Things to do on Lewis, Outer Hebrides

For anyone who loves getting off the beaten track and immersing themselves in nature and local culture, the Isle of Lewis is a dream destination that allows you to step back in time and discover a side of Scotland’s often missed islands. This remote island in the Outer Hebrides offers many ways to unplug from the modern world and reconnect with the great outdoors and ancient traditions.

One of the top draws has to be the walking opportunities across Lewis’ sweeping moorlands, coastal trails, and beaches. The dramatic landscapes – towering sea cliffs, high sea stacks emerging from the crashing waves, and stretches of pristine sand that seem to go on forever will make any hike interesting. While out exploring the island you will see wildlife. Otters, deer, seals and seabirds roam freely across the unspoilt habitats from the rough shoreline to the higher peaks and sheep will saunter across the roads without a care in the world.

Some things to do on Lewis, like the 5,000-year-old Callanish Standing Stones and traditional thatched blackhouses give you a window into how people lived off this rugged island for millennia and how traditions have developed and survived over time. Woven throughout it all, is a strong sense of Gaelic language, music, and crafts like the iconic Harris Tweed, which has its three mills in Stornoway, that have been meticulously preserved.

Beaches

Lewis and Harris are known for their stunning beaches. While Harris has the most well-known beach, Luskentyre, Lewis’s beaches are equally stunning. In addition to their beauty, many of Lewis’s beaches have sea caves and stacks to explore, marine wildlife like seals hauled out to spot and unique shells and pebbles washed ashore to find.

Reif Beach is a remote and breathtaking beach with a narrow stretch of sand backed by marram dunes and machair. In contrast, Uig Sands stretch for miles, backed by undulating dunes and at low tide is a vast expanse of sand. Bhaltos Beach has soft white sands, turquoise shallows, and views of rocky islets offshore. It’s a more sheltered beach ideal for families with lots of rock pools and islets that hide beach treasures including sea glass and ocean-washed sheep bones.

Coast and cliffs

The coastline of Lewis features some of the most striking seaside landscapes in all of Scotland. Towering cliffs battered by powerful Atlantic swells rise high above the pounding surf all along the west coast of Lewis. One of the most famous viewpoints is the Butt of Lewis, the northern tip of the island where dizzying cliffs plunge over 40 metres into the churning waters. In the summer months, these cliffs are busy with nesting seabirds. The Mangarstadh area showcases some of Lewis’s most bizarre rock formations – incredible sea stacks and isolated rock arches sculpted by relentless coastal erosion that can be found to the south of the small sandy beach. Another area to explore is Dail Beag, where small sea stacks can be seen from the secluded cove.

Ancient and Historical Sites

Lewis is steeped in a rich cultural heritage stretching back thousands of years, evidenced by the remarkable historical and archaeological sites dotting the island’s landscapes. Perhaps the most iconic is the Callanish Standing Stones – a cross-shaped formation of tall stone slabs erected around 3000 BC during the Neolithic era. This monument predates even Stonehenge having been built and used at around the same time as the Neolithic sites on Orkney.

The Blackhouse Village at Gearrannan provides a glimpse into more recent island life with its reconstructed circular thatched-roof dwellings that were inhabited until the 1970s. Stone forts, brochs, Norse mills, and other ancient remnants can also be found, reminders of Lewis’s past inhabited by Picts, Vikings, and early Celtic people.

walks

The Isle of Lewis is the final island in the Hebridean Way, a long-distance walking route that traverses the length of the Outer Hebrides island chain. The Hebridean Way extends for approximately 297 km from Vatersay in the southern Outer Hebrides all the way up to Stornoway. If you are completing the route on bike there is an option to continue to Butt of Lewis.

If a shorter route is wanted some walking loops can be completed in an hour or two. Most of these start from landmarks including Carloway and Callanish and head out across the moorland or along the coast.

Scenic Routes

While driving around Lewis is scenic wherever you go, there are three particularly beautiful routes. The first is the Reef Loop. This takes you along the coast from high cliffs to long sandy beaches through the coastal villages of Bhaltos and Kneep. Nearby is the spectacular Mangersta drive which follows the high cliffs at Mangersta starting at Ardroil and ending at Breanais where the road runs out. The final route is a loop around the little island of Great Bernera that can be reached by bridge from Iarsiadar west of Callanish. This island has standing stones and a recently discovered Iron Age village as well as beautiful beaches.

Snorkel and swim

Lewis is not the first place you think of for wild swimming and snorkelling, but on a calm day, the water can be beautiful for a dip. The beaches are sandy and gently slope away from the shore meaning that depth is not a problem. However, cold can be an issue so you should always swim with a wetsuit or build up your swimming before hitting the water in Lewis and have warm dry clothes to put on as soon as you leave the water. Some of the best spots include Aignish, just beyond the airport, Giordail Beach in Tolsta and for a little snorkel Swordale Bay can’t be missed.

Wildlife

The Isle of Lewis offers many opportunities for wildlife watching across its diverse landscapes. The rugged Uig hills in the southwest support golden eagles, red deer and white-tailed eagles. This dramatic region features majestic sea cliffs, stacks, and sandy beaches fringed by wildflowers. To the southeast, the Pairc District’s lochs and moorlands provide habitat for species like greenshank, curlew, red-throated divers, and the elusive otter. The central peatlands have been internationally recognized for their significant breeding bird populations. Though woodland is scarce, the Stornoway Castle Woodland provides beautiful woodland walks where you can see unique trees including Chilean Pine (Monkey Puzzle Tree) and Cedar of Lebanon. Along the coast, seals, porpoises, dolphins, and whales can sometimes be spotted offshore.

Day trips

While there is more than enough to do on Lewis, there are also adventures to be had by taking a day trip offshore. The most amazing trip, if the weather gods are on your side is to cross over to St Kilda. This island was abandoned in the 1930’s and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old village can be explored before taking a cruise under the cliffs to see the stunning bird cliffs. Another day trip is a cruise from Uig looking for sea eagles and other wildlife as well as exploring sea caves and hidden arches or heading to the Shiant Islands to look for puffins.