Caravan Parks In The Outer Hebrides | MOTORHOMEingLife

The islands have a spread of small campsites, a couple of proper holiday parks and a network of community hook-up points. Just outside Stornoway on Lewis, Laxdale Holiday Park is the main all-facilities site, with electric-hook-up pitches, a service point and a sheltered setting near the ferry and shops. On Harris, Horgabost Campsite sits right above a white-sand beach looking out to Taransay, one of the most spectacular pitches in Britain. On North Uist, Balranald Croft and Campsite sits beside an RSPB reserve metres from the sand, and on South Uist, Kilbride Campsite gives a friendly base near the machair and the southern ferry. Between them you can island-hop the whole chain, choosing full facilities at Laxdale or simple, scenic community sites elsewhere.

Yes, though provision varies. Laxdale Holiday Park near Stornoway has full electric-hook-up pitches on grass and hardstanding with a service point, laundry and facilities block, and Balranald and Kilbride campsites have electric-hook-up pitches on the Uists. Some community sites like Horgabost have a limited number of electric hook-up points, so they can fill, and the growing West Harris Trust and community campervan hook-ups offer electric and water for a modest fee. Because the electric points at the smaller and community sites are limited, it is worth booking or arriving early in summer, and carrying enough leisure-battery and gas capacity to be self-sufficient between hook-ups, as you may not always get a powered pitch on the most scenic sites.

Only by CalMac car ferry, so the ferry is the first thing to book. The main routes are Ullapool on the mainland to Stornoway on Lewis, Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris or Lochmaddy on North Uist, and Oban or Mallaig to Castlebay on Barra and Lochboisdale on South Uist. Vehicle spaces for motorhomes and caravans sell out in summer, so reserve well ahead, and be ready for cancellations in Atlantic gales. Many tourers use the Hopscotch multi-crossing tickets to sail in at one end of the island chain and out the other, island-hopping without backtracking. Once on the islands, causeways link the southern isles, so you only need short internal ferries between some islands. Book early and check sailings daily in unsettled weather.

You can, but a smaller motorhome or campervan suits the islands far better. The spine A-roads are fine, but away from them most roads are single-track with passing places, which is the normal driving here, and Harris in particular has narrow, twisting sections. A large caravan is manageable but slow going and harder on the single-track roads and at passing places, and it costs more on the ferry, which is priced by vehicle length. If you have the choice, bring a smaller outfit. Whatever you drive, learn passing-place etiquette, pull in to let locals and oncoming traffic through, never park in a passing place, and give yourself plenty of time, as the roads and the scenery both slow you down.

Scotland's access rights allow responsible wild camping in many places, but the situation on the islands needs care. The machair grassland and the beaches are fragile and increasingly protected, and roadside and beach-verge overnighting is discouraged and in places managed against, so the responsible route is to use the campsites, holiday parks and the community and West Harris Trust campervan hook-up points spread across the islands. Self-contained motorhomes can wild camp responsibly away from the machair and crofts under the Scottish access code, but water, waste disposal and gas are scarce, so most tourers use the proper sites, which have electric hook-up, fresh water and service points. If you do wild camp, leave no trace, avoid the machair entirely, and never empty tanks anywhere but a service point.

Late May through early September gives the mildest weather, the longest daylight and the most reliable ferries, with June the standout for the machair wildflowers and near-midnight twilight. July and August are the busiest, so book ferries and pitches well ahead and expect the scenic sites to fill. Spring is fresh, quiet and often bright, a lovely uncrowded time for the beaches and wildlife, though windy. Autumn is mild early on with warm sea, then wetter and windier as Atlantic storms build and ferries start to be disrupted. Winter is mild but very wet and windy with short daylight, and most campsites close, so it is a trip for the hardy only. Whenever you go, pack for wind and rain and check ferries daily.

Use the campsites, holiday parks and community hook-up points. Laxdale Holiday Park near Stornoway has a full motorhome service point with chemical disposal, grey-water disposal and fresh-water taps, and the Uist campsites like Balranald and Kilbride have service facilities too. The West Harris Trust and community campervan hook-ups provide fresh water and, at some, waste disposal. Fill fresh water and empty tanks at these sites whenever you can, as taps and service points are sparse across the islands and there is nothing on the machair or at most beaches. Never tip grey or black waste on the fragile machair, the beaches or the verges. Carry reasonable tank capacity, plan your servicing around the sites, and top up water at every opportunity, as it is not always easy to find.

