Is it worth a day on Benbecula or Harris

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

I am just in the process of confirming my hotels for my 2017 Scotland trip.

 

Is it worth going over to Benbecula or Harris for a day. 

 

I have been whizzing round on google earth and the islands look very flat and not very dramatic.

 

just wondering on anyones thoughts who has been. 

 

The ferry will cost me £70.00 and then there is a night stay.

 

I am also looking at going over to Scapa Flow which is where I have always wanted to go so out of the two I would rather put my money into that.

 

I also checked the prices to go to St Kilda but that costs.....a lot.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Cancel the above.

 

All sorted now on the Orkneys.

[Higgy]

I think that was the correct choice Geoff!  Loads to see on the Orkney Islands.  Plenty of places to stay and good food.  Kirkwall is a nice town. 

 

Harris is a beautiful island and not at all flat.  It has some of the best beaches you will ever see, and dramatic landscape.  However...you need to be lucky with the weather.  Benbecula and the connected Uist islands are fairly flat, they have their attractions but you'll be hard pushed to find them on a rainy Sunday!

 

Cheers,

John.

[Davep1]

You will enjoy Orkney - the churchill barriers, and the Italian chapel are worth a visit.

If you have time, try and visit Skara Brae, Ness and Ring of Brodgar, and Maeshowe.

 

Go prepared for the weather though...always a few degrees cooler than the mainland.

 

Dave.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

 Hi John.

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

I have just booked my last hotel so I will post up in a separate thread the dates and places.

 

You may have to come back from Spain to join us. 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

You will enjoy Orkney - the churchill barriers, and the Italian chapel are worth a visit.

If you have time, try and visit Skara Brae, Ness and Ring of Brodgar, and Maeshowe.

 

Go prepared for the weather though...always a few degrees cooler than the mainland.

 

Dave.

Hi  Dave.

 

Some of those places are on my bucket list and just booked a two night stay so really excited now.

[windy]

Where did you book on Orkney? I know Orkney mainland and all the islands pretty well now I've visited about 5 times.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

I have booked to stay at "The Inn guest House" at St Mary's, Holm.

 

It is right next to the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel.

 

Its the first time for me as I have wanted to visit the Scapa Flow museum for years. 

[windy]

Ah great I know where that is. You are quite close (5 min drive) to the Sands Hotel where you are staying which I highly recommend for an evening meal. If you are into your seafood it's worth phoning ahead at least a day before to order lobster. They will send the boat out to catch it for you. Here's the very dish i had.

 

orkney2015 061 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

I presume the museum you refer to is on Hoy? Are you travelling across on the ferry from Houton in the Westfields? The museum is a brilliant place to go and see, it's free with a little cafe which is good for a cup of tea and a cake. Make sure you ask about the fuel store inside the mountain. I came across it by accident when I drove up to the viewpoint where you can see the whole of scapa flow from. Amazing to think they had all the fuel for the ships hidden inside the hill.

 

orkney2013 483 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

orkney2013 484 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

orkney2013 485 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

If you plan your day well there may be time to drive to Rackwick then walk to the Old Man Of Hoy. It was first climbed by Chris Bonington in the 60s.

 

orkney2015 102 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

It's a shame you only have 2 days on the island. You can quite easily lose yourself for a couple of weeks up there!

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

What a great set of pictures and thanks for all the information.

[windy]

Its the beaches and archaeology that stand out for me:

 

This is the Ness of Brodgar, the big dig they are having there most summers. It's near to the Ring Of Brodgar & Maeshow.

 

orkney12 064 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

If you go onto one of the many islands surrounding Orkney mainland there's stuff thousands of years old that's just laying in the ground. This was a dig I was involved with on Sanday:

 

orkney2014 295 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

And I found a Viking Comb sticking out of a cliff:

 

orkney2011 328 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

Then there's the beaches:

 

orkney12 079 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

orkney2014 254 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

orkney2013 576 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

And the sunsets:

 

orkney2015 183 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

And getting about can be fun too:

 

orkney2014 249 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

orkney2014 248 by windymill50, on Flickr 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

No way... you lucky sod.

That lot looks absolutely fabulous.

I will forget a holiday in 2018..... I am coming with you instead.

[TAFKARM]

That lobster has got me drooing. I need some lunch!

[windy]

You could try the Scapa Flow langoustines. Almost the size of Lobsters!

 

orkney2014 316 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

 

[SootySport]

.

 

 

orkney2015 102 by windymill50, on Flickr

 

I remember Chris Bonnington climbing that,   was live on the BBC.