Walking on Uist and Barra

A guidebook to walking on the Uists and Barra, in the Outer Hebrides - with 40 graded day walks on Berneray, North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra, Vatersay and Mingulay. Routes range from easy beach walks to mountainous excursions and explore rugged hills, awesome sea cliffs, moorland and lochs.

This guide offers 40 walking routes on the Uists and Barra - a unique 100km cluster of islands in Scotland's Outer Hebrides. The walks are varied and graded, from short, flat beach walks beside crystal clear waters to long excursions across wild mountainous terrain, the routes visit all the major islands from Berneray to Vatersay but also those smaller and offshore such as Eriskay and Mingulay. Routes are described in four sections, by area, and illustrated with vivid colour photographs and OS mapping. Walking across these landscapes, especially the hill country, gives a sense of remoteness and peaceful solitude that cannot be found in the mainland's National Parks or on the Munros busy with peak baggers. Despite a relatively narrow area, Uist and Barra's diverse islands offer a contrasting walking terrain and many ancient historic sites such as chambered cairns and standing stones as well as lots of local wildlife. Upland areas are home to red deer and golden and white-tailed eagles, while along the coast grey seals are common and thousands of birds set up their breeding grounds in the machair. Daily flights between Glasgow and Benbecula as well as the ferry network mean that all of the islands are readily accessible.

Regional overview mapMap showing areas covered by each chapterIntroductionGeology and geomorphologyHistoryPlants and wildlifeTransportAccommodation and facilitiesSafetyAccessUsing the guide1 North UistWalk 1.1 Berneray (Beàrnaraigh)Walk 1.2 UdalWalk 1.3 Crgearraidh MrWalk 1.4 LochportainWalk 1.5 L a Tuath and L a DeasWalk 1.6 LangaisWalk 1.7 BurabhalEabhalWalk 1.8 Eabhal from Loch EuphortWalk 1.9 Eabhal from Cladach ChairinisWalk 1.10 Grimsay (Griomasaigh)Walk 1.11 ScolpaigWalk 1.12 Hogha Gearraidh and HostaWalk 1.13 Balranald Nature ReserveWalk 1.14 Baleshare (Baile Sear)2 BenbeculaWalk 2.1 BorghWalk 2.2 Culla BayWalk 2.3 RisinisWalk 2.4 Ruabhal3 South UistWalk 3.1 Loch SgioportWalk 3.2 Uisinis lighthouse and Nicolson's LeapWalk 3.3 The Northern Corries of ThaclaWalk 3.4 The Three PeaksBeinn MhrWalk 3.5 Beinn Mhr from SniseabhalWalk 3.6 Beinn Mhr from Taobh a Tuath Loch AineortWalk 3.7 Taobh a Tuath Loch AineortWalk 3.8 StulaighWalk 3.9 Gleann Dail bho DheasWalk 3.10 Eriskay (Eirisgeigh)Machair WayWalk 3.11 Tobha MrWalk 3.12 Aisgernis/Cladh Hàlainn4 BarraWalk 4.1 Barra's northern peninsularWalk 4.2 CliaidWalk 4.3 AllathasdalBarra's central hillsWalk 4.4 The Barra WatershedWalk 4.5 Barra's highest hillsWalk 4.6 Central BarraWalk 4.7 Dn BànWalk 4.8 Dn Bàn and Beinn TangabhalWalk 4.9 Vatersay (Bhatarsaigh)Walk 4.10 Mingulay (Mighlaigh)Appendix A Glossary of Gaelic and Norse termsAppendix B Route summary tableAppendix C Further readingAppendix D Useful information