Region guide
Family days out in Outer Hebrides
White sand beaches and machair grassland strung across the islands of the Western Isles.
The beaches here are the real headline — Luskentyre and Traigh Iar are as good as anywhere in the Caribbean on a clear day, just colder in the water.
It's a longer trip to reach, by ferry or a short flight, and worth planning around rather than squeezing into a single day, but the islands reward that extra effort with space and quiet that's hard to find elsewhere.
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Historic
Callanish Standing Stones
Neolithic stone circle on Lewis, older than Stonehenge and dramatically sited.
Beach
Luskentyre Beach
Vast white sand beach on Harris, regularly named one of the best in Britain.
Museum
Lews Castle and Museum
Free castle grounds and museum overlooking Stornoway harbour.
Historic
Blackhouse Village, Arnol
Preserved thatched blackhouse showing traditional island life on Lewis.
Beach
Uig Sands
Vast, sweeping sandy beach on the west coast of Lewis, one of the most spectacular in the Outer Hebrides.
Park
Lews Castle Grounds and Woodland Gardens
Free woodland gardens surrounding Lews Castle in Stornoway, with waymarked walks and mature trees.
Beach
Traigh Mhor, Barra
Remarkable beach on Barra that doubles as the island's airport runway, with scheduled flights landing on the sand.