The Western Isles - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 317

minimum (and bring your own bedding) or stay in the
hostel hut or camp. Bike hire and activities from peat cutting

to se ashore fora ging also on offer. April-Oct. Huts for two
£50 ; hostel £16 /person

Clachan (Clachan na Luib) and around
CLACHAN (Clachan na Luib), centred on the main crossroads of the A865 and
the A867 from Lochmaddy, has a post office and general store. Offshore, to the
southwest, lie two flat, tidal, dune and machair islands, the largest of which is
Baleshare (Baile Sear), with its fantastic three-mile-long beach, connected by
causeway to North Uist. In Gaelic the island's name means “east village”, its twin
“west village” having disappeared under the sea during a freak storm in the fifteenth
or sixteenth century. The storm also isolated the Monach Islands (also known by
their old Norse name of Heisker or Heisgeir in Gaelic), once joined to North Uist
at low tide, now eight miles out to sea. The islands, which are connected with each
other at low tide, were inhabited until the 1930s, when the last remaining families
moved to Sollas.

6

Eabhal
For a superb overview of North Uist's watery landscape, it's a boggy, but relatively
straightforward climb up the island's highest hill, Eabhal (1138ft). The best starting-
point is the end of the B894 to Loch Euphoirt: skirt round the east side of Loch
Obasaraigh and approach the summit from the northeast (return trip 3-4hr).
ACCOMMODATION CLACHAN AND AROUND

Ì Bagh Alluin 21 Baleshare (Baile Sear) T 01876
580370, W jacvolbeda.co.uk. A secluded, beautifully
designed modern B&B with fantastic views over the island
run b y a D utch artist, who is a genuinely warm and friendly
host. £85
Langass Lodge Loch Eport T 01876 580285, W langass
lodge.co.uk. From the A867, a side road leads off to this
venerable hotel, which has a stylish modern extension,
and a restaurant and bar that serve excellent local

seafood (£3 0 for t wo courses); reservations advised. Daily
6-8.30pm. £110
Moorcroft Holidays 17 Carinish (Cairinis) T 01876
580305, W moorcroftholidays.com. An exposed, but
flat and very well equipped campsite, with sea views;
the bunkhouse has just six beds, lovely wooden floors and
furn ishings and a mo dern kitchen. April-Oct. Bunkhouse
£18 /person; camping £13 /pitch

EATING AND DRINKING
Claddach Kirkibost Centre Claddach Kirkibost
(Cladach Chireboist) T 01876 580390. Community-
centre café in a conservatory with sea views, which uses
local produce to make soups, sandwiches and simple
dishes, even the occasional curry or Tex-Mex dish (£6-7).
Mon-Sat 11am-4pm; closed Sat in winter.

Westford Inn Claddach Kirkibost (Cladach Chireboist)
T 01876 580653, W j7mis.co.uk/westfordinn. North
Uist's only pub is housed in the eighteenth-century factor's
house. There's a wood-panelled bar plus several smaller
rooms with real fires in bad weather, Skye ales on tap and
pub food until 9pm. May-Sept daily noon-11pm.

Benbecula (Beinn na Faoghla)
Blink and you could miss the pancake-flat island of Benbecula (put the stress on the
second syllable), sandwiched between Protestant North Uist and Catholic South Uist.
Most visitors simply trundle along the main road that cuts across the middle of the
island in less than five miles - not such a bad idea, since the island is scarred from the
postwar presence of the Royal Artillery, who once made up half the local population.
The only reason to come to BALIVANICH (Baile a Mhanaich), Benbecula's grim, grey
capital, is if you're flying into or out of Benbecula Airport , need an ATM, the laundry
(behind the bank) or a supermarket.