GO Cruising!
09914 4675
Level 4, 66 Wyndham Street
Auckland, New Zealand
Level 4, 66 Wyndham Street
Auckland, New Zealand
The Isles of Lewis and Harris are at the North west corner of the group of Islands known as the Hebrides, or Western Isles. Lewis is the largest and northern-most island in the Outer Hebrides, home to prehistoric standing stones at Callanais and some fabulous beaches.
The main town on Lewis is Stornoway, the largest settlement on the Outer Hebrides. There are also lots of crafting and fishing villages along the north-west coast. The west coast has brilliant beaches, while much of the island is made up of peat bog, the favoured habitat of a variety of rare breeding birds. Butt of Lewis, the far northerly tip of the island, is home to many seabirds, and is an excellent spot for watching whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Harris is in fact part of the same island, joined with Lewis to the north. Harris itself is divided into North and South Harris, by a narrow isthmus. The mountains of North Harris contrast with the rolling moors and lochans of the north of Lewis, while South Harris boasts some of the best beaches in the country, such as Luskentyre, backed by the shell-sand pasture known as machair where late spring and summer flowers create vivid colours and set the scene for much of the west coast of the island.
Things to See and Do
* Standing stones at Callanais - Lewis
* Butt of Lewis
* Blackhouse Museum – Lewis
* Reinigedal Settlement - Harris
* Seallam Visitor Centre - Harris
General information
Cruise Season – March - Nov
Currency – Pound Sterling (£)
Language – English
Land Area – 2178 sq km’s
Population – 16,880
Electricity – 2 vertical square pins and one perpendicular below British style
Time – GMT plus zero hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 44
Port Location – The main port is located at Stornaway, the capital of Lewis.
Transport Links - Caledonian MacBrayne is the national ferry service. Citylink coaches generally connect with the ferries on the mainland. Stornoway Airport has flights connecting the town with Aberdeen, Benbecula, Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow. The airport is located about 3km from the town near the village of Melbost. There are good bus services during the day Mon - Sat, but little in the evening and no buses on a Sunday.
Calmac Ferries run from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris and from Lochmaddy on North Uist to Leverburgh on Harris. You can also travel via Ullapool to Stornoway on Lewis.
Regular buses link Tarbert with Ullapool on Lewis. Regular buses travel between Tarbert and Leverburgh.