Duration:
5 days
Activity Level:
Today's Price:
£695
Autumn is an exhilarating time of year to visit the Outer Hebrides when the westerly winds can whip up the ocean into a spectacular display of crashing waves and foaming surf.
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.
What's included?
- Accommodation
- Services of a professional tour manager
- Comfortable coach travel throughout
- Meals - as per the itinerary
- Ferry crossings
Tour details
| Dates | 31 March 2020 - 4 April 2020 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 days |
| Cost |
Today's Price
£695 |
| Activity Level | |
| Tour code | BWGTO520A |
Departure Points
| Location | Depart | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Perth | 0745 | 1600 |
| Kinross | 0810 | 1630 |
| Dunfermline | 0830 | 1645 |
| Edinburgh | 0900 | 1715 |
| Glasgow | 1045 | 1830 |
Subject to minimum numbers, the following pick-up will be served by feeder coach and passengers will join/leave in Perth:
Dundee 0715 / 1630
Please note while we are unable to pick up in Inverness on Day 1 we can drop off there on the last day (1100 approx).
Please note all timings are approximate and may be changed. They will be confirmed when the joining instructions are sent out, approximately 10 days prior to departure.
Book Now or call 01334 657155 if you have any questions
31 March 2020: Itinerary
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.
Meals include: Dinner
Hotel: Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula
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, including a visit by boat to Kisimul Castle, the only surviving medieval castle in the Western Isles and the seat of the Clan MacNeil. The castle features a great hall, kitchen, chapel, dungeon and 60-foot tower, together with a shop. 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.
Meals include: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula
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 Horgabost, Borve and Scarasta. 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.
Meals include: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway
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.
Meals include: Breakfast, Dinner
Hotel: Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway
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 include: Breakfast
31 March 2020: Additional Info
31 March 2020: Accommodation
Located in the heart of the Hebrides with easy access for day trips to Harris and Lewis in the north and Eriskay and Barra in the south.
Situated 300m from a secluded beach. "Machair" tracks close to the hotel entice you to stroll though the profusion of wild flowers, listening to corncrakes, oystercatchers and lapwings.
Our cuisine offers the finest and freshest of local produce from local crab, lobster and peat smoked salmon to the best of venison, Highland beef and island lamb. Our menus change regularly to match the seasons and local landings. Vegetarian and other special diets are catered for.
There is a choice of family, double, twin-bedded and single rooms in three standards - deluxe, standard and economy. All our rooms include colour TV, radio, tea and coffee making facilities hair dryers and en suite bathrooms.
The hotel is fully licensed with a fine selection of malt and deluxe whisky, a well balanced wine list and a choice of Hebridean ales.
This property is 9 minutes walk from the beach. Set within in its own attractive gardens, this modern 4-star hotel is ideally located on the outskirts of Stornoway, just across the road from the golf course leading onto historic Lews Castle grounds.
Rightly known as 'Stornoway's finest hotel', the Cabarfeidh (pronounced cab-ar-fay) provides a relaxing base for both business and leisure travellers. It is also bookable for functions or meals in the Solas Restaurant.
There’s a diverse range of shops, serving local and tourist needs. Visitor attractions include an excellent museum of local history, the Lewis Loom Centre where you can learn about the history of Harris Tweed and the delightful grounds of Lews Castle.