Is the Isle of Lewis and Harris Scotland’s Best-Kept Secret? (Things to Do + Why to Visit)
If you had asked me several years ago about my favorite part of Scotland, I would not have hesitated to tell you about how much I love the Isle of Skye, the wing-shaped island in the Inner Hebrides that captured my heart on my first trip to Scotland.
But if you asked me today about my favorite part of Scotland? I might actually have to shift it to the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Lewis and Harris.
I knew exactly two things about the Isle of Lewis and Harris before I visited in for the first time on a tour with Haggis Adventures: I knew that it had a fairly famous circle of standing stones, and I knew that it was supposed to have nice beaches.
I didn't know that it required a nearly 3-hour ferry ride to get to. I didn't know that it's more or less two separate islands with very different landscapes (Lewis is the northern part of the island, and Harris is the southern part). I didn't know anything about its population, traditions, or other landscapes.
And I had no clue that I would fall head over heels for it.
Traveling to Lewis and Harris
The trip to the Isle of Lewis and Harris started out a bit rocky – literally. The ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway was lurching this way and that in rough seas, making walking around and keeping down food a challenge for many. It was also raining when we made it to our small hostel in Stornoway; not the welcome any of my Haggis Adventures tour mates had been hoping for for our introduction to the Outer Hebrides.
I was being careful to keep my expectations low. I wasn't expecting sun in this wild part of Scotland in late September, and I told myself I'd be happy to simply see the sights I was most looking forward to.
So when the next morning dawned cloudy, I wasn't too let down.
But then something happened on our way to Abhainn Dearg Distillery (the most westerly distillery in Scotland): the quickly-moving clouds began to break up and the sun began forcing its way through.
By the time we began our afternoon of sightseeing around Lewis, the sun was overtaking the clouds and everyone was in a great mood. And, lucky for us, the sun followed us around Harris the next day, too!
While I know the good weather definitely had an affect on my enjoyment of the island, I have a sneaking suspicion that I would have loved it anyway, rain or shine.
Here are all the highlights from the Isle of Lewis and Harris that made me fall in love with it and be convinced that it might, in fact, be one of Scotland's best-kept secrets.
The best things to do on Lewis and Harris
1. Callanish Standing Stones
Probably the most famous sight on the Isle of Lewis is the Callanish (or Calanais) Standing Stones. Located on the west coast of Lewis, the stones date back to the Neolithic age – meaning that they're about 5000 years old!!
The standing stones consist of a main stone circle and rows of stones branching off from this in a rough cross shape.
If you've ever visited Stonehenge in England (especially recently), more standing stones might not sound that exciting. But while Stonehenge's famous stones are now roped off and usually very crowded, the opposite is true at Callanish.
We were more or less the only people there, and you can walk right up to and around all the stones.
It's very likely that these stones inspired author Diana Gabaldon in her creation of the Craigh na Dun standing stones in the “Outlander” series.
There were plenty of Outlander fans in my tour group, and so of course we all took turns stepping up to the center stone of the circle to see if we would be able to fall back through time and find our own Jamie Fraser. Sadly, none of us turned out to be time travelers.
2. Dun Carloway
After the high of visiting Callanish, I didn't really care what else we saw on Lewis and didn't bother to read up on the other stops we were making that day. Which meant that I spent the rest of the day being absolutely delighted by everything.
Our next stop was at Dun Carloway, the remnant of a stone broch (small tower) that's roughly 2000 years old. The broch itself is incredibly impressive, and the views of the nearby countryside were beyond beautiful.
We walked up to the tower ruin, and spent some time enjoying the view.
3. Gearrannan Blackhouse Village
Next we headed to the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, which today is a cross between an open-air museum and holiday spot. The village consists of restored blackhouses – long stone cottages with thatched roofs – and offers up both vacation accommodation and historical demonstrations.
If you've ever been curious about what a peat fire smells like (many Scots used to and still do burn peat instead of wood), they usually have at least one burning here.
4. Butt of Lewis
Our last stop of the day on the Isle of Lewis was at the very northern tip of the island, AKA the Butt of Lewis. We went on a short hike here along the coastal cliffs, taking in the amazing views out over the North Atlantic and keeping warm against the biting Scottish wind.
