Must-see attractions in Outer Hebrides

  • Turquoise waters of Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris.

    Luskentyre

    Outer Hebrides

    Luskentyre is one of the biggest and most beautiful beaches in Scotland, famed for its acres of low-tide white sands and turquoise waters. A minor road…

  • Arnol Black House restored thatched old cottage Isle of Lewis; Shutterstock ID 49442545; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    Arnol Blackhouse

    Outer Hebrides

    One of Scotland’s most evocative historic buildings, the Arnol Blackhouse is not so much a museum as a perfectly preserved fragment of a lost world. Built…

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    Callanish Standing Stones

    Outer Hebrides

    The Callanish Standing Stones, 15 miles west of Stornoway on the A858 road, form one of the most complete stone circles in Britain. It is one of the most…

  • Eriskay

    Outer Hebrides

    There's not much to see on Eriskay, but you'll pass through it on the way to the car ferry that crosses to Ardmhor at the northern end of Barra; Eriskay…

  • Gallan Head

    Outer Hebrides

    Gallan Head, 3 miles north of Uig, was once an RAF radar station and surveillance post until it was abandoned in the 1960s. The old military camp, ringed…

  • Butt of Lewis

    Outer Hebrides

    The Butt of Lewis – the extreme northern tip of the Hebrides – is windswept and rugged, with a very imposing lighthouse, pounding surf and large colonies…

  • Lews Castle

    Outer Hebrides

    The Baronial mansion across the harbour from Stornoway town centre was built in the 1840s for the Matheson family, then owners of Lewis; it was gifted to…

  • Kisimul Castle

    Outer Hebrides

    Castlebay takes its name from the island fortress of Kisimul Castle, first built by the MacNeil clan in the 11th century. A short boat trip (weather…

  • Museum nan Eilean

    Outer Hebrides

    The 'Museum of the Isles' opened in 2017, occupying a modern extension built onto the side of Lews Castle. Artefacts, photos and videos celebrate the…

  • St Clement’s Church

    Outer Hebrides

    At the southernmost tip of the east coast of Harris stands the impressive 16th-century St Clement’s Church, built by Alexander MacLeod of Dunvegan between…

  • Iron Age House

    Outer Hebrides

    In 1996 archaeologists excavated an entire Iron Age village at the head of Bosta beach. Afterwards, the village was reburied for protection, but a…

  • Kildonan Museum

    Outer Hebrides

    Six miles north of Lochboisdale, Kildonan Museum explores the lives of local crofters through its collection of artefacts, an absorbing exhibition of B&W…

  • Dun Carloway

    Outer Hebrides

    Dun Carloway is a 2000-year-old, dry-stone broch, perched defiantly above a beautiful loch with views to the mountains of North Harris. The site is…

  • Isle of Harris Distillery

    Outer Hebrides

    This distillery started production in 2015, so its first batch of single malt whisky will be ready in 2019; meanwhile, it's producing Isle of Harris gin,…

  • Loch Druidibeg

    Outer Hebrides

    The northern part of South Uist is mostly occupied by the watery expanses of Loch Bee and Loch Druidibeg. The area is a Site of Special Scientific…

  • Traigh Mor

    Outer Hebrides

    This vast expanse of firm golden sand (the name means ‘Big Strand’) serves as Barra’s airport (a mile across at low tide, and big enough for three …

  • Leverburgh

    Outer Hebrides

    The village of Leverburgh is named after Lord Leverhulme (creator of Sunlight Soap, and founder of Unilever), who bought Lewis and Harris in 1918. He had…

  • Balranald RSPB Reserve

    Outer Hebrides

    Birdwatchers flock to this Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) nature reserve, 18 miles west of Lochmaddy, in the hope of spotting the rare…

  • Clò Mòr

    Outer Hebrides

    The Campbell family has been making Harris tweed for 90 years, and this exhibition (behind the family shop) celebrates the history of the fabric known in…

  • Bharpa Langass & Pobull Fhinn

    Outer Hebrides

    A waymarked path from a car park off the A867, 6 miles southwest of Lochmaddy, leads to the chambered Neolithic burial tomb of Bharpa Langass and the…

  • Seallam! Visitor Centre

    Outer Hebrides

    The culture and landscape of the Hebrides are celebrated in the fascinating exhibition at Seallam! Visitor Centre (Seallam is Gaelic for ‘Let me show you’…

  • Taigh Chearsabhagh

    Outer Hebrides

    Taigh Chearsabhagh is a museum and arts centre that preserves and displays the history and culture of the Uists, and is also a thriving community centre,…

  • Calanais Visitor Centre

    Outer Hebrides

    This visitor centre near the Callanish Standing Stones is a tour de force of discreet design. Inside is a small exhibition that speculates on the origins…

  • An Lanntair Arts Centre

    Outer Hebrides

    The modern, purpose-built An Lanntair (Gaelic for 'lighthouse'), complete with art gallery, theatre, cinema and restaurant, is the centre of the town’s…

  • Bosta

    Outer Hebrides

    On a sunny day, it’s worth making the long detour to Great Bernera's northern tip for a picnic at the perfect little sandy beach of Bosta. As an…

  • St Kilda Viewpoint

    Outer Hebrides

    From the westernmost point of the road that runs around North Uist, a minor, drivable track leads for 1.5 miles to the summit of Clettraval hill where a…

  • Talla na Mara

    Outer Hebrides

    Opened in 2017 as a community enterprise, this beautiful modern building houses several artists' studios and an exhibition space that displays works…

  • Doune Broch Centre

    Outer Hebrides

    The tiny, turf-roofed Doune Broch Centre has interpretative displays and exhibitions about the history of the Dun Carloway broch and the life of the…

  • Uig Museum

    Outer Hebrides

    This small community museum, housed in the local school, has lots of info on the Lewis chess pieces (discovered nearby in 1831) and on other historic…

  • Barra Heritage Centre

    Outer Hebrides

    This centre has Gaelic-themed displays about the island's history and culture, genealogical records, local art exhibitions and a tearoom.

  • Blackhouse Museum

    Outer Hebrides

    A traditional 1955 blackhouse with displays on the village’s history.