Planning 10 day trip to Hebrides - any suggestions on pitches? (1 Viewer)

[PaulC70]

Hi all, so we'll be getting the new motorhome 2 days before a 10 day trip! We're planning on heading to the Hebrides as we love it there!

Loose plan is:
Day 1 - Bedford to Loch Lomond area (385 ish miles)
Day 2 - Loch Lomond to Skye (175 ish miles)
Day 3 - spend the day on Skye
Day 4 to 8 or 9 - Skye ferry to North Uist to Benbecula to South Uist to the ferry to Barra then the reverse to Skye
Day 9 or 10 Back to Bedford (550 ish miles)

I want to wild for some and use sites for some and yes coming back homes a looooong haul for sure but I can split that IF I feel we've done enough / spent enough time on the islands.
Problem there is that I don't know the Uists and Barra, if I was going to Lewis and Harris I'd not even post as we've been there a few times but Im looking to see if anyone here has been to the Uists etc and have some favourite spots and or advice?

Oh and for activities there's no bikes and the wife can't walk very far either, I guess we just want to immerse ourselves in the beauty of the islands

 

[Gellyneck]

Folk with experience of Barra \ Uist will be along soon (irnbru Sandra?) but, as an aside, double-check ferry availability as Cal-Mac has had some technical issues with vessel\s and services are a bit disrupted.

 

[irnbru]

Oh your not going to Barra and Vatersay are you You will love it. Our favourite of them all. Make sure you watch the only plane landing in the world that is governed by tide times. Let me just check where we used.

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[irnbru]

Toilet dump behind the building next to bus stop opposite ferry exit in Castlebay.. Theres parking at the community hall in Vatersay, £5 per night, 57.041641, -7.421298 , dont miss Vatersay the beach is stunning. There is room for about 6 vans to wild up at the old harbour in Eliogarry Barra with a toilet dump and fresh water tap behind the old toilet block. 57.041641, -7.421298

The "Scurrival "campsite is £10, 57.041641, -7.421298
has washing machines, a kitchen, sitting room etc and a pod of dolphins come every day and play nearby. I will try retracing my steps and get you coordinates, don't know why I didn't add them to our video but you'll find them on on Searchforsites. Our funster video is here.

 

[IRHP]

We loved Barra after spending10 day’s on the Hebrides last year. Stayed at Wavecrest campsite, also had a night outside the Kisimul Cafe just round the corner from the ferry. You can stay at the ferry terminal if you have an early ferry. 2 big freezer lorries stopped us staying there due to the continual noise. Garrynamonie beach is a good wild spot on south uist.

 

[DBK]

My brother has been staying at the site at Balranald on North Uist. It is next to the Balranald RSPB reserve and they have been hearing corncrakes calling and even seen one of these elusive birds.

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[PaulC70]

Brilliant information and help there irnbru! and loving the video

 

[Potty]

Overnight stops Loch Lomond
Balloch Country Park, signposted from roundabout on A82. Bays at the back big enough for MHs. Can be busy during the day but quiet at night. No services but close to shops, restaurants.
Tarbert about half way up Loch. CDP and water, although water was off last time we were there, Oct 2020.

Skye new Aire at Auchtertyre Farm a few miles before Skye Bridge. overnight £10 including services; services only £5.

Camping Skye in Broadford allows use of facilities £5, phone first

CDPs in car park in Portree and at the Storr, on road from Portree to Uig

Info on parking, sites and facilities in Uists and Barra here:

https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/dbimgs/1654_BB%20Campervan%20leaflet_SCREEN_AW_2018_07_31.pdf

Enjoy!

 

[Potty]

PaulC70 I may have added more since you first saw my post.

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[Dogeared]

Great place, but remember to top your gas up if on LPG, none on the islands.

 

[glenn2926]

Great place, but remember to top your gas up if on LPG, none on the islands.

Thanks for the reminder. It does surprise me though as I would have thought that LPG was the islanders only option for gas.
Does anyone know if the island has gas or is it all just electric?

 

[Potty]

No mains gas but many use calor cylinders. Peat still used for heating.

The Co-op garage in Broadford on Skye sells lpg. Also the Gleaner station in Portree and Uig service station.

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[PaulC70]

I've not even got gas cylinders sorted yet Dont know whether to go for something like safefill or not to be honest, loose plan at the moment is to use the big cylinder sat under the patio bbq!

 

[kimndon]

If you are thinking of stopping by Loch Lomond go on their site to book a park for night. Only £3. We tried to stay at Firkin - which was ok but I couldn’t get a permit. So had to stay at Tarbet, free - but had some new age Scots drinking and load talking til after 11.30.

 

[Brains]

I've not even got gas cylinders sorted yet Dont know whether to go for something like safefill or not to be honest, loose plan at the moment is to use the big cylinder sat under the patio bbq!