5. Luskentyre Beach
The following day saw us crossing over to Harris, the southern part of the island. Our guide, Mahri, told us that many people think Lewis is named after the Gaelic word for “marshy,” while Harris means something along the lines of “higher,” since this is where you find mountains.
Our major stop of the day was at Luskentyre Beach, which has been named one of the best beaches in the United Kingdom. And I can definitely see why.
We had free time at the beach to splash in the waves, frolic on the sand, and climb the rocky hill above the beach to get better views and visit with some hairy hielan' coos (hairy Highland cows).
This probably doesn't look anything like the Scotland you've imagined – but that's what makes it so special.
6. St Clement's Church
Our final stop on Lewis and Harris was at St. Clement's Church in the tiny town of Rodel. The church itself isn't particularly amazing, but the surrounding scenery definitely is. If you walk up the road from the church and climb a hill, you can see the Isle of Skye on a clear day.
Is Lewis and Harris worth it?
Knowing how much I love the Isle of Skye, I was really (pleasantly) surprised to love the Isle of Lewis and Harris just as much, if not more. Part of it comes down to the amazing landscapes and historical sites on Lewis and Harris, and the other part I attribute to the fact that this island isn't nearly as well-visited as Skye.
Since you have to take a ferry to Lewis and Harris (and because you just don't hear as much about it as the famous Isle of Skye), you'll find far less visitors here than on some of Scotland's other islands. There were definitely places where we saw no other tourists, and we were pretty much the only people staying at Heb Hostel in Stornoway.
So if you want to experience the best of the Hebrides withOUT the crowds, definitely head to the Isle of Lewis and Harris. It's 100% worth the effort to get there.
How to visit Lewis and Harris
The Isle of Lewis and Harris isn't as easy to visit as the Isle of Skye, but you can 100% do it on your own as part of a Scotland road trip.
To do it on your own, you'll need to take the Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) Western Isles ferry service from Ullapool on the mainland to the main port of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. From Ullapool, this journey typically takes just under 3 hours.
You can also sail from Uig on the Isle of Skye to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
The ferries do accommodate cars, but you'll want to book them as far in advance as possible! Find more info and book here. Once you're on Lewis (or Harris), you can drive from one part of the island to the other, and then take the ferry back or onward.
If you don't want to self-drive, there are some tour options to get you to Lewis and Harris. I traveled on a backpacker-style tour with Haggis Adventures (this one), but here are some more tour options, depending on how much time you have:
- 3-Day Lewis, Harris and the Outer Hebrides Small-Group Tour from Inverness
- Isle of Lewis and Harris 5 Day Tour from Edinburgh
- 6-Day Outer Hebrides, Isle of Skye & optional ‘Hogwarts Express'
Where to stay on Lewis and Harris
I do actually recommend visiting Lewis and Harris on a tour, since it means not having to stress about driving on the narrow island roads yourself. And if you do this, your accommodation will be taken care of for you.
But, if you want to go on your own, that's totally fine, too! If you're doing this, then the easiest place to base yourself will be in Stornoway, since it's the largest town on the island. Places to stay here include:
- Royal Hotel Stornoway – The top-rated hotel in town, and also very historic.
- Stornoway Bed and Breakfast – A B&B close to the center of town.
- Broad Bay House – A lovely B&B option just outside of town.
Have you ever been to any of Scotland's isles? If not, do you want to head to Lewis and Harris now?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Nice trip down memory lane! Visited Lewis 2 years ago and LOVED it so much. Going back in a year or so and adding some more islands. The stones were my absolute favorite tied only with Pentre Ifan in Wales. Followed by Stonehenge and Ring of Brodger – I’m a sucker for those big stones.
Stone circles are just so fascinating! But yes, the Callanish stones were definitely a highlight on Lewis for me, too!
Stunning beauty of the nature. Scotland is pure beauty with its green covering. This particular place seems so windy and cold but still very appealing. Enjoyed reading it!
Yes, it can be windy and cold in Scotland, but the beautiful scenery makes it worth it!
