping en-route for refreshments (not included), travelling via Glencoe, Fort William and Glenfinnan to Mallaig. From here we take the ferry to Lochboisdale in South Uist, cross the causeway to Benbecula, the ‘stepping stone’ between the Uists, and continue to our accommodation at the Dark Island Hotel. Dinner will be provided on board the ferry.
| Hotel | Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Dinner |
Day 2 -
After our full Scottish breakfast we will depart for Barra, travelling via the little island of Eriskay, just three miles long and two miles wide, with a great sandy beach known as Prince Charlie’s Bay – Bonnie Prince Charlie having landed here in July 1745. From Eriskay we make the short ferry crossing to Barra and have a tour of the island. We will also visit Cockleshell Beach, the unique runway whose use is governed by the tides. On approaching the airport keep an eye out to the left for the much loved former home of Sir Compton Mackenzie, the author of ‘Whisky Galore’, which is forever associated with the island. In fact, it was on the neighbouring island of Vatersay, which we will visit by means of the causeway linking the two islands, that the classic film adaptation was made. In the course of our tour today we also hope to see some of the hundreds of species of wild flowers that grow on the island, particularly on the machair, the fertile, grassy pastures that lie between the moorland and the sea.
We return via the Eriskay ferry to our hotel, where dinner is served in the evening.
| Hotel | Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Dinner |
Day 3 -
After an early breakfast we check out of the hotel and take the early afternoon ferry from Berneray to Leverburgh at the southern end of Harris and visit St Clement’s Church at Rodel, built on top of an earlier structure in the 16th century by Alasdair Crotach, 8th chief of the Macleods of Harris and Dun Bheagan. The church tombs are among the most spectacular in Scotland. There are outstanding views as we travel along the coast, including the island of Taransay of ‘Castaway’ fame, and the wonderful beaches at Scarasta, Horgabost, Borve and of course Luskentyre, which was voted among the world’s 25 Top Beaches in 2020. We will pause for refreshments (not included) in Tarbert, before continuing through the mountainous countryside of Harris which eventually gives way to the rolling moorland of Lewis. We continue to the island capital of Stornoway and our comfortable accommodation at the Cabarfeidh Hotel, where dinner is served in the evening.
| Hotel | Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Dinner |
Day 4 -
This morning after breakfast we will travel to the west coast of Lewis for a visit to the 5,000 year old Standing Stones of Callanish. Undoubtedly the most remarkable antiquity in the Western Isles, this collection of almost 50 stones forms a well-marked megalithic avenue, comprising 19 monoliths, ending in a circle of 13 stones, with a great cairn at the centre. Entry to the Visitor Centre is included.
From here we move on to the Black Houses at Gearrannan, typical of the crofting settlements which until relatively recently were found throughout the Western Isles.
The final visit on our circular tour is the Norse Mill at Shawbost, a reconstruction of the type of grain mill used originally by Viking settlers and by islanders up until the 1930s. A short walk past a small lochan leads to two beautifully restored little thatched buildings with a fine view to the ocean beyond.
Dinner will be served back at our hotel in the evening.
| Hotel | Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Dinner |
Day 5 -
This morning we check out of the hotel and take the early morning Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool which takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. Breakfast is served on board. We then continue our homeward journey, arriving back at our original pick-up points during the evening.
| Meals included | Breakfast |
|---|
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Accommodation
- Services of a professional tour manager
- Comfortable coach travel throughout
- Meals - as per the itinerary
- Ferry crossings
| Tour Departure | Tour ID | Departure date | Return Date | Guided by | Price | Deposit | Single supplement | Offer | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 March 2022 | BGTO220322 | 22 March 2022 (Tuesday) | 26 March 2022 (Saturday) | Alastair Walker | £695 (ex. flights) |
£100 | £0 | Book your trip | |
| 26 March 2022 | BGTO220326 | 26 March 2022 (Saturday) | 30 March 2022 (Wednesday) | £695 (ex. flights) |
£100 | £0 | Book your trip | ||
| 5 April 2022 | BGTO220405 | 5 April 2022 (Tuesday) | 9 April 2022 (Saturday) | £725 (ex. flights) |
£100 | £200 | Book your trip | ||
| 20 September 2022 | BGTO220920 | 20 September 2022 (Tuesday) | 24 September 2022 (Saturday) | £855 (ex. flights) |
£100 | £200 |
£830 save £25 |
Book your trip | |
| 12 October 2022 | BGTO221012 | 12 October 2022 (Wednesday) | 16 October 2022 (Sunday) | £695 (ex. flights) |
£100 | £200 |
£670 save £25 |
Book your trip |
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