The scenery and wildlife are the main event. The Harris beaches, Luskentyre, Seilebost, Horgabost and Scarista, are among the finest white-sand beaches in the world, backed by machair and dunes. The Callanish Standing Stones on Lewis are a 5,000-year-old circle among the most important prehistoric sites in Britain, free to visit. The Uists offer machair wildflower grassland, the Balranald RSPB reserve with corncrakes and waders, and long empty strands. Stornoway has Lews Castle and its museum, and there is surfing, sea kayaking, cycling, Harris Tweed workshops, whisky and Gaelic culture throughout. In June the daylight barely fades, giving near-midnight walks on empty beaches. It is a trip for people who want space, light, nature and quiet rather than busy resorts.

For summer, book the CalMac ferry as far ahead as you can, ideally weeks or months for July and August, because motorhome and caravan vehicle spaces sell out and the Hopscotch island-hopping routes are popular. The campsites and community hook-up points should be booked or arrived at early too, especially the most scenic like Horgabost on Harris, which has limited electric hook-up points and a stunning setting that fills fast. Laxdale Holiday Park near Stornoway takes bookings and is the most reliable to secure. Outside peak season you have more flexibility, but ferries can still be busy on popular sailings, and weather cancellations mean you should build slack into the plan. Always check sailings daily in unsettled weather and have a fallback if a boat is cancelled.

Cool, breezy and very changeable, with the Atlantic driving everything. Summer highs sit around 16°C with cool nights near 10°C, warmer in bright spells but always breezy, and June brings near-endless northern daylight. Spring and autumn are fresh, in the low teens by day, with wind the constant. Winter is mild at about 7°C but very wet and windy with strong Atlantic gales and short daylight. Rain and wind can arrive at any time of year, and pitches are exposed, so pack proper waterproofs and warm layers whatever the forecast, choose sheltered spots when storms threaten, and peg everything down firmly. Midges bite inland on still, damp summer evenings, though the coastal breeze usually keeps them off the beaches, so bring repellent just in case.

The chain is linked by a mix of causeways and short ferries, so island-hopping is very doable. Lewis and Harris are one landmass, joined by road, and Harris connects by ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray, which is then joined by causeways to North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay, with a ferry on to Barra. Many tourers sail in at one end, for example Ullapool to Stornoway on Lewis, drive the length of the islands using the causeways, and sail out the other end from Barra or South Uist, using CalMac's Hopscotch multi-crossing tickets to save money and avoid backtracking. Base a few nights on each main island rather than rushing, book the internal ferries ahead in summer, and let the single-track roads set an unhurried pace.

Yes, but they are sparse, so plan ahead. Fuel is available at Stornoway, Tarbert, Leverburgh, Balivanich, Lochmaddy and Lochboisdale, with diesel widely stocked but LPG scarce, so carry spare gas bottles and fill fuel whenever you pass a station, as they are far apart and some close on Sundays. Supermarkets are at Stornoway on Lewis and Balivanich on Benbecula, with smaller village shops elsewhere, so stock up on food in the main towns. Vehicle repair options are limited to Stornoway and Balivanich, so carry basics and good breakdown cover, as parts take time to reach the islands. Sunday observance still affects opening on Lewis and Harris, so shop and fuel up on Saturday for the weekend to avoid being caught out.

Generally yes, the islands are dog-friendly and most campsites and holiday parks welcome well-behaved dogs kept on leads. The huge empty beaches, the machair and the coastal walks are wonderful for dogs, with far more space than a mainland resort, though you must keep them under close control near the ground-nesting birds on the machair and the RSPB reserves, and near crofting livestock, particularly in spring and summer when corncrakes and waders are nesting. Parks like Laxdale Holiday Park are used to visitors arriving with dogs. Always confirm the policy when you book, bring waste bags, watch the strong Atlantic tides on the beaches, and remember that the ferry crossing needs planning for dogs too, as CalMac has rules on where pets travel on board.

