A Week of Islands

Our week in the outer Hebrides started with a long 2 day journey and a stop in Fort William to break the journey. This is Island No. 1 and the bridge over to the Island of Skye. It is a very long island and it took almost 90 minutes to drive to the Ferry Terminal at Uig.

 

The Ferry Terminal at Uig. From there to Lochmaddy in North Uist it is an hour and three quarters Ferry crossing and the weather was perfect.

Island No. 2 North Uist and my first walk on our nearest beach on our first evening.

Another beach near the cottage and a perfect expanse of white sand.

Island No. 3 called Baleshare to the west of North Uist and this is the Causeway across to it.

This is John and Sandria on the huge barrier of loose pebbles next to the beach on Baleshare.

Island No 4 is Flodaigh which is the smallest island we visited. John was very impressed with this old Vauxhall car but decided it might cost a bit too much to repair.

The Causeway to Flodaigh

A thatched cottage on Flodaigh

Island No 5 is Benbecula and a fresh water Loch.

These are 2 panorama photographs on North Uist at a place called Sollas taken by John to show the magical colours of the sky and sea at the time he took them.

Island No 6 is Berneray and the causeway to it from North Uist.

This is Peat Cuttings just next to Berneray.

Island No 7 is Eriskay, the island featured in the film Whisky Galore and the Ferry arriving at Eriskay Ferry Terminal to take us to our next island Barra.

John and myself on a lovely viewpoint overlooking the harbour at Eriskay

Eriskay harbour.

Island No 8 is Barra and this photo taken by John is one of the nicest views on our week long holiday. This is the bay where the scheduled flight from Glasgow arrives. We watched the arrival of this flight just to the left of this.

The plane from Glasgow is just about to offload its passengers.

Island No 9 and our favourite one is Vatersay. This is the East Beach on the Isthmus that splits the island. 

This is the West Beach on the other side of the narrow Isthmus. It was a most enjoyable holiday despite the bad weather and I drove nearly 1000 miles in the week with a fair bit of them on single track roads. 

Islands no 57 and 58 on Outer Hebrides at Last

I last visited Scottish inhabited Islands in 2018 so it was a real pleasure today to complete the last 2 islands in the Outer Hebrides since my visit there many years ago. This is Flodaigh on Benbecula and it's a very small island with only very few inhabitants but easily reached by causeway.

Flodaigh and many variations on how to spell it but this is from the OS map.

Parked up and on our way to Seal Point but there was only 1 Seal and it dived as soon as I took my camera out of its case. 

This is the lovely beach at Baleshare Island on North Uist

Next to the beach is the Machair and it is ploughed ready for planting potatoes by the Crofters who share the work.

On Flodaigh John was thinking of buying a car but decided to give this one the Thumbs Down.

Gaye, John and Sandria on the windswept beach at Baleshare.

A thatched holiday cottage. We met the occupants who have rented it for 2 weeks every year for 20 years.

This inlet on Flodaigh is quite a distance from the open sea

The Causeway to Flodaigh

The Machair on Baleshare ready for planting potatoes

A windswept trio on Baleshare.

The long beach on Baleshare protected by a high mound of pebbles.

John and Sandria on the top of the barrier of large pebbles.

 

The Causeway to Baleshare.