Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a choice of historical videos for those really wet and windy days. A little south of the
museum, the road passes a cairn that sits amongst the foundations of
Flora MacDonald
's
childhood home (see box, p.588); she was born nearby, but the house no longer stands.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMAT I O N
LOCHBOISDALE AND AROUND
By ferry
There's a ferry from Oban to Lochboisdale (Tues,
Thurs, Sat & Sun; 5hr 20min-6hr 30min), which goes via
Tiree on Thurs and links with Castlebay on Barra.
By bus
There's a regular bus service along the spine road
(as they call it) to North Uist (Mon-Sat only).
Destinations
Balivanich (Mon-Sat 2-5 daily; 1hr);
Berneray (Mon-Sat 1 daily; 2hr 50min);
Eriskay (Mon-
Sat 4-6 daily; 40min); Lochmaddy (Mon-Sat 1-2 daily;
1hr 30min).
Tourist office
Pier Rd
(Easter-Oct Mon-Sat
9am-5pm; also open for an hour to meet the ferry;
T
01878 700286).
14
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Heron Point
Lochboisdale
T
01878 700073,
W
heron
point.co.uk.
Really tastefully furnished B&B run e
ciently
by a very frien
dly
host, just a mile up the road from the
ferry terminal.
£70
Lochboisdale Hotel
Lochboisdale
T
01878 700332,
W
lochboisdale.com.
The town's long-established hotel is
a convenient place to shelter if you're waiting for a ferry
and it d
oes d
ecent bar meals, occasionally featuring local
seafood.
£80
Polochar Inn
Polochar (Poll a' Charra)
T
01878
700215,
W
polocharinn.com.
One of best places to hole
up in, right on the south coast overlooking the Sound of
Barra, and with its own sandy beach close by; the rooms all
have sea views, and on the ground floor is a genuine pub,
serving decent bar meals.
Mon-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri &
Sat 11am-1am, Sun
12.3
0-11pm; food served 12.30-
2.30pm & 5.30-9pm.
£70
Uist Bunkhouse
Daliburgh (Dalabrog)
T
01878
700566,
W
uistbunkhouse.co.uk.
Clean and modern
hostel 3 miles from the ferry terminal, offering en suite
singles
, do
ubles and family rooms as well as dorms with
bunks.
£15
/person
Eriskay (Eiriosgaigh)
Famous for its patterned jerseys and peculiar breed of pony, originally used for carrying
peat and seaweed, the barren, hilly island of
Eriskay
is connected to South Uist by a
causeway built in 2001. he island, measuring just over two miles by one, shelters a
small fishing community of 150, and makes a great day-trip from South Uist. he
island's main beach on the west coast, Prince's Cockle Strand (Coilleag a Phrionnsa),
was where
Bonnie Prince Charlie
landed on Scottish soil on July 23, 1745 - the sea
bindweed that grows there is said to have sprung from the seeds Charles brought with
him from France. he prince, unaccustomed to hardship, spent his first night in a local
blackhouse and ate a couple of flounders, though he couldn't take the peat smoke and
chose to sleep sitting up rather than endure the damp bed.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
ERISKAY
By ferry
CalMac now runs a small car ferry
between Barra
(4-5 daily; 40min) and Ardmhor (Àird Mhòr), on the
southwest coast of Eriskay.
By bus
There's a regular bus service between Eriskay and
Lochboisdale (Mon-Sat 4-6 daily; 40min).
SS POLITICIAN
Eriskay's greatest claim to fame came in 1941 when the 8000-ton
SS Politician
- or “
Polly
” as it's fondly
known - sank en route from Liverpool to Jamaica, along with its cargo of bicycle parts, £3 million in
Jamaican currency, and 264,000 bottles of whisky, inspiring the book (by Compton MacKenzie) and
Ealing comedy
Whisky Galore!
(filmed on Barra in 1948 and released as
Tight Little Island
in the US). The
real story was less romantic, especially for the 36 islanders charged with illegal possession by the
Customs and Excise o
cers, 19 of whom were found guilty and imprisoned in Inverness. The ship's
stern can still be seen at low tide northwest of Calvay Island in the Sound of Eriskay, and one of the
original bottles (and other memorabilia) can be viewed at
Am Politician
(see p.522).