The islands have a spread of small campsites, a couple of proper holiday parks and a network of community hook-up points. Just outside Stornoway on Lewis, Laxdale Holiday Park is the main all-facilities site, with electric-hook-up pitches, a service point and a sheltered setting near the ferry and shops. On Harris, Horgabost Campsite sits right above a white-sand beach looking out to Taransay, one of the most spectacular pitches in Britain. On North Uist, Balranald Croft and Campsite sits beside an RSPB reserve metres from the sand, and on South Uist, Kilbride Campsite gives a friendly base near the machair and the southern ferry. Between them you can island-hop the whole chain, choosing full facilities at Laxdale or simple, scenic community sites elsewhere.

Yes, though provision varies. Laxdale Holiday Park near Stornoway has full electric-hook-up pitches on grass and hardstanding with a service point, laundry and facilities block, and Balranald and Kilbride campsites have electric-hook-up pitches on the Uists. Some community sites like Horgabost have a limited number of electric hook-up points, so they can fill, and the growing West Harris Trust and community campervan hook-ups offer electric and water for a modest fee. Because the electric points at the smaller and community sites are limited, it is worth booking or arriving early in summer, and carrying enough leisure-battery and gas capacity to be self-sufficient between hook-ups, as you may not always get a powered pitch on the most scenic sites.

Only by CalMac car ferry, so the ferry is the first thing to book. The main routes are Ullapool on the mainland to Stornoway on Lewis, Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris or Lochmaddy on North Uist, and Oban or Mallaig to Castlebay on Barra and Lochboisdale on South Uist. Vehicle spaces for motorhomes and caravans sell out in summer, so reserve well ahead, and be ready for cancellations in Atlantic gales. Many tourers use the Hopscotch multi-crossing tickets to sail in at one end of the island chain and out the other, island-hopping without backtracking. Once on the islands, causeways link the southern isles, so you only need short internal ferries between some islands. Book early and check sailings daily in unsettled weather.

You can, but a smaller motorhome or campervan suits the islands far better. The spine A-roads are fine, but away from them most roads are single-track with passing places, which is the normal driving here, and Harris in particular has narrow, twisting sections. A large caravan is manageable but slow going and harder on the single-track roads and at passing places, and it costs more on the ferry, which is priced by vehicle length. If you have the choice, bring a smaller outfit. Whatever you drive, learn passing-place etiquette, pull in to let locals and oncoming traffic through, never park in a passing place, and give yourself plenty of time, as the roads and the scenery both slow you down.

Scotland's access rights allow responsible wild camping in many places, but the situation on the islands needs care. The machair grassland and the beaches are fragile and increasingly protected, and roadside and beach-verge overnighting is discouraged and in places managed against, so the responsible route is to use the campsites, holiday parks and the community and West Harris Trust campervan hook-up points spread across the islands. Self-contained motorhomes can wild camp responsibly away from the machair and crofts under the Scottish access code, but water, waste disposal and gas are scarce, so most tourers use the proper sites, which have electric hook-up, fresh water and service points. If you do wild camp, leave no trace, avoid the machair entirely, and never empty tanks anywhere but a service point.

Late May through early September gives the mildest weather, the longest daylight and the most reliable ferries, with June the standout for the machair wildflowers and near-midnight twilight. July and August are the busiest, so book ferries and pitches well ahead and expect the scenic sites to fill. Spring is fresh, quiet and often bright, a lovely uncrowded time for the beaches and wildlife, though windy. Autumn is mild early on with warm sea, then wetter and windier as Atlantic storms build and ferries start to be disrupted. Winter is mild but very wet and windy with short daylight, and most campsites close, so it is a trip for the hardy only. Whenever you go, pack for wind and rain and check ferries daily.

Use the campsites, holiday parks and community hook-up points. Laxdale Holiday Park near Stornoway has a full motorhome service point with chemical disposal, grey-water disposal and fresh-water taps, and the Uist campsites like Balranald and Kilbride have service facilities too. The West Harris Trust and community campervan hook-ups provide fresh water and, at some, waste disposal. Fill fresh water and empty tanks at these sites whenever you can, as taps and service points are sparse across the islands and there is nothing on the machair or at most beaches. Never tip grey or black waste on the fragile machair, the beaches or the verges. Carry reasonable tank capacity, plan your servicing around the sites, and top up water at every opportunity, as it is not always easy to find.

