Highlands & Islands Vacations And South Uist

The Island known as South Uist is found in the group of islands known as the Western Isles (and alsi the Outer Hebrides) of Scotland. The inhabited islands are South Uist, North Uist, Isle of Harris, Isle of Lewis, Barra, Benbecula and Eriskay and a great many islands which are only inhabited by wildlife. In the following article I introduce the island of South Uist and describe why the island is such a superb vacation destination, plus I introduce some places to stay on South Uist.

The Hebrides are unique, they feature totally unique species of flora & fauna in a astounding countryside with some of the most awesome coastline in the British Isles. The culture of the Hebrides is an interesting mix of Norse, Celtic and Gaelic influences, which could also be said to be unique.

On South Uist, particularly in the west, you will discover the most amazing beaches of sand and behind these vast areas of land called machair. Machair is only found in this part of the world, it is a type of incredibly fertile, grassland which is decorated with a mass of wildflowers in the spring and summer months. Many visitors believe that the beaches found on South Uist are the best in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and even Europe.

The island is also a superb place to play a round of golf. Askernish Golf Course is the oldest Hebridean course and it is an Old Tom Morris design (the designer of the Old Course at St. Andrews) and countless others in Scotland. Sadly the golf course was damaged and it is in need of restoration before it can be played upon however you will find many other golf courses across the islands.

Of course South Uist offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy a diverse range of sports. Water sports such as surfing are incredibly popular and virtually everyone can enjoy a little walking. Besides golf the most popular sport is still fishing though more cyclists appear annually.

Even though South Uist doesn’t feature a profuse amount of galleries and museums it has enough to keep you entertained if it happens to rain. Museums like Kildonan Museum feature exhibitions about the history of the island and its association with Prince Charles Edward Stuart and Flora MacDonald.

Places To Stay On South Uist

The Polochar Inn is located in Lochboisdale in the southerly region of the island. This is a 4 star South Uist hotel which overlooks Eriskay and Barra. All of the rooms at the Polochar Inn are en-suite and they also have WiFi internet.

South Uist self catering accommodation is superb for small groups and families. 10 Bun A Mhullin is a spacious self catering traditional Hebridean house/cottage on the Isle of Eriskay which is joined to South Uist by a bridge.

If you are currently planning a vacation on South Uist please take a look at our listings of South Uist hotel accommodation.

If you are looking at taking a South Uist vacation please take a look at our listings of South Uist hotels and bed and breakfast in South Uist

The Historical Intrigue Of The Highlands Of Scotland

The Highlands of Scotland were well written about for their wars and betrayals and it is certainly accurate that from the reign of James IV in the 1490′s existence in the Highlands was somewhat tumultuous. In 1493, James went against the strong chiefs of the MacDonald Clan and forfeited the MacDonald Lord of the Isles in favour of himself and the Campbell Clan. Therefore the Campbell’s took over as powerhouse in that time at the expense of the MacDonalds.

Issues arose not only with the MacDonalds but also with several additional Scottish clans because of this harmful power divide that the Campbells kept over all others. The Campbell were in such a position that they could buy up readily available land and charge a kind of lease upon anybody that wished to utilize the area for cows or sheep. The MacLeans were especially aggrieved Clan. As a sidenote here, the actual word Clan emanates from the Gaelic expression “clann” which actually means “children”.

It would seem this can signify any person inside a clan were strongly related however this was not the case. Only the higher echelons of the specific clan were associated with the chiefs. All others simply saw the chief as the leader rather than as a relative as such.

The actual structure of clans came from a combination of early Celtic idealism and feudal procedures, the primary point being the ownership of lands. The clan chief was the master of the lands of the clan and he had the capability to grant the land out to his fellow clans men. The position of a clan however wasn’t actually about the quantity of land that the family held but more with regards to how many males the clan may muster to fight in battle. As a result of Highlands being very militaristic they would be looked to for fighting men during the time of turmoil involving the King and his opposition. For the highland clans this became problematic since they often became embroiled in lowland politics.

