DAY 1

Morning

Start your exploration in Tarbert, the island’s main village. Plan to spend about an hour and a half in the Isle of Harris Distillery – on the tour you will learn about the taste of their maturing whisky, their world-famous gin, the craftsmanship of their iconic bottle and the social impact of the distillery on the local community. There is a canteen for immediate refreshments, and a retail shop for refreshments later in the day.

Afternoon

From Tarbert, drive north to Huisinis. Although it’s only about 15 miles each way, it’s known to locals as the longest 30 miles you’ll ever drive. This is a winding single track road that drives through the Harris hills, right through the garden of Amhuinnsuidhe Castle and onwards to the machair and beach at Huisinis, where you will be treated to good views across to Scarp. This area of Harris is very popular with hill walkers as there are some nice routes.

 If you’re back by evening, a great place for sunset photography is at Eilean Glas Lighthouse on Scalpay. From Tarbert, it’s about a 30 minute drive over a bridge to the island and trail, and another 30 minute walk out across the moors to the lighthouse. This is a clearly-marked but rough path over boggy ground.

Tarbert

 Accommodation and Dining:

You can find a tremendous amount of attractions, accommodation and dining in Tarbert on the Visit Outer Hebrides website.

Transportation:

CalMac offers several ferries to get to Harris. From Skye, the easiest is the Uig to Tarbert ferry. Alternatively, there are also ferries south at Leverburgh to North Uist, and also north at Stornoway to Ullapool.

DAY 2

Morning

Tarbert is centrally located where North and South Harris meet, and from here you can take a variety of trips about the island. A beautiful and often overlooked part of the island is the east coast in an area known as The Bays. The Golden Road, so called due to the expense of building it, is a firm favourite with visitors, round every corner there is another bay or village. The rocky landscape offers a dramatic contrast to the golden sands on the west coast beaches.

At the end of the road, continue south to Rodel where you will find the photographic St Clement’s Church. Under the care of Historic Scotland, this 16th century church has been described as ‘the grandest mediaeval building in the Western Isles’. The inside of the church has the tomb of Alasdair ‘Crotach’ MacLeod, 8th chief of Clan MacLeod and founder of the church. Outside, search the stone wall for the broken heart left behind by the stonemason when he fell in love with a local maiden who refused to leave Harris to be his wife on Lewis.

Afternoon

The golden sand beaches on the west coast are best approached from the south for ease of driving. Beginning just 10 minutes up the road from Rodel, one can easily spend the entire day in Northton where there are several beaches, the Seallam! Visitor centre about Outer Hebridean life, a popular hill climb to Ceapabhal which will reward the walker with stunning views over the beaches and nearby islands, and a less strenuous walk across the machair to Teampall, the ruins of another 16th century church and the remains of a much older dun. 

Heading north, you have the freedom of choosing any of many further windswept white sandy beaches and turquoise waters, including Scarasta Mhòr, Traigh Mhòr, the famous viewpoint of Seilebost and Luskentyre, and just beyond, Traigh Rosamol.

St Clements

Helpful tips:

Distillery tours available seasonally Monday through Friday. Tours often fill up, please call 01859 502212 to reserve tickets in advance.

The Harris Hotel and Hotel Hebrides are both within walking distance of the distillery