We toured England and Scotland in May 2023. The trip went from the ferry in Harwich to Oxford, then a stop in the Lake District, then to Glencoe in Scotland. Then ferry to South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, ferry on to Harris & Lewis, then ferry back to Skye and the mainland and then via Lindisfarne to Newcastle and ferry back to the continent.
Here you can read about Scotland and Skye: scotland-a-road-trip and about Oxford: oxford-england
The Hebrides
The Hebrides are known for their wonderful beaches with chalky white sand, colored by finely crushed shells. But you don’t travel here to lie on the beach. The weather is changeable to say the least. Which became our saying along the way; “It certainly rains a lot for a sunny day”. Or just as easily the opposite.
So take the weather forecast with a big pinch of salt.
South Uist
South Uist, the southernmost of the large islands, is extremely flat to the west, but rises with mountains to the east. The road is narrow, only with room for one car, but with many meeting places. Those who drive here are experienced and all give way in good time to oncoming traffic.
There are hardly any trees or bushes, just an endless turf landscape. We had expected it to be more deserted, but small farms and scattered settlements lie along the road.
There are many open areas with access roads down to the sea and the huge sandy beaches that hide behind grassy knolls, and you are welcome to camp here. We found the perfect spot, but unfortunately had to leave by ferry later in the day.
Lewis and Harris
The transition from Uist to Harris is striking. At Harris we are greeted by dramatic, clean-cut mountains between which the road winds. For the most part, it is a two-lane road, so driving requires less concentration. Lewis and Harris is actually an island with Harris being the southernmost part.
The Golden road takes off right after the ferry from Uist. It is an extremely narrow road that winds between crags right down by the sea. Sheep everywhere, and scattered buildings that are situated picturesquely between the knolls. We spend the night at a tiny campsite in terrible weather. Its a strong wind and the rain is drumming against the car. The site was full, but we were allocated a spare pitch which we first had to clear of sheep dung. As I said, nobody goes to the Hebrides because of the weather.
When you get to Lewis further north the island flattens out and is covered in seemingly endless areas of bog and peat, all with traces of peat extraction. The lack of wood made peat the most important fuel.
Blackhouse
Lewis has the most important sights in the Hebrides. Gearrannan Blackhouses is the only preserved village with the traditional blackhouses. Long, low stone buildings with thatched roofs where the animals lived at one end, the people at the other. The houses did not have chimneys so the smoke went through the roof, in the same way as in Scandinavian smoke houses. This led to sooting inside and hence the name.
The last house in the village was vacated as late as the 1970s. The house is furnished as it was when it was abandoned. With the exception of the elongated rooms and the strongly sloping floor, it is like a normal 60s house in the country. In another house, a man demonstrates the weaving of tweed for which the islands are famous. Several of the houses are rented out for accommodation.
In the museum you can read about the history of the islands. Most impressive was the story of how some landowners, often living in London, bought up large areas of the islands and displaced those who lived there in order to maximize the profit from agriculture. The farmers were encouraged to emigrate, and many went to America. This was reinforced by “The Great Potato Famine”, where potato crops failed for many years in a row in the 1840s. The same thing happened in Ireland and led to massive starvation.
The black houses have become particularly well known through the Lewis trilogy by Peter May.
Vikings
The Vikings had an enormous influence on language and culture when they arrived on the islands, and Scotland in general in the 8th-9th centuries. Scottish dialects has taken in Norse words to an even greater extent than English, and as a Norwegian you constantly come across recognizable words and place names. There are also many ruins and other archaeological finds after the Vikings, including the world’s most famous chessboard, which was made in Trondheim.
See: Lewis_chessmen
Calanais Standing Stones
The Calanais Standing Stones are an arrangement of standing stones placed in a cruciform pattern with a central stone circle. They are from the Bronze Age and older than the more famous Stonehenge. The stones are large, the tallest close to 5 meters. They must be well founded since they have not blown down for a long time. We really had to fight our way in the strong wind from the Atlantic. If you have seen the series Outlanders, you will recognize them.
Facts
Why go
Scotland offers magnificent scenery. Not unlike Northern Norway, but greener. The Scots are easy to get in touch with, both when camping and in the pub. The Hebrides are a special experience with weathered nature and a lot of history. If you like walking, there are plenty of hiking trails.
Ferries
There are many ferry connections to England. We chose Stena Line from Hook of Holland to Harwich and returned by DFDS, Newcastle to Amsterdam.
Ferries to and from the Hebrides, and between the islands are operated by https://www.calmac.co.uk. Book early, they fills up quickly!
Camping
Wild camping is not allowed in England, but legal in Scotland. Camping prices in May 2023 varied between 20 – 50 Pounds. Even in the off-season it was often full, so book a place at the latest the day before.
