boy throwing read frisbee into the air on luskentyre beach isle of harris

A family adventure in the Outer Hebrides

  • view of Uig bay with campervan in foreground
  • eco house looking out onto Uig beach Isle of Lewis
  • two mum family walking hand in hand with their two boys Uig beach lewis
  • boy sliding down dunes in a red coat in scotland
  • boys on the beach looking at shells
  • boys playing in white sand dunes scotland
  • boys jumping off into sand dunes
  • mum and two boys walking off into valley to search for eagles
  • playing hide and seek behind callanish stones on isle of lewis
  • boy standing in front of Callanish stones on isle of lewis
  • boys standing on top of a hill overlooking beach
  • boys sitting next to century old chess piece on isle of lewis
  • beach on isle of harris taken from up high
  • silhouette of three people on top of a hill
  • woman on bike looking at camera with boy behind on bike looking out to Uig beach bay
  • view of Uig beach on isle of lewes
  • highland cow isle of lewis
  • highland cow outer hebrides
  • woman walking up road looking into camera with kids following in scotland
  • mum and son scrambling up rocks on isle of lewis
  • boy running towards beach isle of harris
  • the stunning luskentyre beach isle of harris
  • boy playing with sand on scottish beach
  • boy throwing read frisbee into the air on luskentyre beach isle of harris
  • boy throwing red frisbee in air on beach isle of harris

In May of this year we finally managed to tick off a bucket list destination. It was a trip we’d booked during Covid when we wanted to feel some excitement amid the drudgery of our restricted indoor lives. So when the time came round we were VERY excited. If a little apprehensive knowing full well that if it poured with rain every day it wouldn’t quite be the experience we were hoping for.

The weather gods were however kind to us. More than kind. We didn’t get a drop of rain all week and Caribbean type photos we’d seen online were even better in real life. This place is unquestionably jaw-droppingly beautiful and our family adventure in the Outer Hebrides wasn’t going to disappoint.

Isle of Lewis

We based ourselves on the Isle of Lewis in an eco house built into the hills that overlook Uig bay. It’s a beach that lies on the south western side of the island and it is absolutely stunning. You could see for miles along this stretch of white sand beach – completely ideal for kids looking run free. And the birdlife was incredible. Sadly not caught on camera but take my word for it, we saw sea eagles and golden eagles much to the boys delight.

There are loads of land and sea based activities you can do here but we don’t tend to book lots of things in when we travel with the kids. Slower the better. With so much open space and beaches to explore you don’t need to spend much money (unless you’re into whiskey and tweed).

We scrambled over rocks, walked into valleys where golden eagles soared overhead, and lost ourselves for hours just watching the tide coming and going with the ever-changing light and skies.

Despite having Uig beach on our doorstep, just a short bike ride/walk west of where were were staying we stumbled across this beach. Another stunning AND deserted bay. Everything felt so safe here. Raw, untouched and spine tingling bewitching.

One activity on the hit list was to find some Highland cows. So off we went on a random drive and low and behold we found some munching away on the grass. I took at least 136 photos of these gorgeous creatures. Here are two for you.

Some local fascinating history that caught our kids imagination… It was on Uig beach where the discovery of a Viking Chess set in a small stone chamber was found. Inside the stone chamber were 93 chess pieces made of Morse Ivory, from the husks of Walrus teeth. It’s thought the pieces were probably crafted in Trondheim Norway and somehow made their way over to these shores. The pieces are now in several museums, including the National Museum for Scotland and the Museum in Stornoway. A mock up version below…

Isle of Harris

Much more mountainous than Lewis, it’s well worth exploring and we loved everything we saw. And of course, we were bowled over by the beaches. You just can’t beat them for beauty. Once again blessed with glorious weather Luskentyre beach is well known for a reason. It’s wild and invigorating and we only shared it with an handful of others.

Calanais Stones

Yet more mind-blowing stories to come out of these wonderful islands and none more so than the Calanais stones. Walking among one of Scotland’s most magnificent and best-preserved Neolithic monuments is humbling. They are an extraordinary cross-shaped setting of stones dating back 5,000 years (they predate Stonehenge). Best guess as to why they are there? A kind of astronomical observatory.

* Key tip with kids once they’re bored with you trying to explain their historical significance – play hide and seek among them.

We would come back here again and again. It gets under your skin being here and whether you’re solo travelling, in a couple, with a friend or with kids, it literally ticks all the boxes for a wild adventure in nature and outdoors.

For more travel related blog posts see here.