Where to meet

We will depart promptly at 8 am from the Argyll Hotel in Glasgow.

Once we have collected all of our tour participants, we will make our way for Ullapool where we will catch the ferry to Stornoway on the Island of Lewis. Stornoway is where we will make our base for 2 nights. You will check-in at Lews Castle or the Gearrannan Blackhouses around 8 pm depending on the ferry arrival.

Important Information:

• Ferry travel to Stornoway is included in the tour price.

• The Ferry journey is around 2 and a half hours long.

• There will be no set visits to any attractions on the journey to Ullapool apart from a few rest and comfort stops as required.

The accommodation in Lews Castle and Gearrannan Blackhouses is based on sharing. If you would like a single occupancy rate, please let us know and will let you know the difference in cost.

Where to meet:

• We will collect you at your accommodation at 9 am

We will spend this day exploring the Island of Lewis:

How the day will go:

• Ardroil Sands (Beach). A breathtaking beach where they uncovered the famous Lewis Chessmen. We will spend around an hour here (bathroom facilities available)

• We will then continue on our journey to the Calanais Standing Stones (*1). We will stay around an hour here and there are bathroom facilities available as well as a small cafeteria. (entrance to the museum exhibition included).

• After our trip to the standing stones, we will continue to the Dun Carloway Broch. This is an exceptional bronze age structure. There is also a small gift shop here.

• The next stop will be at the Blackhouse, Arnol. We will stay here for around 45 minutes and there are bathroom facilities and a small visitor centre. (entrance included)

• Our last stop on the day will be at the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse for some of the most breathtaking views on the island. We will stay here for around 30 minutes.

• Finally, we will make the return to Stornoway for around 5 pm.

Evening Activity:

A fun evening organised by Àdhamh Ó Broin and a local.

Important Information:

• * There is more than one Calanais stones site, we will visit the site known as Calanais I.

• The weather, even in August can be very blustery with a wind chill factor. It is advisable to bring warm hats, closed comfortable footwear (especially for walking on the beach) and layered clothing – the moment the wind stops, the temperature can increase quite considerably.

Where to meet

• You will check out of your accommodation where we will collect you from. We will start our pickups at 8.30 am.

We will spend this day exploring the Island of Harris whilst making our  way to the Isle of Benbecula:

How the day will go:

• Our first stop on the tour will be at the Harris Distillery, Tarbert. Here you can take their phenomenal tour explaining “the Hearach”, Harris Culture and that all-important Harris Gin.  The tour lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes and is a very worthwhile edition for everyone, those who like a wee dram and those who do not. The cultural and historical significance of the site is well explained and the tour is very informative and engaging. (distillery tour included in price). After the distillery tour, you will have the ability to see a little bit of Tarbert for a further 45 minutes. There is often a craft fair in the community centre (not guaranteed) where you can meet and purchase from local crafters and a fantastic Harris Tweed Shop across from the distillery. We will also stop for lunch at the Tarbert Hotel for around 1 hour.

• We will then continue to the Harris Tweed (Clò-Mòr) and Knitwear Exhibition. We will spend around 40 minutes here and there is a fantastic Harris Tweed Shop where you can purchase Harris Tweed items.

• After our trip to the exhibition centre, we will continue to  Luskentyre Beach.  There are public toilets in the area if anyone should need to use the facilities. We will have an hour here to explore. If the Donald (the Luskentyre weaver) is in, you can see him in action. This is not guaranteed however as this is dependent on his schedule.

• The next stop will be at St Clements Church at Rodel. We will stay here for around 1 hour to enjoy the ruins and the graveyard. There are bathroom facilities here.

• Finally, we will make our way for Leverburgh where we will catch the last ferry to Berneray on North Uist.

• Once on North Uist, we will make the hour journey to Benbecula where we will base ourselves for 2 nights. We should arrive at Nunton House Hostel for around 8.30 pm.

Evening Activity:

No evening activity planned for this date.

Important Information:

• Ferry travel to Berneray is included in the tour price.

