Question about which town to stay in on Harris & Lewis

Do you have the Bradt Guide to the Outer Hebrides? We used it for Barra and it was spot on for where to stay (true, on Barra there aren't many) and where to eat.

Not yet but I'll probably get it. I'm actually not looking for accommodations right now but I'm trying to decide which town (Tarbert or Stornoway) to base myself in.

Well, I will let you know my opinion at the end of next week. :) Because I am coming by ferry without a car and arriving in the evening, I DID opt for 2 nights in Tarbert. Then, as there is so much to see on Lewis, I am spending 3 nights in Stornaway. It sounded good when planning. We’ll see if I like it after I do it.

There is only own town on Lewis and Harris and that is Stornoway. All the other settlements are very, very small - including Tarbert, although that's a charming spot. Assuming you have a car I'd stay in or near Stornoway to have the best choice of eating options.

When are you travelling? If this season then it will depend what accommodation you can get at this stage. If next year, then be aware that the Uig ferry jetty is being redeveloped through the winter and we have no certainty that it will be finished and the ferries running again next spring. These projects often over run.

Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Thanks, TexasTravelmom and Jacqui! And yes, I do have a car, so I will probably settle in Stornoway for the whole time.

Jacqui, I am not traveling until May of next year (2023) so hopefully that will not be a problem then. But if it's not fixed, what are the contingency plans? Or are there any?

Mardee
This is all we know at the moment, Uig Harbour Closure, but there is much concern locally that works may well not run to time. If Uig is out of action there will be no ferries to Tarbert or Lochmaddy from Skye and services would be from Ullapool and Mallaig (to South Uist).
Jacqui

Jacqui, thanks! I followed the link in the CalMac report to the Highland Council, which had the following quote:

The closure period has been extended and includes contingencies for weather related events and is based on a 6-day working week thus providing more certainty that the works will be complete by the end of March deadline.

So I will keep my fingers crossed that everything works out.

Mardee, fingers crossed about covers it. Nobody here really believes the work will be completed on time. It will have a major impact on the viability of businesses in Uig, Tarbert and Lochmaddy.
Best wishes
Jacqui

I agree that you should stay in Stornoway. We visited both Tarbert and Stornoway last month (June 2022) on our tour of the Outer Hebrides, and I was very disappointed by Tarbert. We stayed in a VERY nice hotel, but there was very little to do other than sit the garden drinking beer.

Since you will have a car you can go to Tarbert to visit the gin destillery and a shop selling tweed. We traveled by bus (because for us going by bus is part of the experience) so didn't have that option.

Actually if you have a car, you DON'T have to stop in a town. Have you thought about trying to find somewhere between the two? (We used to s/c in a lovely property near Leurbost but infortunately it has since been sold.)

Stornoway is the largest settlement with a reasonable selection of shops and a supermarket. The museum is here too along with Lews Castle. I prefer Tarbert to Stornoway, but stocking up on food supplies was more difficult

l.p.enersen, thanks! I will definitely be visiting any shop I can find that sells Harris Tweed. I've been sewing for over 50 years and one of my favorite things to do is shop for fabric! :)

wasleys, I did think about staying between somewhere else but I like staying near stores and restaurants if possible. I live in a rural area outside Duluth and have to drive 10 miles in any direction to go anywhere, so it's nice to be able to walk to a restaurant or grocery store.

In that case, it has to be Stornoway!

There is the Harris Tweed shop in Stornoway

Have you come across the Harris Tweed Visitor Centre at Carloway Mill? They also do tours of the mill. This would tie in nicely with a trip to Calanais standing stones and Dun Carloway Broch.

There is also the Weaving Shed at Crossbost.

Mardee,
Agree that Stornoway is best for lodging and eating, but do make a trip to Tarbert as the tweed shop there is great. So many different tweeds sold by the 1/2 metre and some bargains to be had.

Jacqui

Oh my gosh, thank you both, wasleys and Jacqui!!! I can't wait to check out all of these places!

We're in the middle of 31 days in Scotland - out to Colonsay today. For anyone travelling to Lewis in the immediate future, be sure to mask up if you're in a crowd, and sanitize whenever possible. There is a severe outbreak of Covid in Stornoway - the hospital is fully occupied with Covid patients, and they are postponing all non-essential services.

On Harris, I'd highly recommend the Harris Hotel, and also the Luskentyre Lodge, which is very near the beach.

The A82 was closed yesterday due to an accident. We had to take a 120 mile detour en route to Oban. But at least we got to do some shopping in Aviemore. We had thought about taking the B862 to Fort Augustus, but we'd already been that route earlier on our holiday. Highly recommended alternative to the A82, with some wonderful views of Loch Ness. The Falls of Foyers were a major disappointment, though. We're still making jokes about it.

Safe travels to all.

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

We just stayed on Lewis for three nights, at a lovely B&B in Stornoway (Hal O the Wind). Rented a car at a reasonable price from Hebrides Car Hire ($50/day is now cheap!) and we flew on LoganAir. The endlessly long ferry rides are romantic but my wife is susceptible to seasickness in anything but the best weather and the flight is only an hour, which lengthens your stay. We flew straight to Stornoway from the PNW, so the first day was jet lag shortened - ferry might have been fine if Uig or Ullapool had an airport.

Mike, thanks for the update and recommendations. Stay safe and have a wonderful trip!

jjgurley, thank you! I already had Hal o' the Wynd bookmarked as a possibility so it's good to have a recommendation.