North Uist

North Uist (Gaelic Uibhist A Tuathis) is an island in the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It measures about 20 miles north-south, 25 miles east-west, and is separated from Benbecula to the south by a tidal ford, nowadays bridged by a causeway. It's thinly populated (1200 residents), low-lying and dotted by innumerable lochans or small lakes. Lochmaddy (Loch nam Madaidh) on the east coast is the ferry port and what passes for the main village, but most settlement is scattered along the west coast, where the machair provides grazing for crofting.

North Uist, like the rest of the Highlands and Islands, was drained of its population both by voluntary emigration and by eviction to make way for sheep farming. In Sollas in 1849 there was a pitched battle between residents and evicting officers. Gaelic language and culture was historically persecuted heavily by the Scottish and British authorities in the Outer Hebrides. Since the formation of the Western Isles Council and greater European funding becoming available for indigenous minority languages it is considered to be on the rise. It's predominantly spoken here, and road signs are primarily in Gaelic. North Uist (like Lewis & Harris) is predominantly Protestant and the Sabbath is observed seriously here, unlike on the Catholic islands further south.

There are many fine sandy beaches, mainly on the Western shore of North Uist. Traigh Lingeigh is a safe shallow suitable for snorkelling. The coastline around Lochmaddy and the road to Loch Portain is remarkable for the number of little sea lochans. There are several prehistoric sites worth visiting, including and the island's lochans often contain interesting remains of duns, or fortified houses.

• Taigh Chearsabhagh. M-Sa 10:00-16:00 (17:00 in summer). Excellent art centre with a museum and gallery, a cafe, post office and a shop. Also worth seeing are the outdoor sculptures (ask inside for the guide leaflet).
• Camera Obscura, 25 Sponish HS6 5AF (From Lochmaddy walk north past police station to the footbridge, turn right on other bank.. Only worth coming on a sunny day. Enter the stone chamber and within is projected a view of Lochmaddy.
• Dun An Sticir, Port nan Long HS3 5AZ (NF 907794 off the road to Berneray. 24 hours, but access is tidal. A stout Iron Age broch, built circa 100 BC to 100 AD, but in the medieval period converted to a rectangular hall. It's on a small island reached by causeway from a larger island, in turn reached by a choice of two causeways. The loch is tidal and the causeways flood at high tide. Free.
• Scolpaig Tower, Scolpaig HS3 5DH (NF 731750 close to A865. 24 hours but access is tidal. An octagonal Georgian folly built circa 1830 (obliterating the broch there) on a small isle that can be reached at low tide. Otherwise you can see it fine from shore, it's derelict within. And they call this small tower a folly, when the council is planning to spend megabucks to turn Scolpaig into a spaceport?? Free.
• Balranald RSPB reserve. 24 hours. Where corncrakes can be heard, if rarely seen. Allow 2 or 3 hours for the circular walk. Free, donations welcome.
• Baleshare. (Baile Sear) is a small tidal island off the southwest coast, connected by road to North Uist. It's a low-lying farmland with good beaches and a couple of B&Bs, and its machair and sandhill habitat make it a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The SSSI extends to the island of Kirkibost, which may once have been joined to Baleshare before being severed by coastal erosion.
• Teampull Na Trionaid, Carinish HS3 5EH (NF 816603 near causeway south to Benbecula. 24 hours. Ruins of a 13th C church and seminary. The Battle of Carinish, fought nearby in 1601, may have been the last battle fought with bows and arrows in Britain. It was part of a feud between Clan Macleod of Dunvegan and Clan Macdonald of Sleat; the Macdonalds won the day and the overall conflict. Free.
• Barpa Langass. 24 hours. A 5000-year-old burial chamber, partly collapsed but you can still enter. There may be two more chambers amidst the rubble. After seeing it, you can walk south past Langass Lodge to reach Pobull Finn. Free.
• Pobull Fhinn. 24 hours. A stone circle, the best on the island, not least for its setting. It's more like an ellipse, and dates to around 2000 BC. After seeing it, you can walk past Langass Lodge then north to reach Barpa Langass. Free.

Taigh Chearsabhagh. M-Sa 10:00-16:00 (17:00 in summer). Excellent art centre with a museum and gallery, a cafe, post office and a shop. Also worth seeing are the outdoor sculptures (ask inside for the guide leaflet).

Camera Obscura, 25 Sponish HS6 5AF (From Lochmaddy walk north past police station to the footbridge, turn right on other bank.. Only worth coming on a sunny day. Enter the stone chamber and within is projected a view of Lochmaddy.

Dun An Sticir, Port nan Long HS3 5AZ (NF 907794 off the road to Berneray. 24 hours, but access is tidal. A stout Iron Age broch, built circa 100 BC to 100 AD, but in the medieval period converted to a rectangular hall. It's on a small island reached by causeway from a larger island, in turn reached by a choice of two causeways. The loch is tidal and the causeways flood at high tide. Free.