I'd sort out the gas ASAP. Before you pick it up.
There is a massive shortage of Calor gas cylinders in the UK at the moment, so depending on who is providing your new M/H, I'd get them to provide a couple of cylinders.
Depending on the connectors, you may or may not be able to use your BBQ gas cylinder

If you have the time, I'd recommend getting at least one refillable GasLow cylinder fitted (and keep one Calor gas cylinder), again, a dealer may be able to do this for you, or you could find a fitter on your way to Scotland
(A GasLow cylinder costs about £5 to fill, a Calor is around £27 to swap)

As for your route:
400 miles in a day in a motorhome, with two drivers, is impressive.
550 miles in a day in a motorhome, with two/three drivers is not going to be pleasant, I think the distance is closer to 600 miles and will take 14-16 hours

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[PaulC70]

I'd sort out the gas ASAP. Before you pick it up.
There is a massive shortage of Calor gas cylinders in the UK at the moment, so depending on who is providing your new M/H, I'd get them to provide a couple of cylinders.
Depending on the connectors, you may or may not be able to use your BBQ gas cylinder

If you have the time, I'd recommend getting at least one refillable GasLow cylinder fitted (and keep one Calor gas cylinder), again, a dealer may be able to do this for you, or you could find a fitter on your way to Scotland
(A GasLow cylinder costs about £5 to fill, a Calor is around £27 to swap)

As for your route:
400 miles in a day in a motorhome, with two drivers, is impressive.
550 miles in a day in a motorhome, with two/three drivers is not going to be pleasant, I think the distance is closer to 600 miles and will take 14-16 hours

I'll suss out the connectors as soon as I can as I'm leaving it short between picking up and going.
As for the driving, only one driver, me!
So yeah I think there will be a few heavy long days but I dont mind that too much but already looking at splitting the return journey up more than original plan.

 

[Rapido925M]

Why not go a bit slower on the islands and catch the ferry from Castle Bay to Oban?

Gordon

 

[PaulC70]

Why not go a bit slower on the islands and catch the ferry from Castle Bay to Oban?

Gordon

I have to say I really don't fancy a 5 and a half hour ferry trip to be honest.

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[irnbru]

I have to say I really don't fancy a 5 and a half hour ferry trip to be honest.

We have gone that way a few times. It lets you chill out and enjoy the views.

 

[PaulC70]

Biggest worry is getting a rubbish choppy crossing :-/

 

[irnbru]

Biggest worry is getting a rubbish choppy crossing :-/

Unless you are going in Autumn/Winter the crossing should be relatively calm.

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[orridge]

When are you looking at going Paul as Bedford is going on the do not travel to Scotland list from the 24th temporarily.

NRS Web Continuity Service

www.gov.scot

 

[PJGWiltshire]

When are you looking at going Paul as Bedford is going on the do not travel to Scotland list from the 24th temporarily.

NRS Web Continuity Service

www.gov.scot

That’s for those north if the border to go South. Us southerners cannot be stopped

 

[irnbru]

That’s for those north if the border to go South. Us southerners cannot be stopped

No its not, its BOTH ways. See my image above.

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[PJGWiltshire]

No its not, its BOTH ways. See my image above.

They way I read it it only is relevant to Scottish residents. As it states travel to and from in the guise of Scottish residents. All the First Minister can state is residents from those areas in the uk cannot travel to Scotland, that has not been said

 

[Puddleduck]

When you are in Scotland then Scottish law applies. It's advice but why would you not want to follow it?

Travelling to the Scottish islands: pre-departure testing​

To reduce the risk of coronavirus being brought into island communities, we are encouraging anyone planning to travel to a Scottish island to test before they do so.


You can order rapid lateral flow tests for delivery to your home anywhere in the UK and they should arrive within 24-48 hours.


You should test three days before you plan to travel and then again on the day of departure. If you test positive, you should complete your period of self-isolation before you begin your journey.


If your test result is negative it is not a guarantee that you do not have coronavirus. You must continue to follow national and local restrictions, including coronavirus guidance. If you develop coronavirus symptoms you must self-isolate and book a PCR test.


This is a voluntary scheme and you will not need evidence of a negative test to travel to a Scottish island. However, we encourage you to participate in order to reduce the risk that you inadvertently carry coronavirus into one of our island communities.

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Good idea re preventing the spread.

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[orridge]

They way I read it it only is relevant to Scottish residents. As it states travel to and from in the guise of Scottish residents. All the First Minister can state is residents from those areas in the uk cannot travel to Scotland, that has not been said

• England – travel to and from Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, and Bolton is only allowed for permitted reasons from Monday 24 May 2021, for example for work or education. There is a detailed list of examples of reasonable excuses in the regulations. No travel restrictions elsewhere in England

Whether its enforceable or not it's clear they do not want people travelling to/from Scotland to those locations at the moment.

 

[Puddleduck]

We have gone that way a few times. It lets you chill out and enjoy the views.

and dolphin spot

 

[PaulC70]

When are you looking at going Paul as Bedford is going on the do not travel to Scotland list from the 24th temporarily.

NRS Web Continuity Service

www.gov.scot

They way I read it it only is relevant to Scottish residents. As it states travel to and from in the guise of Scottish residents. All the First Minister can state is residents from those areas in the uk cannot travel to Scotland, that has not been said

We're planning to go second week of June but at the moment it's not relevant as I actually live outside Bedford, it's our post town but we live in Kempston just outside to be fair.

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