Incredible pictures! When places are less crowded, it truly doubles the delight in exploration.
I definitely agree! Plus, you feel kind of special for being there.
Great article Amanda! If you’ve not yet been to the Isle of Tiree then I highly recommend it. Beautiful beaches and supposed to be the sunniest place in Britain. I spent a month there earlier this year.
That sounds lovely! I’ll have to add it to my (very long) list of isles that I still need to visit!
Oh wow, that looks truly incredible. I’ve been to other Scottish Isles but never ventured that far North. It is definitely on my bucket list now!
It was indeed incredible. I still have a lot of Scottish isles to visit, but I have a feeling this one will always be up there as one of my favorites!
So cool that you got to visit the stones! I only started watching Outlander a few months ago, but I’m hooked on it; I would have been standing in line to try my hand at time travel too, haha. Also, your shot of the hairy coo is just perfect!
I’m now obsessed with Outlander, too – I’m almost done reading all the books! They just make me love Scotland even more.
And that hair coo shot is one of my favorites I’ve ever taken!
I just got back from a Scotland roadtrip but we didn’t make it here! Scotland is def a place I need to go back and explore some more and this has made the list for round two!
Awesome to hear! Scotland is one of those places that I never tire of visiting.
I love that picture of the highland cow so much! Really interesting post. 🙂 We have a similar set of stones here in Orkney. Skye has always been on my list and now this one is, too! 🙂
There are so many stone circles all around the UK! I think they’re fascinating. And Lewis and Harris is right next to Skye, so they make a great combo trip!
You always find the most scenic spots! Thank you for seeking out these hidden gems for the rest of us. And, as always, that photography is top-notch. 🙂
What can I say – I love pretty places! 🙂
Wonderful post, Amanda! The Callanish Standing Stones looks like the Stonehenge. Wonder what the mystery is with all these standing rocks around the world. Hoping to solve it myself in the near future, or at least be part of the community. Great pictures. Looking forward to reading more of your post! Cheers
There are SO many stone circles all over Britain. And the crazy thing is that still, after all the research that’s been done, no one can agree 100% on what the standing stones were for! Makes them all the more fascinating.
They’re for time travel, of course.
gorgeous photos!
Thank you, Tanja!
Oh gorgeous Scotland!
I’ve only visited the Isle of Skye and none of the other islands even though I have lived in the country for three years. Judging by your pictures I need to go back to experience more places in beautiful Scotland
The Isle of Skye is very special, but there are definitely plenty of other beautiful places in Scotland to see, too!
I can recommend the Orkney Isles for the rugged west coast, including Kitchener Memorial and Yesnaby, Broch of Birsay, St Magnus Cathedral, Scapa Flow, the Churchill Barriers, the Italian Chapel, Stromness, Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, the “Diggings” at the Ness of Brodgar (July August), the Standing Stones of Stenness and Old Man of Hoy. Have visited these areas once and are heading back there soon.
I really enjoyed reading this! I did a sailing trip in the Inner Hebrides this year and fell in love with the islands. I’ve already booked a trip to the Outer Hebrides next May, and this got me even more excited.
Island-hopping in Scotland is now firmly on my bucket list – I definitely need to see more of the isles!
Hi Amanda! I love the picture of the brown cow. Did you really get that close to it? I went to Scotland 6.5 years ago. I went to the town on Dornoch and stayed in a 4 star hotel. The beaches in your pictures remind me of the beach that was in Dornoch. Glad you enjoyed your time.
Yes, I really did get that close to the cow! They were so curious and not at all afraid of us!
Those pictures are unreal! I’ve never been to Scotland and honestly hadn’t heard of the Isle of Lewis and Harris until your post. It’s on my list for sure! Now I just need the time to travel more. Working on that!
It’s certainly not a part of Scotland you hear a lot about, but I loved it so much! Glad to hear it’s made your list now, too. 🙂
Hi. My name is Jamie, and I’m currently laid in my bed in the Park Guest House in Stornoway. Just got here after the choppy ferry ride ?, but buzzing about going to Harris tomorrow. I hear I’m in for a treat, and have read your journal. Bye for now
Hope you have a great time! Harris is a special place.