My Hebridean, Orkney and Shetland Adventures
Jon takes a look at the wonderful Isles of Scotland
I have been very lucky. I have been extremely fortunate. For I have been able to see and enjoy almost all of this green and pleasant land we live in, and over the years formed business associations and friendships that last to this day.
I have stopped the car in wild and wonderful places, and listened to nothing. Not a sound. Yet have been able to see eagles soaring and wild deer grazing, otters playing, and taken in scenery of amazing mountains, white sandy empty beaches, and clear unpolluted waters. I have been privileged to stay in a variety of hotels as individual as their owners, as welcoming as the best, and been invited to eat at their tables with the freshest of produce.
To reach these places I have travelled on everything from what appeared to be a converted landing craft, to the mighty and modern ferries of Caledonian MacBrayne and North Link, for I am speaking of the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland.
The Northern Isles, made up of The Isles of Orkney and The Shetland Isles, may offer the most alternatives for a coach holiday operator, only for the reason that there are more hotels that can and do cater for groups, and the ferries on offer not only give you options of travel, but it is also popular to stay on board to travel by night, and explore by day.
Some operators already offer both of this kind of tour, and the wholesalers are well versed on what is possible and feasible.
The North Link ships, especially on the Aberdeen runs, are more like mini cruise ships, and I was one of those lucky enough to be invited on the inaugural crossings some six or seven years ago. They were brand new then, but I understand have lost little of their quality and charm in the intervening years. That includes the food on board, which stands up well against the offerings of some hotels.
Besides catering for holidaymakers, these ships are of course a lifeline for the islanders, who treat them as a means to go a ‘major shop’ on the mainland, and can often be seen returning with cars and vans loaded to the gunnels with everything from flat pack furniture to specific items for their business or croft.
The accents in Scotland are as varied as anywhere else in the UK, and whilst many travellers will be well used to the Billy Connelly Clydebank twang, or posh Edinburgh, the softly spoken Northern Isles has a lilt all of its own. This can take some tuning into, but English is the predominant language and Gaelic is not often spoken. This is unlike the Western Isles, where many use Gaelic as their first language, and English as their second tongue.
Part of the joy of the Isles, is that tourism is so important to the income of the islanders. This means they are just that bit friendlier, more helpful, and more accommodating to their visitors. They appreciate the fact we have chosen to come and see how they live, work, and play, and will go out of their way to make your visit even more memorable. These often bleak and distant islands hide genuine and real warmth that has been knocked out of other parts of Britain, and the hardships they endure just to survive seem to add another character to their being.
Both sets of Islands are blessed by the rolling waves fresh from the Atlantic, and the weather it brings too. Clean, unbelievably virgin air, invigorate and cleans, and even when it rains (which often comes sideways just to test you) it seems so different from other weather in the UK.
The Scandinavian influence is evident in many Isles, and by the Sunburgh Hotel lays the ancient site of the Jarlshof Settlement. This hotel, under the stewardship of Mark Donaldson, has a strong following by groups not only as a place to stay, but also for lunch and tea stops. Locals come here too, so that is a recommendation by itself. Funny thing is, I can always remember going into the public bar – but never leaving it....!
Shearings, amongst others have been using the well placed Shetland hotel for years, which is in a great location overlooking Lerwick Harbour, and it part of the Brudolff Hotel Group, who also have another two in Lerwick, the Kveldsro and The Lerwick.
The roads in Shetland tend to be very good, but it is a place apart from what you might think of the UK. You could easily be in Scandinavia in parts, and the scenery and wildlife can be stunning.
Orkney too has more to offer than Kirkwall, the main town, although a stroll through the narrow streets and lanes is a must, as is a visit to St Mangus Cathedral.
Groups can find accommodation in a selection of hotels in Kirkwall itself, as well as other places such as Stromness. The aptly named Stromness Hotel is right in the centre of the community, just by the harbour and the shops, where a wealth of local crafts can be found. Not complacent with a great first floor bar overlooking the harbour, (and yes, I have frequented it on several occasions), they can also boast a more select bar with over one hundred different whiskies to sample! Leona MacLeod runs the place – and has done so for years, and I think you would find it difficult to find a friendlier hotel. The local flock here for some of the special food nights the chef prepares, and is a dab hand at turning his skills to culinary dishes from all over the world, besides the local produce.
Kirkwall as stated has several hotels that cater for groups, although check on accessibility for your coach before you book. This is where the services of a Wholesaler may come in handy, but only if they have visited the property for themselves.
