Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Scotland's Outer Hebrides: Lewis, Harris and the Uists
8 days from Inverness: the ferry to Stornoway, the Calanais stones and the blackhouses of Lewis, the beaches and tweed of Harris, the machair of North Uist, then Skye and back.
8 days · Round trip from Inverness · up to 12 guests
The Loch Seaforth coming into Stornoway harbour Photo: Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stornoway,_October_2017_(23)_(36952825613).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Inverness
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3.5 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Mostly easy walking of 2 to 3 hours a day on paths, beaches, machair grass and uneven ground at the stones and brochs, often in wind. The longest optional walks are the Luskentyre sands (about 5 km on firm sand) and the climb of Chaipaval above Northton (about 3 km and 365 m of ascent); both can be sat out. Three ferry crossings of 1 to 2.75 hours.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,075 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- The CalMac crossing of the Minch from Ullapool to Stornoway, watching for dolphins and gannets
- The Calanais stones in the late afternoon, after the day visitors have gone
- A peat fire burning in the Arnol Blackhouse and the thatched village at Gearrannan
- The cliffs and lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis, the northern tip of the Hebrides
- White sand and turquoise water at Luskentyre and Seilebost
- A Harris Tweed weaver at work on the loom in a croft house
- The ferry through the reefs of the Sound of Harris, then the flowering machair at Balranald
- Gaelic songs and music on North Uist, then the crossing to Skye
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,075 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3.5 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Inverness to Ullapool
Inverness to Rogie Falls and Corrieshalloch Gorge, then Ullapool
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Ullapool
- Drive about 1.5 h
Afternoon
We meet you at Inverness Airport or the railway station in the early afternoon and drive west across the Highlands on the road to Ullapool. The first stop is Rogie Falls near Contin, a short woodland walk to a suspension bridge where, in summer, salmon try to leap the falls. Further on, Corrieshalloch Gorge is a slot about 60 m deep cut by the River Droma, with the Falls of Measach dropping beneath a Victorian suspension bridge and a viewing platform hanging over the drop. Ullapool sits on the shore of Loch Broom, a fishing village laid out in the 1780s, and the CalMac ferry to Stornoway sails from its pier.
Evening
After you check in, your See Sight Tours guide walks the group along the harbour front, then we sit down to a welcome dinner of west coast seafood and go over the week: three ferries, what the weather can change, and what to keep in your day bag.
Included
- Pick-up at Inverness Airport (INV) or Inverness railway station
- Rogie Falls with your guide
- Corrieshalloch Gorge and the Falls of Measach
- Harbour walk in Ullapool and welcome briefing
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free time in Ullapool before dinner
Activity: Arrive in Inverness by about 1 pm to join the drive. The gorge viewpoints are reached by short, steep paths. A deliberately light first night: about 1.5 hours of driving, dinner in the village and an early night before the ferry.
Across the Minch to Lewis, and the Calanais stones
Ullapool by CalMac ferry to Stornoway, then Lews Castle and the Calanais Standing Stones
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Stornoway
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive onto the CalMac ferry for the crossing of the Minch to Stornoway, about two hours and three quarters. On a fair day it is worth staying on deck as the boat leaves Loch Broom: dolphins, porpoises and diving gannets are often seen, and the Summer Isles lie off to the north.
Afternoon
Lunch is on board. Stornoway is the only town in the Outer Hebrides, and the place where you will first hear Gaelic in the shops. After checking in we walk the harbour front and the wooded grounds of Lews Castle. In the late afternoon, when the day visitors have left, we drive west across the moor to Calanais, where a cross of standing stones about 5,000 years old stands on a ridge above Loch Roag, with smaller stone circles on the knolls nearby.
Evening
We give the stones an unhurried visit, with time to walk among them, sit, and walk out to one of the smaller circles, and are back in Stornoway by early evening.
Included
- CalMac ferry Ullapool to Stornoway with our vehicle
- Lunch on board
- Harbour and Lews Castle grounds walk with your guide
- The Calanais Standing Stones in the late afternoon, with time for a smaller circle nearby
More active option: Walk the longer woodland loop in the Lews Castle grounds before the drive to Calanais.
Free time: Evening free in Stornoway
Activity: The crossing takes about 2 hours 45 and can be rough; take seasickness tablets if you need them. If wind cancels the sailing we take the next one, and your guide reworks the Lewis days around it.