• The Ferry journey is around 1 hour long.

• The time allocations in the itinerary are set to a maximum. We may well take less time while we are there due to weather etc however we cannot stay longer due to our ferry departure time. The timings have been set at a very healthy level and at no point will any stop feel rushed.

• We stay with the MacPhee’s at the Nunton House Hostel. The hostel is a 5-star facility with washing facilities and 4 ensuite rooms with 4 beds in each room (2 x bunk beds). If this is unsuitable, the alternative is their Bed and Breakfast Ceann na Pairc or the Borve Bed and Breakfast a few miles up the road. Please contact us for the difference this will be in cost.

Where to meet

• We will depart at 9 am from Nunton House

We will spend this day exploring the Island of Benbecula:

How the day will go:

• On this day, we will take part in walking a section of the Hebridean Way (Section E). The walk is moderate to easy and will be a 3-hour walk (with stops). (We will start the walk from the Nunton House).

• We will return back to our accommodation for around 5 pm in time for our evening activities. For those who do not wish to participate in the walk, you can have a lazy day relaxing. Gillebride MacMillan will be coming with us for the walk and be with us for the evening activities.

Evening Activity:

A fun evening with Gillebride.

Important Information:

• The walk is moderate however a good level of fitness is required to complete the walk.

• The weather, even in August can be very blustery with a wind chill factor. It is advisable to bring warm hats, closed comfortable footwear (especially for walking on the beach) and layered clothing – the moment the wind stops, the temperature can increase quite considerably.

Where to meet

• You will check out of accommodation and we will depart at 9.30am

We will spend the day exploring the Islands of South Uist and Eriskay on the “Bonnie Prince Charlie” Trail before making our way to the island of Barra.

How the day will go:

• Our first stop on the tour will be at Hebridean Jewellery, Bualadubh. Here you can browse and or purchase some beautiful Celtic jewellery. (stay here for 20 minutes)

• Our next stop will be at the Ormacleit Castle – This is a ruin so great care is needed here as it is both on private property and climbing in certain sections would be considered dangerous. You can only see it from the roadside.

• We will then continue to Kildonan Museum which holds over 10,000 items related to the social, domestic and cultural history of South Uist. We will spend around 1 hour here. There is a gift shop, cafe and toilets here.

• After our trip to the museum, we will continue on to Flora MacDonald’s Birthplace.  There are no public toilets here. We will spend around 30 minutes here. (walking required)

• Finally we will make our way for Eriskay where we will catch the last ferry to Barra. Eriskay is a natural delight itself, made world famous when the SS Politician sank in 1941 and her precious whisky cargo “disappeared”. We will have a late lunch at the Politician Bar and Restaurant before making our way to the ferry. If we are lucky, we will get a chance to see the Eriskay Ponies – wild ponies of which there are only 400 left in the world. This is not guaranteed but keep your eyes peeled. After lunch you will have some free time to explore with Gillebride and Àdhamh on hand for some stories. (Or you can just sit in the pub.)

• We will arrive at Castlebay where we will all be staying for around 7.30pm. We will be staying at the Craigard Hotel and the Castlebay Hotel.

Evening Activity:

No evening activity planned for this date.

Important Information:

• Ferry travel to Barra is included in the tour price.

• The Ferry journey is around 40 minutes long.

• The time allocations in the itinerary are set to a maximum. We may well take less time while we are there due to weather etc however we cannot stay longer due to our ferry departure time. The timings have been set at a very healthy level and at no point will any stop feel rushed.

• The accommodation on Barra is based on sharing at the Craigard and Castlebay Hotels. If you would like an alternative, please contact us and we can advise on the costs.

Where to meet

• We will depart at 10 am from the Craigard Hotel to start the Heavel from Castle Bay Walk.

We will enjoy the first part of the day hiking and the remainder with free time before our final dinner and early evening entertainment.

How the day will go:

• The Heavel walk takes us to the highest summit on Barra and is fairly easy however a section of the climb is quite steep. It will take us around 3 hours to complete.

