Scotland Tour - May 2025 - North & South Uist

 DAY 12 South Uist

Thursday 15th May
So, a 90 minute ferry from Uig to Lochmaddy. The plan was was to drive all the way south then work my way north, as my ferry to Lewis was from Bernaray in the far north. It wasn't a great initial impression, practically all of the landscape throughout the journey was featureless. Flat marshland with a myriad of lochans, with hardly a sign of wildlife on them (later realising that they were probably quite acidic and thus lifeless?). 

I eventually got to Lochboisdale, looking for a park up, but I have certain criteria now with my offgridding! Using Park4Night there were a couple of spots, incredulously next to a pub in a coastal remote spot only 10 mins away.   

I discovered, later after a few chats, this is why people generally love Uist. A glorious beach welcomed me, and a perfect spot, facing west, to look forward to another stunning sunset in the practically cloudless sky. I wandered slowly along the beach and rocky platforms towards the pub (Polochar Inn), and it was rather nice.

After gorging on a venison burger washed down with 2 pints of Skye Red, I wandered back to the van. Only to discover a bloody big motorhome had somehow squeezed past me, and parked up fairly close up, when there was plenty of space...knobs. It didn't obstruct my sunset view, eventually capturing one of my favourite photos so far, post sunset the sky due west was a mixture of reds and pinks, with a nearby rock platform occupied by a flock of oystercatchers...good photo for me anyway, have a butchers above.

DAY 13 South Uist
Friday 16th May

More chats on a repeat peruse along the coast in the morning, encouraged me to have a rare very easy cycle an hour north along the coast, to inspect the continuum of white sands, dunes and rocky platforms. It was gorgeous...some gratuitous birding and photography...seeing certain wader birds in their summer coats was a joy, such as dunlin and sanderlings....I returned with a loop slightly inland, but this confirmed it was the coast that is the clear attraction.

The women who encouraged me to inspect that coastline, also said I must at least visit the closest of two islands that were due south of S Uist. Eriskay was connected by a causeway, and on arrival I understood why. More character land wise, but a gem of a beach and view...I sat above the beach, again decrying I hadn't packed any swim shorts! 

Having only 2 full days on Uist I headed north. The west side are where the beaches are, the east side is more rugged, I did a couple of sortees east...but a priority was Loch Druidbeg, so I headed there and planned this to be my second stayover spot, hopefully viewing the White Tailed Eagles, apparently where they bred. The omens were good, as one flew over as I drove in that direction, but alas I never saw one again...in fact again, there wasn't much to see right across the Loch.

  A fantastic spot though, with a backdrop of really the only hill range, the highest point on Uist, Ben Mhor at about 1900ft...I was planning on hiking it, but the estimated hike time was several hours with lots of cross country bog!

I parked right next to the RSPB trailer, where I later learnt every Tuesday at 9.30am there is a guided viewing, and they would know exactly where to go and view those Eagles!

DAY 14 Uist
Saturday 17th May

Great spot overnight, so remote, and a rare mountain backdrop on Uist, but no sight of a confounded eagle!

I moved onwards northwards, and made a couple of eastward inspections, but nothing to warm the heart, and always had to return the same way. The RSPB reserve on the coast at Balranald was next, firstly mistakenly going to a small campsite, where the lady refused me to conduct a water top up! 

 

There were a couple from Wigan sat on the small cliff top bird watching, but said it was super quiet...so soon I continued my journey north, crossing more causeways and across Benbecula.

Closer to Bernaray I'd passed a tempting hill with a rocky helmet, with no rights of way on the OS map but a track of sorts leading away from the road, I asked a local if I could cut across his field, and off I went, this was Crogearraidh, barely 600ft, but stood aloft the flatlands with views right across the island. Again the beach and small bay on the coast was exquisite..

Before crossing the final causeway to Bernaray I did another lengthy eastward explore, but returned immediately, I was struggling now to fill the day...the days have a good 18 hours of daylight, it was only 3pm, and wondered how I could fill the the next 6 plus hours?

So across the causeway to Bernaray and immediately I saw the queue for the ferry to Harris, but my ferry booking was 8.30am the next day. A must visit as advised was the Bernaray West Beach, so 10 mins further on I parked up, and could see another impressive beach and dunes...but I had 6 hours to kill, and by now I really needed more than beach views. Across the strait I could see the mountains of Harris...a quick check on the ferry app, and the immediate one was due to leave in 20 mins! I span around and rushed to the ferry, well, I tried...a friggin motorhome was blocking my way at less than 20mph. Suffice to say, the ferry hadn't loaded up, so I joined a 2 van queue in lane 3, the standby lane...and just literally they squeezed me on so close to the ramp, I worried how close it would get to the van when they raised it! 50 mins later I drove off the ferry into Leverburgh, I parked up immediately, the FA Cup final had literally just kicked off!