The Outer Hebrides
The Uists and Barra
The Outer Hebrides are one of the least explored areas of Scotland and yet are home to a wealth of wildlife which can rival that to be found anywhere within the United Kingdom. Our holiday will concentrate on the southern chain of islands making up this extensive archipelago, collectively known as the Uists, which contain a great variety of habitats with captivating scenery and natural history.
This is a wildlife-rich holiday but, as we explore, you soon come to realise that the Uists are also steeped in human history. We will come across Neolithic burial cairns and standing stones dating back 5,000-6,000 years, Iron Age brochs and the "black houses" which were home to the islanders in the more recent past.
A high proportion of the world's "machair" lies along the western shores of the Uists. This rare habitat, made up from millions of crushed seashells blown by the Atlantic winds onto the coastal plain, is home to some of the largest breeding concentrations of waders in Britain. Corncrakes still thrive in the islands, thanks to the less intensive techniques practised here, and wild flower flourish.
The wonderful coastal landscape contrasts markedly with the moors and hills which lie to
the east, rising to 610m on Ben More on South Uist. Lower moorland covers the centre of
North Uist and is home to an array of wildlife including both Golden and White-tailed
Eagles as well as an abundance of Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls and Red Deer. The plant
life differs from the alkaline machair, as the moors are largely acidic and made up of
peat. In this often boggy habitat many of the plants struggle to find enough nutrients
which has led some to adapt in fascinating ways, such as insectivorous sundews and
butterworts. The hills are indented with an intricate coastline reminiscent of the
northern fjords and dotted with a myriad of lochs. The islands are said to have some
6,000 fresh water lochs with breeding wildfowl and including the rare Red-necked Phalarope
with its charismatic feeding technique. The intricate coastline and scattering of fresh
water makes the islands an ideal place for Otters and it is, indeed, one of the best
places in the UK to see them.
We have chosen an excellent new hotel at Lochmaddy - the Tigh Dearg (pronounced Ti Jerack) with its exceptionally comfortable rooms and excellent food. The holiday is based on flights from Glasgow but if you prefer to travel independently by ferry and perhaps extend your stay on the islands this can be arranged.
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