The scenery and wildlife are the main event. The Harris beaches, Luskentyre, Seilebost, Horgabost and Scarista, are among the finest white-sand beaches in the world, backed by machair and dunes. The Callanish Standing Stones on Lewis are a 5,000-year-old circle among the most important prehistoric sites in Britain, free to visit. The Uists offer machair wildflower grassland, the Balranald RSPB reserve with corncrakes and waders, and long empty strands. Stornoway has Lews Castle and its museum, and there is surfing, sea kayaking, cycling, Harris Tweed workshops, whisky and Gaelic culture throughout. In June the daylight barely fades, giving near-midnight walks on empty beaches. It is a trip for people who want space, light, nature and quiet rather than busy resorts.

For summer, book the CalMac ferry as far ahead as you can, ideally weeks or months for July and August, because motorhome and caravan vehicle spaces sell out and the Hopscotch island-hopping routes are popular. The campsites and community hook-up points should be booked or arrived at early too, especially the most scenic like Horgabost on Harris, which has limited electric hook-up points and a stunning setting that fills fast. Laxdale Holiday Park near Stornoway takes bookings and is the most reliable to secure. Outside peak season you have more flexibility, but ferries can still be busy on popular sailings, and weather cancellations mean you should build slack into the plan. Always check sailings daily in unsettled weather and have a fallback if a boat is cancelled.

Cool, breezy and very changeable, with the Atlantic driving everything. Summer highs sit around 16°C with cool nights near 10°C, warmer in bright spells but always breezy, and June brings near-endless northern daylight. Spring and autumn are fresh, in the low teens by day, with wind the constant. Winter is mild at about 7°C but very wet and windy with strong Atlantic gales and short daylight. Rain and wind can arrive at any time of year, and pitches are exposed, so pack proper waterproofs and warm layers whatever the forecast, choose sheltered spots when storms threaten, and peg everything down firmly. Midges bite inland on still, damp summer evenings, though the coastal breeze usually keeps them off the beaches, so bring repellent just in case.

The chain is linked by a mix of causeways and short ferries, so island-hopping is very doable. Lewis and Harris are one landmass, joined by road, and Harris connects by ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray, which is then joined by causeways to North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay, with a ferry on to Barra. Many tourers sail in at one end, for example Ullapool to Stornoway on Lewis, drive the length of the islands using the causeways, and sail out the other end from Barra or South Uist, using CalMac's Hopscotch multi-crossing tickets to save money and avoid backtracking. Base a few nights on each main island rather than rushing, book the internal ferries ahead in summer, and let the single-track roads set an unhurried pace.

Yes, but they are sparse, so plan ahead. Fuel is available at Stornoway, Tarbert, Leverburgh, Balivanich, Lochmaddy and Lochboisdale, with diesel widely stocked but LPG scarce, so carry spare gas bottles and fill fuel whenever you pass a station, as they are far apart and some close on Sundays. Supermarkets are at Stornoway on Lewis and Balivanich on Benbecula, with smaller village shops elsewhere, so stock up on food in the main towns. Vehicle repair options are limited to Stornoway and Balivanich, so carry basics and good breakdown cover, as parts take time to reach the islands. Sunday observance still affects opening on Lewis and Harris, so shop and fuel up on Saturday for the weekend to avoid being caught out.

Generally yes, the islands are dog-friendly and most campsites and holiday parks welcome well-behaved dogs kept on leads. The huge empty beaches, the machair and the coastal walks are wonderful for dogs, with far more space than a mainland resort, though you must keep them under close control near the ground-nesting birds on the machair and the RSPB reserves, and near crofting livestock, particularly in spring and summer when corncrakes and waders are nesting. Parks like Laxdale Holiday Park are used to visitors arriving with dogs. Always confirm the policy when you book, bring waste bags, watch the strong Atlantic tides on the beaches, and remember that the ferry crossing needs planning for dogs too, as CalMac has rules on where pets travel on board.