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Chambered cairn
Barpa Langass
Neolithic chambered cairn about 5,000 years old, around 22 metres across and 5.5 metres high, on North Uist.
A mini guide to
The Uists & Benbecula
Machair, chambered cairns and causeways from Berneray to Eriskay
Photos
1 / 8Welcome to the area
Machair, chambered cairns and causeways from Berneray to Eriskay
North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are joined by causeways, with Berneray to the north and Eriskay to the south, so you can drive the chain in a day. The west coasts are sandy beaches backed by machair, a low fertile grassland, and the east sides are hilly and almost empty; Beinn Mhòr, at 620 metres, is the highest point.
North Uist has the Neolithic cairn of Barpa Langass, the stone circle Pobull Fhinn and the RSPB reserve at Balranald. Benbecula has the airport and the ruins of Borve Castle. South Uist has Our Lady of the Isles, Kildonan Museum and the ruin of Ormacleit Castle, and on Eriskay Prince Charles Edward Stuart came ashore on 2 August 1745, at the start of the Jacobite rising.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Stone circle
Pobull Fhinn
Prehistoric stone circle on North Uist near Langass; the Gaelic name can be translated as Fionn's people.
Iron Age broch
Dun an Sticir
Iron Age broch in a loch about 9.5 km north of Lochmaddy; a building was raised on the site in the late medieval period.
Ruined nunnery
Teampull na Trionaid
Ruins of a 13th-century Augustinian nunnery at Carinish, believed to be a daughter house of the Iona nunnery.
Nature reserve
Balranald RSPB Reserve
RSPB reserve on the west coast of North Uist with sandy beaches, a rocky shore, marshes and dunes.
Directions Website Report a problem with Balranald RSPB Reserve
Folly
Scolpaig Tower
Georgian folly near the village of Scolpaig in the north-west of North Uist.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows The Uists & Benbecula and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Use the causeways
All the islands from Berneray to Eriskay are joined by causeways, so one car can cover the chain. Allow time for single-track sections.
2
Watch for wildlife on the roads
Birds, sheep and cattle graze the machair beside the roads, so drive slowly through crofting townships.
3
Check seasonal hours
Several cafés and hotels change their opening through the year. Check websites, especially between October and April.
4
Book ferries in advance
CalMac says reservations are essential from Uig to Lochmaddy and strongly recommended at Lochboisdale.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
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Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- The Uists & Benbecula (area photo): Helen Spencer, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Barpa Langass: Tom Parnell, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Pobull Fhinn: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dun an Sticir: Helen Spencer, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Teampull na Trionaid: MatthewVernon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Balranald RSPB Reserve: Alan Jamieson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Scolpaig Tower: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Taigh Chearsabhagh: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Borve Castle: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Our Lady of the Isles: Sandy Gerrard, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ormacleit Castle: Dave Fergusson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dun Vulan: Sandy Gerrard, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kildonan Museum: Stephen Darlington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Prince's Beach, Eriskay: Mike O'Shea, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- St Michael's Church, Eriskay: Euan Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Barra & Vatersay: Conor Lawless from North Uist, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, source
- Isle of Lewis & Stornoway: LornaMCampbell, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Isle of Harris & Tarbert: Zenit, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring The Outer Hebrides