North Uist – The island of bays and beaches
Bays and sandy beaches dominate the coastline of North Uist. And here, special plants and animals feel very much at home.
Top attractions | Getting there | all attractions
North Uist is the thick head of the Uist island chain in the Outer Hebrides. Unlike Benbecula and South Uist, North Uist has a ring road around 50 kilometres long. Most of its attractions lie along this road.
North Uist can win you over with its beaches and nature. The Balranald bird reserve in the west of the island is especially overwhelming. Even if birdwatching isn’t your thing, the long coastal walk along its sandy beaches is a real pleasure.
Must See: The main attractions on North Uist
Balranald
A bird reserve where the legendary Crex Crex (corncrake) can be heard. A lovely walk along the beaches.
Barpa Langais & Pobull Fhinn
A chambered cairn and a stone circle.
Lochmaddy
The island’s main settlement with its small museum and ferry port. There are also some interesting stone sculptures here.
Berneray
The island to the north of North Uist has a beautiful sandy beach, offers views of seals, and tells the story of its inhabitants.
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At the St Kilda Viewpoint in the west of North Uist, on a clear day you can spot the St Kilda archipelago in the distance. But even if that doesn’t work out, the view across the landscape and the sea is simply beautiful. And it’s just a few minutes off the main road.
Getting to North Uist
The main settlement and ferry terminal from the mainland on North Uist is Lochmaddy (Loch nam Madadh). In summer, Calmac ships from Uig on the Isle of Skye arrive here once or twice a day. If you’re travelling by motorhome or car and want to head straight to North Uist, this is the route to take. At just 1 hour 45 minutes, it’s also one of the shortest crossings – handy if you don’t cope well with longer sea journeys.
To reach North Uist from the Isle of Harris, take the ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray. It takes about an hour and runs several times a day.
There is no flight to North Uist. The nearest airport is on the neighbouring island of Benbecula, connected by a causeway.
