Walking
North and South Uist have spectacular walking whether it is on the beaches which go on for mile after mile around headlands or on the machair which fringes the beaches. There are walks over hillside and mountains where you will get views over the lochs and sea which are awe inspiring. There are two very good walks near the house which form part of the Hebridean Way. Eaval can be walked up from the end of the road 1 mile and at the top you can see Skye and the cullins across the Minch and North and South Uist with the hiundreds of lochs below.
Fishing and Shooting
North Uist has plentiful Salmon and Sea Trout fishing from May to October that is accessible through the North Uist Estate (the house is within the estate fisheries) who have their 700 fishable lochs. Wild Brown Trout are fantastic sport and in huge numbers and very few people to catch them. The North Uist Estate has Wild Fowl and Deer stalking available. Ghillies are available for fishing by contacting Lochmaddy Hotel. There is also good fishing in South Uist and Benbecula. For more information visit the Fish Hebrides website. There are a dozen lochs within walking distance of the house which will yield Brown Trout to 1Lb 8oz.
Beaches
There are so many wonderful beaches nearby we have described how to get to them within the house information pack . We have included two of our favourites on this page. Kite Surfing and Wind surfing are world class from the beaches I am told, but apart from the occasional kayak we have not seen any activity on the beaches we have visited.
Nature Walking
One of the best places is from the granite and glass extension where you will spot Sea Eagles-Golden Eagles–Hen Harriers–Otters and Seals on a regular basis. We have spent over 400 days at the house and apart from one or two occasions there will always be Red Deer visible across the loch and they often swim across the loch at dusk
St Kilda
Take a fast boat to the world heritage site to St Kilda (2 hours) and explore the Island or even Scuba Dive. The boat trip which incorporates the 3 Stacs of St Kilda was the highlight of my trip there. There are still Soay Sheep on one of them when the island was abandoned in the 1930s
Historical Sites
Uist has a very large number of historical sites that unlike mainland Uk you can walk up to and let your imagination take over.
Nearby is the Neolithic Burial Tomb at Bharpa and the Stone Circle at Pobull Phinn is just past the Langass Lodge meandering up a gentle hill with great views of North Uist and Benbecula. This is the path that The RSB use for nature walks to see Otters and Seals on Loch Langass. There is an Art Gallery and Museum in Lochmaddy which also serves great cakes and lunchtime snacks.
Wildlife
The whole Island seems like a nature reserve with opportunities to see Corncrakes Sea Eagles Golden Eagles Hen Harriers Short Eared Owls. The Nature Reserve and visitor centre at Balranald 15 minutes away has really good walks and the opportunity to see fauna and flora that typifies the North Uist . You will see Hinds and Stags as you travel around the Island and every day something new will catch your attention. Otters visit the shore line in front of the house most days!
Machair
In spring and early summer the Machair will come alive with an array of colour from the wild flowers that appear every year. Walking through the Machair in spring and seeing the sea through white cliffs of sand is unique to North Uist.
Golf
There is a course at Benbecula and another in South Uist which Tom Morris designed.
Previous visitors favourite activity was to sit in the house at breakfast or anytime of the day and look for the diverse wildlife that appeared. It would be very rare not to spot an otter, golden eagle, White tailed Sea Eagle Hen Harrier Seals and Red Deer all in one visit.