Blackhouses, a broch and the Butt of Lewis
Stornoway to Dun Carloway and Gearrannan, then Arnol, Ness and the Butt of Lewis, and back to Stornoway
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Stornoway
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Stornoway at about 8.30 for the west side and the far north of Lewis. First is Dun Carloway, an Iron Age broch about 2,000 years old whose double drystone walls still stand over 9 m high on a knoll above the sea. Below it, at Gearrannan, the community has restored a village of thatched blackhouses where crofting families lived until the 1970s, with a weaver's loom in the museum. At Arnol the blackhouse at number 42 is kept as it was lived in, with a peat fire burning in the middle of the floor and no chimney.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Ness, the most northerly district, and then we drive the last few kilometres to the Butt of Lewis, where a red-brick lighthouse stands above cliffs, sea stacks and nesting fulmars. Back in Stornoway by about 4 pm, we visit Museum nan Eilean at Lews Castle before it closes: the islands' story, and pieces of the Lewis chessmen, found at Uig in 1831, when they are on display.
Evening
The evening is yours along the harbour.
Included
- Dun Carloway Broch with your guide
- Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, entry included
- The Arnol Blackhouse, entry included
- Sit-down lunch in Ness
- The Butt of Lewis cliffs and lighthouse
- Museum nan Eilean at Lews Castle, Stornoway, in the late afternoon
Easier option: Stay in the van at the Butt of Lewis car park, which looks straight out to the lighthouse, instead of walking the cliff top.
More active option: Walk the cliff path from the Butt of Lewis lighthouse to the beach at Port Stoth and back, about 2 km.
Free time: Evening free in Stornoway
Activity: We leave at about 8.30; this is the longest day on Lewis, about 3.25 hours of driving split into short legs between stops. About 2.5 hours on foot, on uneven ground at the broch and grass on the cliffs. Stay well back from the edges at the Butt; the wind is strong.
Over the hills to Harris and Luskentyre
Stornoway to North Harris and Tarbert, then Luskentyre and Seilebost
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tarbert, Harris
- Drive about 2 h
Lewis and Harris are one island, but the road south shows where they change. Past Loch Seaforth the land rises into the bare granite hills of North Harris, with the Clisham, at 799 m the highest point in the Outer Hebrides, beside the road. We drop down to Tarbert, the small port on the narrow neck between North and South Harris, and check in to our base for two nights.
Afternoon
Lunch is on the west side, and then we spend the afternoon on the beaches the islands are known for: Luskentyre, a wide sweep of white shell sand and shallow turquoise water facing the hills of Taransay, and Seilebost across the estuary, where the tide drains out across the sands. We give it the whole afternoon, so you can walk the length of the beach or sit in the dunes.
Evening
We are back in Tarbert in time for a free evening.
Included
- Drive through North Harris past the Clisham
- Sit-down lunch on west Harris
- Luskentyre beach with your guide
- Seilebost beach
Optional experiences
- A tour of the Isle of Harris Distillery in Tarbert, booked at a set price when you book
Easier option: Stay at the Seilebost end, where the beach is a few steps from the road.
More active option: Walk the length of Luskentyre sands to the dunes at the far end and back, about 5 km on firm sand.
Free time: Evening free in Tarbert
Activity: We leave Stornoway at about 9. Swimming is possible for the brave; the sea stays around 12 to 13 C in summer.
A Harris Tweed weaver, the Golden Road and Rodel
Tarbert to a weaver's croft, then the Golden Road to Rodel, Northton and Scarista, and back to Tarbert
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tarbert, Harris
- Drive about 2 h
Harris Tweed is the only fabric protected by its own Act of Parliament: it must be handwoven by islanders in their own homes in the Outer Hebrides, from wool dyed and spun on the islands.
Morning
This morning we visit a weaver at work on the loom in a croft house, see the pedals and the shuttle at speed, and hear how a length of cloth gets the Orb stamp. Then we follow the Golden Road down the east coast of South Harris, a single-track road twisting between bare rock and small lochs, named, the story goes, for what it cost to build. At Rodel, St Clement's Church holds the carved tomb of Alasdair Crotach MacLeod, built in the early 16th century.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the south of the island. We come back up the west side past the beaches at Northton and Scarista, and are in Tarbert by mid-afternoon for free time.
Included
- A Harris Tweed weaver at work on the loom
- The Golden Road along the east coast of South Harris
- St Clement's Church, Rodel
- Sit-down lunch in south Harris
- Northton and Scarista beaches
Easier option: Stay on Northton beach while the others climb Chaipaval.
More active option: Climb Chaipaval above Northton, about 3 km and 365 m of ascent; on a clear day St Kilda shows on the horizon.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Tarbert
Activity: Tweed is on sale at the weaver's and in Tarbert; buying is entirely up to you.
