The Western Isles - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 313

THE WEST COAST
Beul-na-Mara Seilebost T 01859 550205, W beulna
mara.co.uk. This is a perfectly decent B&B run by a local
couple, but what makes it particularly special is the stun-
ning location, overl ook ing the golden sands of Luskentyre
(Tràigh Losgaintir). £90
Ì Pairc an t-Srath Borve (Na Buirgh) T 01859 550386,
W paircant-srath.co.uk. A working crofthouse, with beauti-
ful Harris Tweed furnishings - there's a superb view from the
dining room and the food is both filling an d bea utifully
prepared (three-course dinners for £35 a head). £100
Temple Café Northton (Taobh Tuath) T 01859 550205,
W beulnamara.co.uk. Great little “Hobbit House” café in
the former MacGillivray Centre - expect butternut squash
soup, roast peppers and veggie burgers (all under £10)
and great views over the machair. April-Sept Wed-Sun
10.30am-5.30pm (also some eves until 9pm); Oct-
March same hours, Sat & Sun only.

LEVERBURGH
Ì Am Bothan Ferry Rd T 01859 520251, W ambothan
.com. Quirky, bright-red timber-clad bunkhouse that makes
for a pretty luxurious, very welcoming hostel close to the
ferry. Lovely big k itchen/living room, plus laundry and drying
facilities too. £20 /person
The Anchorage Ferry Terminal T 01859 520225.
For local venison and beef burgers, langoustines, black
pudding with poached egg on mu ns (£10-15), head for
this lively bar/restaurant by the ferry slipway - great views
and occasional live music. Mon-Sat noon-11pm; food
served noon-9pm.
Carminish House 1A Strond T 01859 520400,
W carminish.com. Modern, double-glazed guesthouse
with light, airy rooms, free wi-fi and some fabulous views
over the Soun d from the residents' lounge, which has an
open fire. £80

6

North Uist (Uibhist a Tuath)
Compared to the mountainous scenery of Harris, North Uist - seventeen miles long
and thirteen miles wide - is much flatter and for some comes as something of an
anticlimax. Over half the surface area is covered by water, creating a distinctive
peaty-brown lochan-studded “drowned landscape”. Most visitors come here for the
trout- and salmon-fishing and the deerstalking, all of which (along with poaching) are
critical to the survival of the island's economy. Others come for the smattering of
prehistoric sites, the birds, or the sheer peace of this windy isle and the solitude of
North Uist's vast sandy beaches, which extend - almost without interruption - along
the north and west coasts.

Lochmaddy (Loch nam Madadh) and around
Despite being situated on the east coast, some distance away from any beach, the ferry
port of LOCHMADDY - “Loch of the Dogs” - makes a good base for exploring the
island. Occupying a narrow, bumpy promontory, overlooked by the brooding
mountains of North Lee (Lì a Tuath) and South Lee (Lì a Deas) to the southeast,
it's difficult to believe that this sleepy settlement was a large herring port as far back as
the seventeenth century. While there's not much to see in Lochmaddy itself, there are
several prehistoric sites in the surrounding area.

Taigh Chearsabhagh
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm • £3 • T 01876 603970, W taigh-chearsabhagh.org
The only thing to keep you in Lochmaddy is Taigh Chearsabhagh , a converted
eighteenth-century merchant's house, now home to a community arts centre, with
a simple airy café, post office, shop and excellent museum, which puts on some
worthwhile exhibitions. Taigh Chearsabhagh was one of the prime movers behind the
commissioning of a series of seven sculptures dotted about the Uists. Ask at the arts
centre for directions to the ones in and around Lochmaddy, the most interesting of
which is the Both nam Faileas (Hut of the Shadow), 1km north of the town. The hut is
an ingenious dry-stone, turf-roofed camera obscura built by sculptor Chris Drury that
projects the nearby land-, sea- and skyscape onto its back wall - take time to allow your