Vacation Packages

For a long time sailing to the remote Scottish islands has really only been available to the very rich. In the last few decades the infrastructure of the Highlands has improved dramatically. Because of this the Highlands and islands are now open to the majority of tourists and islands such as the Outer Hebrides (also known as the Western Isles) can now be reached via ferry or plane. One of the key reasons why tourists visit islands, such as Harris and similar, is that, although tourism is a major contributor to the local economy, they are totally unspoiled. In the article below I introduce the relatively small village of Leverburgh on the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland. Leverburgh is the 2nd largest settlement on the island with Tarbert being the largest.

Most probably the main attraction of the Isle of Harris is the numerous incredible beaches of golden sand which are located along the west coast of the island. These beaches have some of the cleanest waters in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Beaches such as Nisabost, Huishnish, Luskintyre and Seilabost are amongst the most popular, but you must not expect to be confronted with huge numbers of beach towels, sand castles, buckets and spades and wind breaks as it is extremely common to find yourself the only person enjoying the astonishing panoramas.

The majority of the finest beaches are located on South Harris and all are within a few minutes drive away from the village of Leverburgh. The village features a number of accommodation including Grimisdale Guest House, with superb self catering houses and cottages a short distance away and a few crucial amenities such as a general store, Leverburgh is a highly suitable place to stay for a Western Isles touring vacation.

Lodging in Harris bed and breakfast is a relaxing experience. The hospitality of the Isle of Harris is world renowned and all providers of accommodation work extremely hard to make sure that all visitors have an excellent vacation. Hotels and guest houses are always incredibly clean with fresh bedding and towels and if you need advice staff are always keen to assist.

The spectacular landscape of the Outer Hebrides supports a an immensely wide range of wildlife and flowers, some of these are incredibly rare or unique species. While it is rare to see a naturally growing tree on the island you will find a small selection of plantations across the Western Isles. A few small pine forests where planted long ago and, thankfully the majority of recent plantations are of native species more suitable to the unique environment and certainly far more beautiful.

The impact of man on the Isle of Harris is considerable at one time Harris was tree covered. When man first settled on the island, thousands of years ago, they they lived on the coast. making a living by hunting and fishing, and using the trees as fuel, over time they settled inland. Today fishing still has a vital role in the local economy and many local folk own a croft (a small holding where they cultivate crops such as potatoes.

Farming the land creates land which is ideal for endangered and rare birds such as the Corncrake. A great many species of flora & fauna, Golden Eagles are frequently spotted and around Leverburgh are countless great places to go birdwatching. Annually crowds of birdwatchers (twitchers) arrive on the islands to catch a brief look of a rare bird. Many folk choose to spend some time in Leverburgh and then sail on the ferry over to the Uists to visit such places as the RSPB sanctuary.

If you are planning a vacation in Leverburgh please take a look at our listings of Harris bed & breakfast