When it comes to the Western Isles, aka The Outer Hebrides, it would make sense to start at the top, the Isle of Lewis, where you will find Stornoway, which is also the ferry terminal from Ullapool. The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to the isles takes under three hours. The MV Isle of Lewis is a fine modern vessel and takes coaches as a matter of course. Less able passengers are well catered for, and the views of the little isles you pass are breathtaking. There is as new fare structure being trialled on some of the routes at the moment, greatly reducing the normal fares, so this could be a good time to visit!
Stornoway is the main town on the Isle of Lewis and is also the home of the Western Isles Council. Just over 6,000 people live in the town, which represents about a third of the Islands total population. The economy is a mix of traditional businesses like fishing, Harris Tweed and farming, with more recent influences like Tourism, the oil industry and commerce brought about by the digital revolution and communications.
Cala Hotels are based in Stornoway, and run three great hotels, all suitable for groups. The flagship in the Cabarfeidh, a fine three star standard hotel with a popular restaurant and bar, but they also operate the Caladh and the Royal. Most groups tend to stay at the Caladh or the Cabarfeigdh, which both make great centres to explore this ancient Isle.
Lewis boasts the cleanest air in Europe, as the west coast of the Isle takes the full impact of the North Atlantic swell, and the magnificent cliffs are more than matched by heather moor and freshwater lochs. Not to be missed are the Callanish Stones, which are older than either Stonehenge or the pyramids, or the Iron Age Carloway Broch, a 2,000 year old dry stone fortified tower.
The next Isle southward is Harris, and although separated by no more than a tumbling stream is a different as Yorkshire and Lancashire, or Devon and Cornwall.
Harris, split between North Harris as far as Tarbet, and then South Harris, is of course famous for its tweed, still made to this day by individual crofters working alone. These intrepid workers still use traditional looms and man power, nothing else!
In parts the land is almost a moonscape, with rocks strewn amongst the heather and streams, and it is wise to keep an eye out for deer which can often be seen.
Tarbet is where the ferry from Uig on Skye lands, but we continue southward to Leverburgh, and our ferry over to North Uist, and to Otternish.
The next three isles are separated by causeways, and are easily explorable by coach. North Uist, Benbecula, and South Uist are much flatter than their northern cousins, and suffered badly in the gales a couple of years ago when winds of over a hundred miles an hour raked the Western Isles. Sadly a family was lost during this, made all the harder as everyone knows everybody else and the loss was felt by the whole community.
The beaches in this part of the world are unbelievable – white sand with hardly a footprint to spoil them, and waters clear of pollution and garbage. The wildlife can be amazing, the views are phenomenal, and the welcome genuine.
The Isles hotel Group offer three hotels for groups, and it was usually The Dark Isle Hotel in the centre isle of Benbecula where I stayed. The owner, Stephen Peteranna (rumoured to be a descendant of a Spanish sailor from a shipwreck as the Armada sailed homeward) keeps a high standard of accommodation, and his hotel is popular, very popular with the locals. Some may use Gaelic as their first tongue, but will soon transfer this to English if asked any questions. I remember on one visit Stephen and I somehow got involved in a local wedding celebration – and in the Isles these are something that goes on for days. I can still remember the hangover! Food at The Dark Isle is, in a word, substantial, and always made with local produce when available. The other two hotels in this little group are The Borrowdale, and Isles of Benbecula House Hotel. These are perfect for the smaller group, and are to the same standards of the Dark Isle.
Many come to the Isles for the wildlife, and the RSPB manages the Balranald Nature Reserve on North Uist, and with over 100 species of bird visiting the Isles keep your camera handy. Puffin and Golden Eagle could be seen, along with basking sharks, whales, dolphins, otters and corndrakes.
10,000 years of history can be traced, and you can find the remains of ancient tombs built by the first farmers, the brochs of Iron Age masons, and the tiny chapels on remote islands built by Irish monks. The Picts came too, with their symbol stones, and many of today’s residents still work in traditional ways.
I was lucky to be on the Isles when a new causeway to the Isle of Eriskay was opened, and drove across to try and find some remnant of the SS Politician, which provided Sir Crompton McKenzie with his idea for the novel Whisky Galore. No such luck, but I did come across the remnants of a Catalina flying boat that failed to land in the water during World War Two. Like most things on the islands, something that loses interest is just left, or used for other purposes, so at this time (about 1998) the aircraft was as it crashed – nothing missing, but I am sure visitors from the mainland have now taken souvenirs. It is not uncommon to find anything from old cars to old school buses abandoned by buildings – just in case something on them will be useful in the future. On the mainland this may be seen as an eyesore, but not so here, as they actually add to the character. Don’t believe me? Go and see for yourself!
