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Highlights
There's so much to explore on this holiday - picking a selection of walks has been really difficult, because there is enough to keep any walker busy for a month! However, we believe the programme set out below gives a great introduction to the various islands, and will guarantee a memorable week. Weather permitting, the finale of the holiday will be a fabulous boat trip out to the deserted island of Mingulay - a spectacular wildlife haven at the very southern tip of the Outer Hebrides. As with most of our other holidays, we will be going at a relaxed pace. There is SO much wildlife about on this trip and so much to see that it is far too good to rush! Some of the archaeology on the Southern Islands is rather fine too..... |
2019 Dates:
Sat 20th - Fri 26th July Full 2020 Dates: Sat 20th - Fri 26th June Sat 18th - Fri 24th July How long: 6 nights, 5 days walking Grade: Moderate (see our Grading Information page for more details on how we grade our tours) Start: Inverness Price: £1,240. Single supplement £120. The price includes a boat trip to Mingulay. If bad weather prevents this from sailing you will receive a refund of £50. |
DAY 1 - TRAVEL TO NORTH UIST
The start point for this holiday is Inverness Train Station. Clients are required to make their own way to the start point. You will be collected at Inverness train station at 9am and we will spend the first day travelling to Skye, where we will catch the afternoon ferry to Lochmaddy in North Uist.
DAY 2 - BERNERAY
Our first full day on the Uists will be spent exploring the beautiful island of Berneray, linked to North Uist by a causeway. With stunning sea views and one of the finest areas of flowering machair in the whole of the Hebrides, you will soon see why the island is a favourite of Prince Charles!
DAY 3 - AIRD A' MHORAIN
Our second day will take us to the gorgeous Udal peninsuala, at the north end of North Uist. Here we will discover beautiful beaches, fascinating archaeology and abundant wildlife. The views from the peninsula are simply stunning, with numerous off-shore islands floating in the characteristic turquoise sea of this part of the Hebrides.
DAY 4 - SOUTH UIST
A superb day walking part of the new Hebridean Way long distance path. Our route heads out to the east of the island, around the beautiful Loch Druidibeag National Nature Reserve, before heading south through the wildflower meadows and rich birdlife of the South Uist machair.
DAY 5 - BARRA
A wonderful island with a character all of its own, Barra never disappoints. For our penultimate day we will explore the beaches of Vatersay at the far southern end of the island. With its flowering machair grasslands and fascinating archaeology, Vatersay makes for a memorable day out.
DAY 6 - MINGULAY
Our final day is an unforgettable boat trip to the uninhabited island of Mingulay, which together with its neighbouring islands of Pabbay and Berneray (another one!), make up the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides archipelago. Seabirds galore, towering sea-cliffs and well preserved abandoned villages will make this a wonderful end to a unique holiday.
DAY 7 - DEPART
The return trip to Inverness is a great way to end the holiday! We will sail from Barra to Oban, an amazing trip with views of the Inner Hebridean islands of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna, Coll, Tiree and Mull along the way. From Oban we will drive back to Inverness, arriving there by about 6pm. Alternatively, if you are feeling adventurous, you can fly back to Glasgow from Barra, departing on the small Twin Otter plane that takes off from Traigh Mhòr beach at the north end of the island.
The start point for this holiday is Inverness Train Station. Clients are required to make their own way to the start point. You will be collected at Inverness train station at 9am and we will spend the first day travelling to Skye, where we will catch the afternoon ferry to Lochmaddy in North Uist.
DAY 2 - BERNERAY
Our first full day on the Uists will be spent exploring the beautiful island of Berneray, linked to North Uist by a causeway. With stunning sea views and one of the finest areas of flowering machair in the whole of the Hebrides, you will soon see why the island is a favourite of Prince Charles!
DAY 3 - AIRD A' MHORAIN
Our second day will take us to the gorgeous Udal peninsuala, at the north end of North Uist. Here we will discover beautiful beaches, fascinating archaeology and abundant wildlife. The views from the peninsula are simply stunning, with numerous off-shore islands floating in the characteristic turquoise sea of this part of the Hebrides.
DAY 4 - SOUTH UIST
A superb day walking part of the new Hebridean Way long distance path. Our route heads out to the east of the island, around the beautiful Loch Druidibeag National Nature Reserve, before heading south through the wildflower meadows and rich birdlife of the South Uist machair.
DAY 5 - BARRA
A wonderful island with a character all of its own, Barra never disappoints. For our penultimate day we will explore the beaches of Vatersay at the far southern end of the island. With its flowering machair grasslands and fascinating archaeology, Vatersay makes for a memorable day out.
DAY 6 - MINGULAY
Our final day is an unforgettable boat trip to the uninhabited island of Mingulay, which together with its neighbouring islands of Pabbay and Berneray (another one!), make up the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides archipelago. Seabirds galore, towering sea-cliffs and well preserved abandoned villages will make this a wonderful end to a unique holiday.
