North Uist is renowned for its glorious sandy beaches, lochs, machair and wildlife. It's also a fantastic getaway for outdoorsy types with plenty of opportunities for walking, rock climbing and watersports activities.
Sandy beaches fringed with machair around the west coast, hundreds of freshwater lochans, sea lochs and rocky shores on the east of the island are much of what characterises North Uist.
The island is twelve miles wide and eighteen long and falls between the Isle of Berneray and the Sound of Harris to the north and Benbecula to the south. Causeways link North Uist to both Benbecula and South Uist.
Lochmaddy is the main settlement on North Uist as well as the main ferry port for the island. There is a Information Centre in Lochmaddy open Apr-Oct on Pier Road, Lochmaddy, Isle of North Uist HS6 5AA. Tel: 01876 500321. Fax: 01876 500321.
The town also has a post office, general store, bank hotel & B&B accommodation and the Lochmaddy Hotel has a restaurant as well as bar that serves as the town's pub. Other accommodation can be found in Cairnish, Grimsay, Bayhead and Houghharry. Over on the north west of the island is the recent addition of a 9-hole golf course created and maintained by volunteers. Sollas Golf Course is on crofters' machair so sheep and cows are often hazards during the winter. There is currently no fee for a round of golf but donations are welcomed. Email: webmaster@sollasgolfcourse.co.uk
Taigh Chearsabhagh is a converted 18th century merchant's house that houses two galleries, museum, arts workshop, shop and cafe. It's the focal point for the community and visitors who want to get involved in the arts, culture and heritage of the Hebridean Islands.
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Email: admin@taigh-chearsabhagh.org
The island is a fantastic place for all sorts of outdoor sports. The lochs are great for kayaking, as well as the sea for sea kayaking and surfing, there are sea cliffs for rock climbing and abseiling and being surrounded by water there are plenty of opportunities for exploring the islands by boat.
Based in The Western Isles of Scotland, the Uist Outdoor Centre offers outdoor adventure courses, trips and expeditions and provides the fastest sea transport service to St. Kilda in the world (1.5hrs with kayaks).
The Uist Outdoor Centre offers a range of activities or guided trips in rock climbing, abseiling, sea kayaking and adventure diving and boat trips to St Kilda, Monach Isles, Shiants, Flannan Isles and the Sound of Harris. They have bunkhouse accommodation for groups. Check their website link to the right (uistoutdoorcentre.co.uk) for more information.
The Uist Outdoor Centre, Cearn Dusgaidh, Lochmaddy, Isle of North Uist HS6 5AE. Tel/Fax: 01876 500 480. Email: info@uistoutdoorcentre.co.uk
The RSPB have a reserve on North Uist which includes beaches, rocky shores, machair, marshes and sand dunes. This is an excellent place to see wading birds among the flower-rich machair and is also one of the few places you can still hear corncrakes.