Benbecula

Understand

The island is predominantly Gaelic-speaking — English is universally understood — and Roman Catholic. The main road cuts north-south across the boggy interior, while the airport, settlements and amenities straggle along a loop of road along the west coast. Always a poor prospect for arable farming, in the 19th century Benbecula was turned over to sheep and sporting estates, and much of the population was ruthlessly evicted. The island developed rapidly anew in the 20th century for military bases and missile ranges, gaining its airport and other facilities, the road causeways, and many ugly buildings. This means that most visitors use it to fly in, but skip on quickly elsewhere. It's not notably scenic, but its lochs and beaches are tranquil and deserted. In 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie (1720-1788) was cast up here, a fugitive after the collapse of the Jacobite Rebellion; Flora Macdonald disguised him as an Irish maid and got him away to Skye. Another famous visitor was Hercules (1975-2001), a tame grizzly bear that in 1980 was being filmed for a Kleenex commercial when his tether broke and he ambled away. There was no sight of him for 24 anxious days — "Have any of the Irish maids' costumes been taken?" — but then he was spotted and tranquillised. Being used to cooked food, Hercules had eaten none of the island's many fish, sheep or chickens, and had lost 95 kg, half his weight. He went on to appear in the James Bond film Octopussy, met Margaret Thatcher and caddied for Bob Hope at Gleneagles. He was buried at his owner's home in Clackmannanshire but in 2015 was re-interred at Langass, North Uist.

Getting there

By plane 1 Benbecula Airport (BEB IATA), Balivanich HS7 5LW, ☏ +44 1970 602051. Daily flights from Glasgow take one hour, operated by Loganair. There are also flights M-F from Stornoway on Lewis: these connect to other destinations such as Edinburgh, but it's quicker to travel to Glasgow and fly from there. The terminal is small but clean and comfy, with toilets and cafe; one hour before flight is early enough to check in. Car hire needs to be booked. The buses across Benbecula run past the airport and village. The airport is also the base for flights such as air ambulance and coastguard. (updated Sep 2023)

By road Benbecula has long been linked to North and South Uist and doesn't have its own ferry port. The road across the causeways A865 is well clear of the sea and passable in all tides and weathers except for the worst Atlantic storms. To the north it crosses to Grimsay then North Uist, where Lochmaddy has ferries from Uig on Skye (linked by bridge to the Scottish mainland). The road continues north to end on Berneray, which has ferries from Leverburgh on Harris, connected by road to Lewis. To the south A865 crosses to South Uist, a long island with Lochboisdale near its south tip - this has ferries from Mallaig on the mainland (in winter sometimes from Oban instead). The road continues to cross onto Eriskay, which has ferries from Barra. Buses run regularly across Benbecula (see "Get around") and connect with the ferries. Buses W10, 16 and 17 run M-Sa along the chain of islands, integrated with ferries so you can travel in a day between Stornoway on Lewis and Castlebay on Barra. Only one service per day plies the entire route, but Benbecula being central has more connections, with four connections from Stornoway, six from Tarbert on Harris, six from North and South Uist, and three from Barra.

Getting around

You need your own wheels to get around Benbecula and the Uists. No bike hire here, see the listings for North and South Uist. Buses run six times M-Sa down the causeways from Berneray and North Uist onto Benbecula then onward to South Uist and Eriskay. The route through Benbecula is along the main road causeway via Grimsay to Gramsdale, turning onto the west coast road B892 past the airport and Balivanich village, then south through Nunton and Linaclate to rejoin the main road at Creagorry. On Grimsay the bus normally transits by the main road, but it will loop the island lane on request. Car hire is available from Car Hire Hebrides (tel +44 1851 706500 their Stornoway office) and Ask Car Hire (☏ +44 1870 602818), both based at the airport. A car hire office on any of the Western Isles will be relaxed about you visiting other islands in the chain, and may allow drop-off there, but will not permit the car to go to the mainland.

Taxi Taxis are scarce on the Benbecula and the distances are large, so don't expect that the drivers will be willing to take every fare.

Macvicars Taxis, based in Liniclate, 01870 603197, offers taxis and bus hire. Buchanan I & M, based in Benbecula, 01870 602277.

See

Grimsay is the low-lying island to the north, nowadays a stepping-stone for the road to North Uist. Until the bridge was built in 1960, you either got here by ferry at high tide or sploshed across the North Ford channel at low tide, but not in between. The quiet loop of lane around it is a pleasant cycle ride. This lane connects to the smaller Fraoch Eilean (Heather Island) just north. There is no bridge to Ronay to the east, uninhabited since 1931. 1 Grimsay Wheelhouse is an odd structure from the Iron Age: stone cubicles radiate from a central hearth. There are few signs of domestic use and perhaps it was a ritual site. 2 Dun Ban is an artificial islet, east end of Loch Horneray, half a mile southeast of the wheelhouse. 3 Gramsdale Standing Stones are near the start of the causeway to Grimsay and North Uist. There's one large stone and ten smaller ones in a circle some 30 yards across. An ornately carved Pictish stone (now in the National Museum in Edinburgh) was found here: an important find, as evidence of Pictish culture in the Western Isles is rare. Free, 24 hours. 4 Balivanich watertower is a brutalist upside down cone on stilts outside the airport, built in 1970 to serve the RAF station and no longer in use. 5 Teampall Chaluim Chille 200 yards south of the road past the airport was a medieval church dedicated to St Columba, now little more than a heap of stones. 6 Dun Buidhe is the best preserved of Benbecula's dozen or so Iron Age brochs. It's on an islet in Loch Dun Mhurchaidh, linked by a sturdy causeway. It's been partly built over by a 17th-century village, long abandoned. 7 Shielings of the One Night (Airidh Na H-aon Oidhche) is the intriguing name shared by a series of ancient sites across the Western Isles. This one is a Neolithic chambered cairn which has been partly built over by shielings (shepherds' huts). The common feature of these sites is shielings associated with Gaelic folk-tales, perhaps where wide-eyed shepherd boys were warned of the und

Do

Uist Community Riding School, East Camp, Balivanich HS7 5LA (B892 just south of airport), ☏ +44 1870 602808. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM. Horse and pony riding, including rides on the beach. Volunteer-run, open all year. (updated Sep 2023) Golf: Benbecula GC is on the airfield, 4359 yards, par 62, visitor day ticket £25. Hebridean Way is a way-ma