Cottage in Western Isles

Hi, jclayhutchinson,

There are a lot of Western Isles. I have to assume that you mean the Outer Hebrides (Lewis down to Barra). The best thing that you can do at this point is to narrow your search down to a specific island, and then look up self-catering accommodation for that island.

Personally, I'd recommend Harris, just for its beautiful beaches and good hiking trails. I think that you'll find that most self-catering accommodation is outwith villages, but you should be able to find something that is relatively close to shops.

If they are still in business, I can recommend Luskentyre Lodge, which is about half a mile from Luskentyre Beach. Leona and Norman are a delightful young couple, with three boys at last count. They rent an annex to their house and the annex is connected to their house, so it's not technically a cottage. The nearest shops are in Tarbert and Leverburgh.

Good luck with your search, and if you're planning for this summer, it would be good to start looking now.

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

You may find some ideas here- https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/

Hi Mike,
Thank you for the information about the Outer Hebrides. Yes, I agree that Harris will be best for us. There are many good self-catering options. I think we will stay in the islands for about 10 days and perhaps travel down to South Uist or Barra to catch the ferry to Oban. Still doing research. Cheers,
Clay
Kaneohe, Hawaii

Hi again, Clay,

Now that I know that you live in Hawai'i, I feel a little sheepish telling you about the beautiful beaches! You must certainly be used to them! However, I would put Luskentyre Beach up against any beach, anywhere in the world. We've been there a few times, and we've never seen more than half a dozen visitors, even in high summer.

Scarista Beach and Huisinish Beach are pretty nice, as well. And if you take the easy hike out to the temple from Northton, there are some small but charming white sand beaches along the way.

The nice thing about staying on Harris is that there are so many places on Harris and Lewis for day trips. And if you want to have a day you'll always remember, you can take a boat trip out to St Kilda from Leverburgh. As you'll be on Harris for at least a week, you'd have a choice of days in case Kilda Cruises can't sail because of the weather.

You will love Harris. It's like no other place in Scotland.

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)