• After the hike, you can enjoy some free time for the rest of the day.

Evening Activity:

A fun evening organised by Àdhamh Ó Broin TBC closer to the date.

Important Information:

• The walk is moderate however a good level of fitness is required to complete the walk.

• The weather, even in August can be very blustery with a wind chill factor. It is advisable to bring warm hats, closed comfortable footwear (especially for walking on the beach) and layered clothing – the moment the wind stops, the temperature can increase quite considerably. the beach) and layered clothing – the moment the wind stops, the temperature can increase quite considerably.

Where to meet

• You will check out of accommodation and we will depart at 6.30am

We will spend this day making our way back to Glasgow. 

How the day will go:

• We are making our way back to the mainland. It is a very long ferry journey (4 hours and 30 mins).

• We will arrive into Oban for around 12:45. We will have lunch in the town and some free time for those who wish to visit the distillery, grab some lunch or for a spot of shopping. We will spend 1 hour here.

• After our time in Oban, we will make our way to Kilchurn Castle. We will stay here for 1 hour.

• Finally we will make our way back to Glasgow for 5 or 6pm (traffic depending). Our drop off point will be at the Argyll Hotel.

Evening Activity:

A farewell soiree will be had around 8pm at the Islay Inn (2 blocks away from the Argyll Hotel in Glasgow).

Important Information:

• Ferry travel to Oban is included in the tour price.

• The Ferry journey is around 4 and a half hours.

• The time allocations in the itinerary are set to a maximum. We may well take less time while we are there due to weather etc however we cannot stay longer due to our ferry departure time. The timings have been set at a very healthy level and at no point will any stop feel rushed.

• If you would rather, you can enjoy a flight from Barra to Glasgow. This is a unique opportunity to take off from the World’s only dedicated beach runway. The journey is only around an hour and we can organise transport from the airport.

• For those going to the Highlanders 5 Convention in Birmingham in August, Glasgow has daily flights to Birmingham, making the most of your time in Scotland.

Other Accommodation: 

Glasgow – In Glasgow we recommend staying at the Argyll Hotel or the Argyll Bed and Breakfast. The restaurants and bars in the area are also fantastic and you have views of Kelvingrove Museum and park. 

Mobility:

There is a reasonable level of walking on this tour and therefore if you have mobility problems, please let us know as we can still accommodate you but there may be elements that are inaccessible or where you may require assistance.

How to Dress:

Scotland, even in the Summer, can be unpredictable. We would suggest bringing closed comfortable footwear, a rain jacket and layers. Scotland can get hot too, so a hat and some sunscreen are advisable.

The most important thing to remember is you, a smile and your camera

For any questions, please let us know!

We require a 50% deposit at the time of booking. The remainder will be due up to 1 month prior to the trip.

We accept payment via bank transfer, online via credit or debit card.

Luggage:

1 piece of standard hold luggage and 1 piece of hand luggage per person allowed. 

Refunds and Cancellation:

There will be a cut off date of the 1st of January 2020. If too few people have chosen to participate in the tour, a full refund will be given. We will have an indication pretty early of interest and will update the participants accordingly.

Customer Cancellations:

10% charge for cancellation more than 45 days before tour departure.

20% charge for cancellation 45 – 30 days before tour departure.

50% charge for cancellation 30 – 15 days before tour departure.

For cancellation less than 15 days before tour departure any refund is at the our discretion.

Slainte Scotland (Clyde Coast Tourism Ltd) Cancellations:

If we cancel the tour for any reason, we offer a 100% refund on the tour OR an alternative date agreed by the customer.

Refunds: Refunds will clear into the customer’s account within 10 working days however this may take as long as 14 days depending on the card issuer or bank’s policies.

Customers may also be liable for costs for cancelled accommodation.

We strongly recommend having travel insurance in case of cancellations on ferries etc. Slainte Scotland cannot be held accountable for situations out of our control such as cancelled ferries, road conditions or adverse weather.