Places To Eat
Places to eat include: Claddach Kirkibost Café, Berneray Shop and Bistro, Westford Inn, Taigh Chearsabhagh – Café, Temple View Hotel, Hamersay House, Stepping Stones Restaurant, Lochmaddy Hotel, Charlie’s Bistro, Langass Lodge, Hebridean Jewellery – Café, Namara Seafood Café, Dark Island Hotel.
The cafés serve snacks and lunches. Booking is advised for the bistros, restaurants and hotels at busy times. Please note, not all are open on Sundays.
You should check opening times before planning any trip – some information may differ due to coronavirus restrictions.
Local Amenities
The are plenty of local supermarkets and shops to choose from only a short drive from Glaic Cottages, as well as a number of shops providing local produce, arts & crafts as well as gifts.
Highlights include: Puffin Gallery – Benbecula, MacGillivrays – Balivanich, Hebridean Jewellery – South Uist, Shoreline Stoneware – North Uist, Coral Box – Berneray, Taigh Chearsabhagh shop – Lochmaddy, Hebridean Smoke House – North Uist, Kallin Shellfish – Grimsay, Uist Wool Mill – Grimsay
There are services such as ev charging points, cash machines, and post offices all within driving distance. Bus and taxi services run.
Beaches!
The beaches are stunning and there are lots to choose from:
Clachan Sands – Tràigh Lingeigh + Tràigh Hòrnais – Popular with kite surfers and snorkelers.
West Beach – Berneray – A long stretch of beautiful sand with views over to the Harris hills behind.
Solas Bay – Tràigh Iar + Tràigh Bhàlaigh – Good for kite surfing and snorkelling
Baleshare Beach – The nearest beach to Glaic.
Hosta Beach – Popular with surfers. Beware of the drag!
The Hebridean beaches, with their white coral sands, are stunningly beautiful.
Historic Sites + Points of Interest
Barpa Langass – The best-preserved Neolithic chambered cairn in the Outer Hebrides.
Pobull Fhinn – The stone circle of Pobull Fhinn – meaning Finn’s People or Holy People – stands on an artificial platform beyond Beinn Langais.
Teampul Na Trionaid – Trinity Temple was a Medieval Monastery and college, possibly Scotland’s oldest university.
Giant Macaskill’s Monument – A monument to Giant Angus Macaskill. Born in Berneray, he was said to be the world largest giant at a height of 7ft 9in
Dun An Sticir – Site of Iron Age broch or chambered dun, accessed by a causeway.
Scolpaig Tower – Or Macleod’s Folly was built around 1830 by the factor of North Uist to provide employment for the islanders as famine relief following the potato blight.
St Kilda View Point – St Kilda can be viewed from the west coast of North Uist. The viewpoint is at Clettreval Hill close to Hosta.
Langass Woods – Enjoy the woods and find out about Hercules the bear. Close to Barpa Langass and the stone circle.
Sculpture Trail – The trail consists of seven works of art found in various locations across the Uists and Benbecula.
Other Things To Do:
Activities
There are many splendid walks on the islands, from an evening stroll along the track behind the cottage to the 100 miles of Hebridean Way from Vatersay to Berneray. Maps and guide books are available from MacGillivrays Shop.
There are on- and off-road cycle routes on the islands, including the Hebridean Way Cycle Route. Several places, including MacGillivrays Shop and the Claddach Kirkibost Centre, provide cycle maintenance facilities.
North Uist is a Mecca for anglers from all over the globe and brown trout, sea trout and salmon can be found here. The Uists have two main fishing bodies, North Uist Estates and the North Uist Angling Club. Most of the lochs and rivers are under their management.
Many other activities are popular, such as surfing, kite surfing and kayaking. Visitors are welcome at Benbecula Golf Club and Uist Community Riding School in Balivanich.
Wildlife
If you are seeking a truly memorable wildlife break in Scotland, then the islands of the Outer Hebrides are the perfect destination. Some of the wildlife you may expect to see are red deer, otters, white-tailed eagles, seals and, if you are very lucky, the corncrake.
Day Trips
There are a number of places from Glaic Cottage worth a day trip, these include:
Harris – On Harris there are more stunning beaches, the Isle of Harris (Gin) Distillery in Tarbert, Harris Tweed exhibitions and shops, as well as galleries and eateries. Venturing further north into Lewis, you may want to visit Callanish Standing stones, Dun Carloway Broch or Grearrannan Blackhouse Village.
South Uist + Eriskay – Heading south through South Uist you can visit the statue of Our Lady of the Isles, Kildonan Museum, Loch Druidibeg Nature Reserve and Cadh Hallan Roundhouses. Across the causeway on Eriskay, look out for the Eriskay ponies. It is also the site of events inspiring the story Whisky Galore, and the Am Politician pub and restaurant has relics and pictures of the event.
Barra – The beautiful, tranquil island of Barra to see aeroplanes landing on the beach at low tide, and to enjoy a circular tour around the island.
St Kilda – There are several companies that offer trips to the remote uninhabited isles of St Kilda, a World Heritage Site. This trip is sure to be a highlight of your holiday but needs booking well in advance during busy times.