Scolpaig Tower, Scolpaig HS3 5DH (NF 731750 close to A865. 24 hours but access is tidal. An octagonal Georgian folly built circa 1830 (obliterating the broch there) on a small isle that can be reached at low tide. Otherwise you can see it fine from shore, it's derelict within. And they call this small tower a folly, when the council is planning to spend megabucks to turn Scolpaig into a spaceport?? Free.

Balranald RSPB reserve. 24 hours. Where corncrakes can be heard, if rarely seen. Allow 2 or 3 hours for the circular walk. Free, donations welcome.

Baleshare. (Baile Sear) is a small tidal island off the southwest coast, connected by road to North Uist. It's a low-lying farmland with good beaches and a couple of B&Bs, and its machair and sandhill habitat make it a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The SSSI extends to the island of Kirkibost, which may once have been joined to Baleshare before being severed by coastal erosion.

Teampull Na Trionaid, Carinish HS3 5EH (NF 816603 near causeway south to Benbecula. 24 hours. Ruins of a 13th C church and seminary. The Battle of Carinish, fought nearby in 1601, may have been the last battle fought with bows and arrows in Britain. It was part of a feud between Clan Macleod of Dunvegan and Clan Macdonald of Sleat; the Macdonalds won the day and the overall conflict. Free.

Barpa Langass. 24 hours. A 5000-year-old burial chamber, partly collapsed but you can still enter. There may be two more chambers amidst the rubble. After seeing it, you can walk south past Langass Lodge to reach Pobull Finn. Free.

Pobull Fhinn. 24 hours. A stone circle, the best on the island, not least for its setting. It's more like an ellipse, and dates to around 2000 BC. After seeing it, you can walk past Langass Lodge then north to reach Barpa Langass. Free.

• Walk, cycle, visit the numerous artists studios; enjoy the unspoiled natural landscapes; North Uist is excellent for bird-watching and the coasts abound with sea-life.

All the shops in North Uist are shut on a Sunday, but shops on on Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay are open on Sunday afternoons.

• Morrison Grocer, Lochmaddy HS6 5AA, +44 1876 500324. M-Sa 09:00-18:00. Sells newspapers once they arrive about noon, and groceries including Nisa products. Gulf petrol across the road.
• The Bank of Scotland is 100 yards north of Lochmaddy Hotel. It's open M & F 10:00-16:00 and has an ATM outside.
• Co-op Supermarket, Sollas HS6 5BS. M-Sa 07:00 - 22:00. Supermarket with 3 aisles. There are also Co-ops on Benbecula and South Uist which are open on Sunday.
• Bayhead Shop, Bayhead HS6 5DS (on SW coast. M-Sa 08:00-18:00. Convenience store.
• Hebridean Smokehouse, Clachan, Locheport HS6 5HD. M-F 08:00-17:30, Sa 09:00-17:00. For excellent smoked salmon and other smokery gifts.

Morrison Grocer, Lochmaddy HS6 5AA, +44 1876 500324. M-Sa 09:00-18:00. Sells newspapers once they arrive about noon, and groceries including Nisa products. Gulf petrol across the road.

The Bank of Scotland is 100 yards north of Lochmaddy Hotel. It's open M & F 10:00-16:00 and has an ATM outside.

Co-op Supermarket, Sollas HS6 5BS. M-Sa 07:00 - 22:00. Supermarket with 3 aisles. There are also Co-ops on [[Benbecula]] and [[South Uist]] which are open on Sunday.

Bayhead Shop, Bayhead HS6 5DS (on SW coast. M-Sa 08:00-18:00. Convenience store.

Hebridean Smokehouse, Clachan, Locheport HS6 5HD. M-F 08:00-17:30, Sa 09:00-17:00. For excellent smoked salmon and other smokery gifts.

• For evening meals a hotel may be the best option. There is a decent cafe for snacks in Taigh Chearsabhagh in Lochmaddy.
• Kirkibost Cafe, Claddach Kirkibost HS6 5EP (on the A865 between Westford Inn and Hebridean Smokehouse. M-Sa 10:00-16:00. Good cafe for a lunchtime stopover or coffee and cakes. It also has a small shop selling postcards, knitwear and local books etc. It's in an old schoolhouse now used as a day nursery.

Kirkibost Cafe, Claddach Kirkibost HS6 5EP (on the A865 between Westford Inn and Hebridean Smokehouse. M-Sa 10:00-16:00. Good cafe for a lunchtime stopover or coffee and cakes. It also has a small shop selling postcards, knitwear and local books etc. It's in an old schoolhouse now used as a day nursery.

• The bar in Lochmaddy Hotel is open to non-residents.
• Westford Inn, Kirkibost, North Uist HS6 5EP (main road on southwest coast. Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F 12:00-00:00, Sa 12:00-01:00. Well-stocked friendly inn with good meals. Also has one double room available in "The Bothy", which has variously been a cowshed and a whisky store.

Westford Inn, Kirkibost, North Uist HS6 5EP (main road on southwest coast. Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F 12:00-00:00, Sa 12:00-01:00. Well-stocked friendly inn with good meals. Also has one double room available in "The Bothy", which has variously been a cowshed and a whisky store.

Going north the road leads to Berneray with ferries to Harris and Lewis. Going south the road crosses Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay with ferries to Barra.