Time for another ferry now, as we head for the Isle of Barra. Now I could have travelled from Lochboisdale in South Uist to Castlebay in Barra ( ferries are also available from here to and from Oban), but I tended opt for the little ferry from Eriskay to Barra, which only takes 40 minutes, as opposed to the one and a half hours the big ferry takes. You do land in the middle of nowhere, but everything is well signposted to take you to Castlebay, the town on the isle.
It was here that George McLeod, being the local RNLI man, showed me the records for both the SS Politician and my Catalina, over a pot of tea you could have stood a spoon upright in! George at one time ran both the Castlebay Hotel and The Isle of Barra hotel, but I understand has now retired, and I wish him well. The Castlebay overlooks the little harbour and can take smaller groups, whilst the Isle of Barra Beach Hotel was built overlooking the sandy bay, and has quite stunning views. A word of advice here, as several web based sites enable people to put opinions on their stays in hotels unabridged, and when dealing with any hotel, especially those ‘in the sticks’, one has to mix fact with common sense. If you run out of something, or the power goes down, or there is no TV signal as the aerial is on a nearby mountain powered by the wind – there is little any hotelier can do to rectify the situation! Just by location these hotels are different, and expectations should be geared to what is possible, not what may be the norm in a city hotel on the mainland.
When I used this hotel it was operated by a lovely couple called the Worthington’s, but now is in the very safe hands of Guy Adams and family. For the past three years they have constantly strived to modernise and improve the hotel, and judging by the amount of repeat business from both private and group guests are winning the battle. I say battle, for it has to be remembered that hotels such as this have a very limited season, yet have to protect the hotel in the winter months from the weather. At times, this wind and rain drives straight from the Atlantic, and can be a challenge to the sturdiest of structures.
The sunsets and views from the lounges of this hotel are amongst the best you can see anywhere in the world, and my friends tell me that the family feel of the hotel is not only evident, but being added to as the years go by. Good luck to Guy and co, and I hope to be able to return soon.
A tour of the Isle of Barra can take as long as you wish, but don’t miss the airport, where the arrival or departure of the airplanes is dependent on the tide, as they use the beach as the runway.
With over one thousand species of wildflower and stunning coastlines, Barra is perhaps the jewel of the isles, although others may suggest they all are and put together form a rather special necklace. I tend to agree.
Everyone reading this will have their favourite part of Britian. It will come as no surprise that the Scottish Isles are mine, and I would return to them at the drop of a hat. It is difficult for this writer to put into words just how special the Isles are, for its not just the history, the nature, the spectacular views, the welcome, the differences in hotels and public culture, the peace and quiet, the different shopping, because it’s all of this and more. It’s a different world, and one I rather like.
There are other things to see and explore that I haven’t covered due to space restrictions. The Italian Chapel and Scapa Flow in the Northern Isles together with the block boats are an essential part of any tour, and some of the smaller Isles are accessible by ferry and coach too – so don’t rule them out.
Boat trips are a common feature from most of the harbours, and can give the option of a much closer view of the sea cliffs and wildlife. Weather is a determining factor though, and what the local may refer to as a ‘wee swell’ may have different meanings to someone not used to little boats.
Festivals are held to celebrate the culture and language, along with Pipe Bands, Fiddle Weeks, Sheep Dog Trials, Agricultural Shows, Hill Races, Maritime Festivals and the wonderfully named Evenings of Storytelling and Song. Barra Fest is held in a marquee set up on Tangasdale Machair, right by the Atlantic Ocean. A Machair is an area of sand dunes besides the sea, and although there are many to opt for, Tangasdale has to be the most beautiful. The fest is traditional music, much with a modern twist and interpretation, and is performed by some of the top bands.
Not to your liking – no worries, there are still the photographers, artists, potters, Tweed makers, museums, art centres, castles and gardens to choose from, and if feeling the need for a little exercise, bicycle hire too. If you don’t fancy a bike ride and your legs still work – why not take something between a stroll and a hike? No busy traffic here, no crowded beaches, and the little Scottish midges tend to be blown out to sea off the islands – and I don’t think they are good swimmers!
So there you have it, the thoughts of Jon. It goes to say that these are purely my own opinions, and I have only covered the hotels I know – not others that may be available, especially in Kirkwall.
If you do decide to include either a northern or Western Isles tour, it will not be the cheapest! Prices at the hotels are high, but remember that their running costs are far higher than on the mainland, and the season shorter. That said, in my opinion it is more than worth it, and your coach could well be parked on the ferry alongside the gas delivery lorry or one from the co-op bringing in everything from bread to tinned and fresh fruit.
Different, special, unique. Go for it!
