Day to day 8

Hebrides Scottish Island Holidays

Day 1 – Flight to Glasgow

We fly to Glasgow airport and take a short walk to the Holiday Inn Glasgow Airport where we stay overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2 – Isle of Skye & Isle of Benbecula

Leaving the hotel, we travel north to the pretty port of Mallaig and get a first glimpse of what Skye has to offer as we board a ferry for the short trip across to Armadale on the Sleat Peninsula. We make our way across the Isle of Skye, enjoying the stunning scenery and rugged landscapes to Uig where we catch the ferry to Lochmaddy. We continue on to our hotel on the Isle of Benbecula, our base for the next two nights.

Day 3 – Island hopping

Today's island hopping begins by taking the causeway across to South Uist, where the west coast is a continuous sandy beach in contrast to the east which is dominated by mountainous peaks. We then continue on to Eriskay, famous for the Eriskay Ponies and also for being the real 'Whisky Galore' island. It was just off Eriskay, between Great Todday and Little Todday that the SS Politician ran aground in 1941 with 50,000 cases of whisky aboard. The locals managed to save several hundred cases before the ship sank, providing them with a good supply of their 'Water of Life'. From here, enjoy the short ferry crossing to the Isle of Barra which is considered by many to be the most beautiful little island in Britain. Its tranquil beaches, distinctive culture, where Gaelic is widely spoken, and an ancient history make any visit to Barra a memorable one. If time allows we will also venture across the causeway to stunning Vatersay, the most southerly inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides.

Day 4 – Stornoway

After a leisurely morning in Benbecula we collect a packed lunch and continue onward to North Uist, via the Benbecula causeway. North Uist is a relatively flat island covered with peat bogs, low hills and lochans. More than half the land is covered by water, making North Uist a birdwatchers' paradise. We board the afternoon ferry for the one-hour crossing to Harris before travelling up the west coast past numerous unspoilt, white sandy beaches and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the Western Isles. The final leg of today's journey is to Lewis and our hotel in Stornoway where we stay for two nights.

Day 5 – Isle of Lewis

The Isle of Lewis is the most northerly island in the Hebrides with a history that goes back thousands of years and where ancient standing stones can be found everywhere. We make the short journey over to the west coast and visit Callanish, where stands an awesome collection of stone circles known as the Hebrides Stonehenge. Other sights on today’s excursion include the moorland interior where peat is still cut for fuel, traditional croft dwellings and Dun Carloway Broch, one of Scotland’s best preserved defensive structures dating back over 2,000 years.

Day 6 – Stornoway to Ullapool

Enjoy some time at leisure in Stornoway this morning, perhaps picking up some souvenirs, before we catch the ferry to Ullapool on the mainland and head to our overnight hotel.

Day 7 – Return to Glasgow area

We continue our journey, travelling via Stirling, arriving back at the Holiday Inn Glasgow Airport where we stay overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 8 – Journey home

After checking out of the hotel, we take a short walk to Glasgow airport for our return flight home.

Please note: on certain departures the itinerary will be reversed.