When James VI came to be King however, civil war broke out. When he called on the clans to assist the Campbells decided otherwise. It was not just the Campbells who were to cause issues for James – he extirped (sent away) the clan MacGregor in 1603, and in 1609 he introduced new laws in to force which limited all clan chiefs from utilizing and abusing their earlier powers.

For more about Scottish history please go to beautiful Scotland.

Vacations In Inverness, Scotland And Some Facts You Should Know

Inverness, commonly referred to as being the capital city of the Highlands of Scotland, was granted city status in the year two thousand and one and at the moment is the only city in the region. Uniquely (in Britain) Inverness has no legal boundaries which can create problems when estimating populations. The problem is made worse by the fact that the population is rising dramatically, the city has the highest growth rate in the United Kingdom. One certainty we know of is that Inverness has a very content population, in 2008 the Telegraph.co.uk ranked Inverness fifth out of 189 cities in Britain for its quality of life. Following on we can state that Inverness is a lovely place in which to live and this is more than likely one of the reasons which make the city incredibly popular with tourists. Importantly there is a great deal of Inverness bed and breakfast accommodations with the majority of it being available to book online.

Inverness is also frequently referred to as the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland for the obvious fact that it is best placed to make the most of the Highland public transport system and a large amount of tourist attractions are close by. Possibly the best way to reach them is via a tour or day trip. A few companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Culloden or Loch Ness or for the hardy visitor it is possible to visit John O’Groats and Orkney on a days round trip. It is also possible to go on a small selection of city tours, such as those run by City Sightseeing.

Some tourists choose to stay in two different cities or towns in the Highlands of Scotland say Fort William & Inverness. The town of Fort William is more popular with people who enjoy sports especially mountaineers, hill walkers and ramblers who get excited getting to the top of Ben Nevis which looks down upon the town’s center. In a similar fashion bed and breakfast accommodation in Fort William and rather like other Scotland bed & breakfast it is always cheap, very good value for money and amazingly comfortable, tidy and clean with world famous hospitality.

One of the most important things to remember is that Inverness’s airport is, roughly, 7 miles east of the city at Dalcross. It is relatively easy to hail a cab to the small and busy airport which is not very expensive. If you require maps of the area then you can get them for free at the tourist office, which is on Castle Wynd. While you are enjoying you vacation in Inverness you should make a point to visit Inverness Castle, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, the Mercat Cross and ‘stone of tubs’ especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is immensely enjoyable.

Getting a Glasgow flight?

There are many travelling options from Glasgow airport, besides the obvious air travel. Glasgow airport is accessible by car, train, bus, coach and taxi. The airport is only eight miles from Glasgow city centre making it extremely accessible. All information can be found at the Glasgow airport website for your transportation needs.

You can pick up the train at Paisley’s Gilmore Street about two miles from the airport. The station has a shuttle that runs regularly between it and the airport. You can then travel to any port of Glasgow and further by taking the train. Trains run about eight times per hour during weekdays and slightly less on the weekends.

Glasgow has over 450 taxi companies that travel to and from the airport. Travel by taxi is hassle free and convenient. Many companies have special rates for the airport. Information on taxi services can be found online along with a description of all of there services and areas of travel.

Public and chartered uses also make regular stops at Glasgow airport to drop of and pick up passengers. Fare is inexpensive, only about 6.50 for a return ticket and you can be dropped almost anywhere throughout the city. The trip should take around 25 minutes and make sure you check the route for the Citylink and Fairline routes.

There are a few different options if you wish to travel by car. You can hire a car from one of the many companies at the airport. Store your car if you are leaving it at the airport in wither short or long-term parking. Additionally you can be dropped or picked up at specified locations. Traveling from Glasgow airport is easy and you will be sure to enjoy your flight and time spent in the city.