Local Treasures: Butt of Lewis Lighthouse

Local Treasures: Butt of Lewis Lighthouse

The Butt of Lewis lighthouse is at the northernmost tip of the Isle of Lewis. The lighthouse is surrounded by giant cliffs which house hundreds (thousands?) of seabirds and have spectacular views. VisitOuterHebrides.co.uk has a downloadable walking map (Outer Hebrides Walking Map #7). This walk is

Local Treasures: Port of Ness Beach

Local Treasures: Port of Ness Beach

Port of Ness Beach is a gorgeous beach with a large breakwater to shelter boats and views to the mountains on the mainland on clear days. It is 1.3 miles away from The Decca, which google tells us is a 26-minute walk or a 3-minute drive. For beach access, park near the slipway then walk back down

Local Treasures: Port Stoth Beach

Local Treasures: Port Stoth Beach

Port Stoth is a lovely wee sheltered beach that we consider fantastic for swimming (if you don’t mind the cold water of Scottish beaches 😉). The water is typically clear with colours ranging from turquoise to teal and the cliffs have loads of little cracks that the sea birds will nest in. It

Local Treasures: Eoropie Beach & Play Park

Local Treasures: Eoropie Beach & Play Park

Eoropie Beach is roughly a 10-15 minute walk from the Decca (or a 2-minute drive). It is a huge beach with giant sand dunes and the award-winning Eoropie Dunes Play Park for kids of all ages. Check out the images below to get a sense of its beauty. The large sandy beach and play park are great

Local Treasures: Loch Stiapabhat

Local Treasures: Loch Stiapabhat

Loch Stiapabhat is a local nature reserve that is most well-known as being a habitat for the critically endangered corncrakes. The viewing observatory is approximately 500 metres or 0.3 miles from The Decca. It’s a lovely shelter with plenty of windows that lets you view the birds from inside

Local Treasures: Ness Historical Society

Local Treasures: Ness Historical Society

The Ness Historical Society (aka Comunn Eachdraidh Nis in Gaelic) is our local museum complete with a gift shop, cafe (great for lunch!), and archives. If you have roots in the area, want to learn more about the local culture, or want to see some of the Old Decca machinery, this is the place for

NW Lewis: Steinacleit Stone Circle

NW Lewis: Steinacleit Stone Circle

As you’re driving from Stornoway to Ness, just past Barvas and Baile an Truiseil (English: Ballantrushal) you’ll see a brown sign on your right for “Steinacleit Stone Circle.” While not nearly as famous (or extensive) as Calanais, Steinacleit Stone Circle overlooks Loch an

Beach Safety

Beach Safety

As with any beach, there can be hidden hazards to understand before swimming in the Outer Hebrides. For any type of emergency, please dial 999 immediately. If you need to speak to a nurse about a non-emergency medical matter, dial 111 to speak to the National Health Service (NHS). Most visitors