Outer Hebrides by Motorhome: An Island-Hopping Route

Beyond Skye lies the long chain of the Outer Hebrides, and they are the best island-hopping in Britain: white-shell beaches, machair in flower, standing stones, and a pace all of their own. It takes a bit of planning, mostly around the ferries, but the reward is islands most people never reach. This is a south-to-north run from Barra to the Butt of Lewis, the line of the Hebridean Way, done from the Glasgow depot over ten days to a fortnight. The single most important rule: book the ferries first.

Day 1: Glasgow to Barra

Collect at the depot and drive to Oban, about 95 miles by Loch Lomond and the Rest and Be Thankful. From Oban the CalMac ferry crosses to Castlebay on Barra, a proper sea voyage of around four and three-quarter hours, so settle in. Barra is small and lovely: the cockle-strand airport at Traigh Mhor where the planes land on the beach when the tide allows, Kisimul Castle out in the bay, and the white sands of Vatersay over the causeway.

Day 2: Barra to the Uists

A short hop from Ardmhor to Eriskay, about 40 minutes, then north over the causeways through South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist. This is machair country, where flower meadows sit behind miles of empty Atlantic beach on the west side, with lochans and moor on the other. There is space here you don't get anywhere else; base around Lochmaddy or the west-coast strands and let a day go slowly.

Day 3: Into Harris

From Berneray, the Sound of Harris ferry to Leverburgh takes about an hour, threading between skerries the whole way. Then comes Luskentyre, the beach that tops every list, turquoise water over white sand with the hills rising behind. Take the Golden Road down the rocky east coast at least one way; it's slow, single-track and worth every minute.

Day 4: Harris to Lewis

Through Tarbert, home of Harris Tweed and the Harris Distillery, and north into Lewis, which is the same island despite the change of name. The Callanish Standing Stones are the one to plan around, older than Stonehenge and far quieter, set on a low ridge above Loch Roag. Give them an hour at a quiet time of day and they earn it.

Day 5: Lewis

Stornoway is the only town of any size, the place for fuel, a proper shop and the harbour. North of it the road runs out to the Butt of Lewis lighthouse, on the cliffs at the very top of the chain, with the Iron Age broch at Carloway and the restored blackhouse village at Gearrannan along the way. It feels like the edge of things, because it is.

Day 6: Back to the mainland and home

The ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool takes about two and three-quarter hours and lands you back on the NC500 coast, from where it's a half-day down through the Highlands to the depot. Book this crossing at the same time as the rest; it is the one that gets you home.

How do you plan the ferries?

Backwards from the boats. The Outer Hebrides run on CalMac, and motorhomes have to be reserved and paid for in advance, so in summer you book the ferries before you book anything else and build the days around them. Check the CalMac timetables and lock in the four crossings as a chain: Oban to Castlebay, Ardmhor to Eriskay, Berneray to Leverburgh, and Stornoway to Ullapool. Once those are held, the rest of the trip falls into place around them.

Good to know

• Ferry size and fares. CalMac charges vehicles at or under six metres the car rate; over six metres pays the higher motorhome rate. Across four crossings the compact end of the fleet saves real money.
• Sundays are quiet. In Lewis and Harris many shops, fuel stations and attractions still close on a Sunday, though more ferries run than they used to. Plan fuel and food around it.
• Single-track, fuel and signal. Fill up in the main villages, carry offline maps, and expect passing places and patchy phone signal between settlements.
• Dogs. Welcome throughout, and dogs travel on the ferries. Bring your own bowls and bedding; the whole fleet takes dogs for a single per-hire cleaning fee.

If Skye is the gateway, the Outer Hebrides are the reward for going further. Start with our Isle of Skye guide, and our west coast and isles campsites guide covers where to stop on the way out.

City guides nearby

For where to stop and what to see in the cities on or near this route, see our city guides: Glasgow, Fort William.

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