The Sound of Harris to North Uist and a Gaelic evening
Tarbert to Leverburgh, CalMac ferry to Berneray, then Balranald and Barpa Langass on North Uist
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in North Uist
- Drive about 2 h
We drive south to Leverburgh for the ferry across the Sound of Harris, about an hour, which weaves between reefs and low islands on a course marked with buoys. We land on Berneray, linked to North Uist by a causeway, and walk out to its west beach, several kilometres of empty sand. North Uist is flat and half water, a maze of lochs, and its west coast is edged with machair, the grassland on shell sand that flowers in early summer with clover, orchids and buttercups.
Afternoon
After lunch we walk at the RSPB reserve at Balranald, where corncrakes call from the iris beds from May to July, though they are seldom seen. On the way to our hotel we stop at Barpa Langass, a Neolithic chambered cairn on a hillside.
Evening
In the evening, over dinner, local musicians and singers share Gaelic songs and tunes; Gaelic is still the everyday language of many people here.
Included
- CalMac ferry Leverburgh to Berneray with our vehicle
- Berneray west beach
- Sit-down lunch on North Uist
- RSPB Balranald and the machair with your guide
- Barpa Langass chambered cairn
- Gaelic evening of songs and music with dinner
Easier option: Take the short path from the Balranald visitor hut to the shore instead of the full loop.
More active option: Walk the full Balranald machair and coast loop, about 5 km.
Free time: Free time at the hotel before the Gaelic evening
Activity: The Sound of Harris crossing is the most weather-sensitive of the three. If it cannot sail, we drive back to Tarbert for the ferry to Uig on Skye and skip North Uist. The single night on North Uist is kept light: we check in by late afternoon, and the evening is the music and dinner.
Lochmaddy to Uig and the north of Skye
Lochmaddy by CalMac ferry to Uig, then Kilmuir and Duntulm, Staffin and Portree
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Portree
- Drive about 1.5 h
From Lochmaddy the CalMac ferry crosses the Little Minch to Uig on Skye in about an hour and three quarters, with the cliffs of Waternish and Trotternish rising ahead; sailing times vary by day and are confirmed with your itinerary.
Afternoon
After lunch on your own in Uig we drive north to the Skye Museum of Island Life at Kilmuir, a group of thatched cottages showing how crofters lived about a century ago. On the hill above is the grave of Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape after Culloden by taking him from the Uists to Skye, the same water you crossed this morning. We go round the tip of Trotternish past the ruin of Duntulm Castle, then down the east coast by Staffin to Portree, Skye's main town, arriving in the late afternoon.
Evening
The farewell dinner is in Portree. Our Highlands and Skye trip covers the Storr, the Quiraing and Dunvegan in full.
Included
- CalMac ferry Lochmaddy to Uig with our vehicle
- Skye Museum of Island Life, Kilmuir, entry included
- Flora MacDonald's grave
- Duntulm Castle viewpoint
- Farewell dinner in Portree
Free time: Free time in Portree before dinner
Activity: A light day before the drive home: about 1.25 hours of driving after the ferry, and free time in Portree before dinner. If wind stops the Lochmaddy sailing, we stay a second night on the Uists and take the next crossing; day 8 then moves back a day and Eilean Donan may come later in the morning.
Eilean Donan and back to Inverness
Portree to the Skye Bridge and Eilean Donan Castle, then Glen Shiel, Loch Ness and Inverness
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
We leave Portree after breakfast and cross the Skye Bridge to the mainland. Eilean Donan Castle stands on a small tidal island where three sea lochs meet, reached by a stone footbridge; the castle was ruined in 1719 and rebuilt in the early 20th century, and we go in close to opening, before the coaches arrive from Skye.
Afternoon
Then we drive up Glen Shiel between the steep ridges known as the Five Sisters of Kintail, through Glen Moriston and along the shore of Loch Ness, with a stop to stretch your legs and buy lunch on the way. We reach Inverness in the early afternoon, dropping you at the railway station or the airport. Book a flight from Inverness leaving after about 4.30 pm, or a train after about 3 pm.
Evening
Because a ferry cancellation earlier in the week can push the timings back, a flexible ticket or a night in Inverness is the safer plan.
Included
- Eilean Donan Castle, entry included
- Glen Shiel and Loch Ness on the drive
- Drop-off at Inverness railway station or Inverness Airport (INV)
Activity: We leave Portree at about 8.30 to reach Eilean Donan near opening. Book a flight from Inverness leaving after about 4.30 pm, or a train after about 3 pm.
