The Isle of North Uist occupies a central position in the Outer Hebrides - the Western Isles chain which lies forty miles off the north west coast of Scotland . North Uist is linked by causeways to Benbecula and South Uist and forms the lower half of " The Long Island " along with the northern isles of Lewis and Harris . North Uist can be reached by CALMAC's roll-on/roll-off car ferries from Uig on Skye to Lochmaddy ( 2 hours ) and from Oban to Lochboisdale on South Uist ( 6 hours ) . Flights leave daily ( ex. Sunday ) from Glasgow Airport British Airways to Balivanich,Benbecula .
An excellent website with North Uist information
is The
Internet Guide to
Scotland
Struan Cottage lies 10 miles from Lochmaddy ( principal town of North
Uist ) on
the 35 mile circular road which has short branches off to townships
such as
Locheport and Otternish ( causeway to Berneray and CALMAC ferry to
Leverburgh in Harris ). The cottage sits 50 yards from the roadside on
the bay
at Vallay Strand with picturesque views to the now uninhabited island
of
Vallay. The cottage was built in the 19th century and has been recently
modernised to combine all the benefits of modern amenities with the
original
appearance of a traditional, thatched cottar's whitehouse . The cottage
comprises one double bedroom with single sleeping loft, living
room/kitchen
with sleeping loft for two and a toilet with shower . Cooking and
heating are
by electricity with the opportunity for using solid fuel stove .A
fridge is provided
.
Tenants are asked to supply their own bed linen
(the beds
have downies so covers will be required ) .
Traditional thatcher at work
Our traditional thatchers, John and Angus Alec.
The house is close to a protected bay providing an
ideally
safe area for swimming ,canoeing etc. At low tide the full beauty of
the
magnificent silver sands of Vallay Strand is exposed affording an
opportunity
to gather cockles , play games on the beach or walk across to explore
the
island of Vallay ( remembering to check beforehand the times of the
tides !! )
Lochmaddy is the main town with ferries to and from Uig in Skye and Tarbert in Harris . It is the islands business centre with The Bank of Scotland , Post Office , Court House , Police Station , Doctor , Hotel , shops , petrol station and tourist office all to be found here .
Lochmaddy Hotel
OTHER PAGES ON THIS WEBSITE
1999 was the centenary of the crofting of Sollas click here to see photos and a variety of events happened in July 1999. Today all the crofts except one are occupied by descendants of the original crofters who settled here a century ago.
Many of these original crofters came from Heiskeir(click here
for more
info.) .
A memorial site was officially opened in July 1999.More Heisker
photos
More
information
on
Heiskeir
Struan Cottage,Cottage interior, thatching
A History of Hunting in North Uist
In Sollas , 1.5 miles from Struan Cottage is the Co-op store ( open
Mon -
Saturday ) which has a good stock of tinned,frozen and fresh produce as
well as
an off-licence . There is also a Post Office in Sollas .
There are also shops at Bayhead and at Clachan
Four main hotels in North Uist serve bar and evening meals ; Lochmaddy
Hotel ,
Westford Inn , Langass Lodge and Caranish.
Claddach Kikibost Centre has an excellent cafe(11am to 5 pm)
Taigh Chearsabhagh is the Arts Centre, it oten has workshops and
events. Also
has a nice cafe.
The Isle of North Uist , unspoilt by tourism , provides a unique
opportunity
for those who wish to relax and explore and where the pace of life
allows space
for reflection . The island is flatter than South Uist, its highest
hills,Eaval
and South Lee being 1,139 feet and 898 feet respectively standing on
the
eastern shores of the island surrounded by a jigsaw of glistening sea
and fresh
water lochs ( O.S. Maps 18 & 22 ) . The west cost of the island
with the
rolling machair land bordering the Atlantic Ocean is lush in vegetation
and
carpeted with wild flowers .
Wild Orchid
Its miles of silvery sands are frequented by wild birds.
Puffin
Balranald is where the RSPB
reserve is situated . The reserve is 3 miles from Bayhead ( Paible )
turning
left off the main road at Hougharry . The summer warden can be
contacted at the
reception cottage at Goular near Hougharry , not at Balranald . The
1500 acre
reserve was set by an agreement with crofters and comprises a wide
variety of
Hebridean habitats ranging from beaches to lochs and flower clad
meadows .For details of sightings and Uist wildlife in general
visit Western
Isles wildlife
North Uist is a paradise for those interested in ancient historical
sites with
prehistoric forts ,wheelhouses and chambered cairns many in good
condition
.With its myriad of sea and freshwater lochs North Uist is an ideal
holiday
venue for the keen fisherman . Permits and information can be obtained
from the
Lochmaddy Hotel . The main industries on the island are crofting and
fishing .
The lobster fishermen land their catch on the island of Grimsay ,
linked by a
causeway to North Uist . Here the lobsters may be seen . They have a
shellish
market at Kallin Peir on Saturdays 11am - 2 pm. An excellent fish store
is
Mermaid Fish Supplies near Clachan offering a wide range of smoked fish
.
The community school at Liniclate , Benbecula has a swimming pool ,a
great
library for children, theatre and sports complex . There is an 18 hole
golf
course on South Uist . There is a 9 hole golf course at Sollas, visit their website
Additional information and telephone numbers :
Doctor , Lochmaddy....
018763
500333
Bicycle Hire , Lochmaddy... Lochmaddy 358
Car Hire, MacLennans,Balivanich.........01870602191
Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry.......
01876
500337
Claddach Kirkibost Centre .....01876580390
Grenitote Travel (Bus operator)
01876560244
Lochmaddy Hotel.......
01876
500331
Langass Lodge Hotel......
Locheport
285
Taigh Chearsabhagh.......
01876
500293 visit their
website
Tourist Office..........
01876
500321
Telephone - nearest public call box is approximately 3/4 mile from the
cottage
towards the villlage of Sollas .
Uist Community Riding School.....01870604283/602616
Fuel - We have a large peat stack Coal can be purchased from the Co-op
in Sollas or from Morison's shop in
Lochmaddy . Peat can occasionally be bought locally .
Petrol - the nearest petrol stations are at Bayhead and Lochmaddy .
RENTS : 2010
APRIL-MAY-OCTOBER...£250 per week
JUNE-SEPTEMBER...£300 per week
JULY-AUGUST...£350 per week
contact donald macaulay at drdmacaulay@hotmail.com