DAY 7 - DEPART
The return trip to Inverness is a great way to end the holiday! We will sail from Barra to Oban, an amazing trip with views of the Inner Hebridean islands of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna, Coll, Tiree and Mull along the way. From Oban we will drive back to Inverness, arriving there by about 6pm. Alternatively, if you are feeling adventurous, you can fly back to Glasgow from Barra, departing on the small Twin Otter plane that takes off from Traigh Mhòr beach at the north end of the island.
This holiday starts and ends in Inverness. Your guide will meet you at the entrance to Inverness railway station at 9.00am where you will join the rest of the group for the drive up to Skye and the ferry to North Uist.
Inverness is easily accessible by plane, train and bus.
Flights
The following airlines offer direct flights to Inverness:
www.flybe.com - Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Jersey, Amsterdam.
www.easyjet.com - London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol.
www.britishairways.com - London Heathrow.
www.aerlingus.com - Dublin.
Trains
Inverness can be reached by train from Edinburgh, Glasgow and England. Travellers coming from London and the south of England can take advantage of the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service. For more information on train services see the following websites:
www.scotrail.co.uk
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com
www.sleeper.scot
Please note that all train tickets should be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as advance tickets are always considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Coaches
The following operator offers coach services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Inverness:
www.citylink.co.uk
Please note that all coach tickets must be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as coaches can get booked up. Advance tickets can also be considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Cars
Driving to Inverness by car is straightforward - it is simply a case of heading for Perth then taking the A9 north. Approximate journey times (not including stops, road works or delays) are as follows:
Edinburgh: 3 hours
Glasgow: 3.5 hours
Newcastle: 5.5 hours
Manchester: 6.5 hours
Birmingham: 7.5 hours
Bristol: 8.5 hours
London: 9.5 hours
Inverness is easily accessible by plane, train and bus.
Flights
The following airlines offer direct flights to Inverness:
www.flybe.com - Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Jersey, Amsterdam.
www.easyjet.com - London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol.
www.britishairways.com - London Heathrow.
www.aerlingus.com - Dublin.
Trains
Inverness can be reached by train from Edinburgh, Glasgow and England. Travellers coming from London and the south of England can take advantage of the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service. For more information on train services see the following websites:
www.scotrail.co.uk
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com
www.sleeper.scot
Please note that all train tickets should be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as advance tickets are always considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Coaches
The following operator offers coach services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Inverness:
www.citylink.co.uk
Please note that all coach tickets must be purchased in advance of travel. We recommend that you do this as soon as you book your holiday as coaches can get booked up. Advance tickets can also be considerably cheaper than ones bought at the last minute.
Cars
Driving to Inverness by car is straightforward - it is simply a case of heading for Perth then taking the A9 north. Approximate journey times (not including stops, road works or delays) are as follows:
Edinburgh: 3 hours
Glasgow: 3.5 hours
Newcastle: 5.5 hours
Manchester: 6.5 hours
Birmingham: 7.5 hours
Bristol: 8.5 hours
London: 9.5 hours
What's Included: 6 nights accommodation, 5 days walking. Accommodation at local quality guest houses*, with full Scottish or continental breakfasts; packed lunches; evening meals at local restaurants (note that lunches on the final day are not included).
All transport during the holiday, including ferries between Skye & North Uist, Eriskay & Barra and Barra & Oban. Boat trip to Mingulay. The services of an experienced walk leader.
What's Not Included: Transport to and from Inverness at the start and end of the holiday. Entrance to any visitor attractions. Travel insurance.
* We will be staying in carefully selected island guest houses. All rooms will have ensuite or private bathrooms. Single occupancy rooms are available at an additional cost of £120. This holiday involves staying in two separate guest houses (three nights in each). We start off with three nights in North Uist and end with a further three nights in Barra.
We may have to split the party up between several guest houses. However, we will be dining together each evening in local restaurants so there will be plenty of opportunities for socialising with the rest of the group.
All transport during the holiday, including ferries between Skye & North Uist, Eriskay & Barra and Barra & Oban. Boat trip to Mingulay. The services of an experienced walk leader.
What's Not Included: Transport to and from Inverness at the start and end of the holiday. Entrance to any visitor attractions. Travel insurance.
* We will be staying in carefully selected island guest houses. All rooms will have ensuite or private bathrooms. Single occupancy rooms are available at an additional cost of £120. This holiday involves staying in two separate guest houses (three nights in each). We start off with three nights in North Uist and end with a further three nights in Barra.
We may have to split the party up between several guest houses. However, we will be dining together each evening in local restaurants so there will be plenty of opportunities for socialising with the rest of the group.
Moderate.
These holidays go at a gentle pace, with plenty of time to stop, take pictures, soak up the atmosphere and watch the wildlife. However, they are still walking holidays, so you will need to be able to cope with a reasonable amount of hiking each day. As a guide, you should be able to manage some uphill sections, be comfortable walking for 5 hours and 7 - 10 miles or so each day, and be confident walking away from paths - for example over rough, grassy hillsides.
We try to keep to easy ground as much as possible on these walks, but there will be some areas where the going can be a little rough and quite wet underfoot, so good hiking boots are essential. We don't tackle any hills on these walks but there are usually some modest uphill sections each day.
See our Grading Information page for more information about how we grade our holidays.