- Invernessstart
- Ullapool1 night
- Stornoway2 nights
- Tarbert, Harris2 nights
- North Uist1 night
- Portree1 night
- Invernessend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May to September brings long days, up to about 18 hours of daylight in June, and 10 to 17 C with wind and showers that pass quickly. The machair flowers are at their best from about June to July, and corncrakes call at Balranald mostly from May to July. Dolphins, porpoises and gannets are often seen from the Minch ferry. Midges come out on still days from June to August. High wind can stop the ferries, so each crossing has a plan B.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have done the Highlands and Skye and want the islands beyond
- Beaches, prehistoric stones and crofting life rather than cities
- People who like ferries and do not mind weather changing the plan
- Solo travellers who want a fair single price and a small group
Not for you if you want
- Anyone on a tight schedule home: a ferry cancellation can add a day
- Travellers who want nightlife or large hotels with many facilities
- Anyone who wants a warm, dry summer
- Travellers who want Edinburgh and the classic Highlands (see our Highlands and Skye trip)
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Ullapool1 night
- Stornoway2 nights
- Tarbert, Harris2 nights
- North Uist1 night
- Portree1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Ullapool, 2 in a central hotel in Stornoway, 2 in Tarbert on Harris, 1 on North Uist, 1 in a central hotel in Portree
- On Harris and North Uist, small hotels or guesthouses; the group may be split between two neighbouring places
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Inverness Airport (INV) or Inverness railway station
- A private vehicle and driver for the whole trip, sized for 7 to 12 guests and single-track island roads
- CalMac ferry Ullapool to Stornoway with the vehicle
- CalMac ferry Leverburgh to Berneray with the vehicle
- CalMac ferry Lochmaddy to Uig with the vehicle
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, on every ferry and every walk
Activities
- Rogie Falls and Corrieshalloch Gorge, Wester Ross
- The Calanais Standing Stones, Lewis
- Dun Carloway Broch, Lewis
- Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, Lewis
- The Arnol Blackhouse, Lewis
- The Butt of Lewis
- Museum nan Eilean at Lews Castle, Stornoway
- Luskentyre and Seilebost beaches, Harris
- A visit to a Harris Tweed weaver at the loom, Harris
- The Golden Road and St Clement's Church, Rodel, Harris
- Berneray west beach
- RSPB Balranald and Barpa Langass, North Uist
- A Gaelic evening of songs and music, North Uist
- Skye Museum of Island Life and Flora MacDonald's grave, Skye
- Eilean Donan Castle
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 lunches (on the Stornoway ferry, Ness, west Harris, south Harris, North Uist)
- 3 dinners (welcome dinner in Ullapool, the Gaelic evening on North Uist, farewell dinner in Portree)
Not included
- International flights and travel to Inverness
- UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), if you need one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Isle of Harris Distillery tour
- Personal expenses, including Harris Tweed you choose to buy
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,075 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights (Ullapool, two in Stornoway, two on Harris, North Uist and Portree), 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners, all three CalMac ferries with our vehicle, a private vehicle and driver, pick-up and drop-off in Inverness, every entry in the day plan, the weaver visit, the Gaelic evening and your See Sight Tours guide throughout.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That keeps the vehicle small enough for single-track island roads and ferry decks, fits a weaver's croft and a village hall evening, and lets everyone sit at one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Inverness and back, on every ferry and every walk. A driver drives our vehicle, and on Harris and North Uist you meet local people: a Harris Tweed weaver and Gaelic musicians and singers.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Most days have 2 to 3 hours of easy walking on paths, beaches and grass, often in wind, with some uneven ground at the stones and brochs. The longer walks on Luskentyre sands and up Chaipaval are optional, and you can sit out any part of a day.
I'm travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,075 more, shown when you book. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure and pay nothing else extra. Island hotels have few single rooms, so book early for May to September.
When is the best time to go to the Outer Hebrides?
May to September. June and July have the longest days and the machair in flower; May and September are often drier and have fewer midges. It is never hot: expect 10 to 17 C, wind and passing showers, and plan for at least one wet day.
What happens if a ferry is cancelled?
Your guide changes the plan on the day. If the Ullapool sailing is cancelled we take the next one; if the Sound of Harris ferry cannot sail we go from Tarbert to Uig instead; if the Uig sailing is stopped we stay another night on the Uists. That is why we suggest a flexible ticket home.
Is everything closed on Sundays on Lewis and Harris?
Mostly, yes. Lewis and Harris keep a quiet Sunday, and most shops, cafes and sites close. Our departures, small group and private, start on a Sunday in Inverness, so the island days fall from Monday to Friday. Museum nan Eilean also closes on Mondays, so we visit it on the Tuesday; we confirm every opening day at booking.
Do I need a visa for Scotland?
Not a visa for most visitors, but many, including Canadians and Americans, need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they fly to the UK. It is applied for online; check the UK government site for your nationality before you book flights.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicle and driver. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the ferries, hotels and visits.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 5,960 per person sharing, with taxes.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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