These holidays go at a gentle pace, with plenty of time to stop, take pictures, soak up the atmosphere and watch the wildlife. However, they are still walking holidays, so you will need to be able to cope with a reasonable amount of hiking each day. As a guide, you should be able to manage some uphill sections, be comfortable walking for 5 hours and 7 - 10 miles or so each day, and be confident walking away from paths - for example over rough, grassy hillsides.
We try to keep to easy ground as much as possible on these walks, but there will be some areas where the going can be a little rough and quite wet underfoot, so good hiking boots are essential. We don't tackle any hills on these walks but there are usually some modest uphill sections each day.
See our Grading Information page for more information about how we grade our holidays.
The following reviews are taken from the Hidden Hebrides page on TripAdvisor: For reviews of our other holidays click here.
C.M. (Vancouver, Canada) July 2018
I booked a walking holiday with Hidden Hebrides this past July, exploring the Uists and Barra, and was very pleased with my choice. The information that we received before the trip was very complete and informative. We were a small group of five people from a variety of backgrounds, and we all got on well together from the time we met in Inverness.
Our guide , Eilidh, was delightful company. She is a Gaelic -speaking journalist who herself lives on one of the Hebridean Islands. She was very well organized and well informed, and the daily schedule worked well, even when members of the group wanted to add side trips to see particular members of the local fauna!
The accommodations, mainly small guest houses, were well chosen, comfortable, with very large breakfasts. The picnic lunches consisted of a stop at a local grocery store, where we could choose items to suit our own tastes...and which were then purchased by our guide. Dinners were in a variety of local restaurants, and again these were well chosen for their food quality and menu variety. I particularly enjoyed a restaurant in Castlebay where our food was served with the sounds of a Scottish fiddle.
The walking, often over the Machair, sand dunes, wide white sand beaches or mountain trails was at a relaxed pace and we were able to spend time identifying the wildflowers and the sea birds.
An added bonus for me was the flight off Barra to Glasgow, which took off from a sand beach!
I can highly recommend Hidden Hebrides, and I would book again with them.
J.R. (Staffordshire, UK) June 2017
A spectacular place to wander, I've had an excellent week in the Southern Outer Hebrides with Mick Blunt and 3 fellow wanderers. Mick guided us expertly while we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery. My treat was a quick glimpse of a corncrake. Mick organised everything while we relaxed and stayed in comfortable B&Bs and eat in excellent restaurants. I'm looking forward to another Hidden Hebrides treat next year, maybe Orkneys if there's a space for me.
From the Hidden Hebrides Facebook page:
M.H. (Geneva, Switzerland) July 2018
This was my second trip to the Outer Hebrides with Hidden Hebrides, this time visiting the southern Isles of Uists and Barra. It is a very friendly experience with stunning walks & scenery, quality B&Bs and good food. The real added plus for me is the different guides that are all local people. Eilidh MacLeod guided us this time with her knowledge & experience of wildlife and plenty of the stories about the people of the Isles made it a beautiful and heartfelt journey!
C.M. (Vancouver, Canada) July 2018
I booked a walking holiday with Hidden Hebrides this past July, exploring the Uists and Barra, and was very pleased with my choice. The information that we received before the trip was very complete and informative. We were a small group of five people from a variety of backgrounds, and we all got on well together from the time we met in Inverness.
Our guide , Eilidh, was delightful company. She is a Gaelic -speaking journalist who herself lives on one of the Hebridean Islands. She was very well organized and well informed, and the daily schedule worked well, even when members of the group wanted to add side trips to see particular members of the local fauna!
The accommodations, mainly small guest houses, were well chosen, comfortable, with very large breakfasts. The picnic lunches consisted of a stop at a local grocery store, where we could choose items to suit our own tastes...and which were then purchased by our guide. Dinners were in a variety of local restaurants, and again these were well chosen for their food quality and menu variety. I particularly enjoyed a restaurant in Castlebay where our food was served with the sounds of a Scottish fiddle.
The walking, often over the Machair, sand dunes, wide white sand beaches or mountain trails was at a relaxed pace and we were able to spend time identifying the wildflowers and the sea birds.
An added bonus for me was the flight off Barra to Glasgow, which took off from a sand beach!
I can highly recommend Hidden Hebrides, and I would book again with them.
J.R. (Staffordshire, UK) June 2017
A spectacular place to wander, I've had an excellent week in the Southern Outer Hebrides with Mick Blunt and 3 fellow wanderers. Mick guided us expertly while we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery. My treat was a quick glimpse of a corncrake. Mick organised everything while we relaxed and stayed in comfortable B&Bs and eat in excellent restaurants. I'm looking forward to another Hidden Hebrides treat next year, maybe Orkneys if there's a space for me.
From the Hidden Hebrides Facebook page:
M.H. (Geneva, Switzerland) July 2018
This was my second trip to the Outer Hebrides with Hidden Hebrides, this time visiting the southern Isles of Uists and Barra. It is a very friendly experience with stunning walks & scenery, quality B&Bs and good food. The real added plus for me is the different guides that are all local people. Eilidh MacLeod guided us this time with her knowledge & experience of wildlife and plenty of the stories about the people of the Isles made it a beautiful and heartfelt journey!