Hotels in Stornoway, Isle of
Lewis The Royal - Stornoway
Hotel Quality
and value are promised by the Royal hotel in Stornoway, which
means that you can rest assured that great attention is being paid to
the provision of good standards of accommodation, as well as a warm
welcome. You will find real value for money is offered by the Cala
range of hotels in Stornoway. See for yourself the quality
and value from Cala hotels in the Isle of Lewis.
Isle of Lewis - Tourist
Information This
section is provided to give you a taste of the visitor attractions of
the Western Isles, in particular within easy travel distance of our
hotel on the Isle of Lewis. The
list is by no means exhaustive and you will find plenty to do here.
When you arrive, visit the Western Isles Tourist Information Office in
Stornoway, where you will find many more ideas. Close
to Home Beaches Stornoway Callanish ,
North-West Coast the Wild West ,
Harris eating out shopping
and getting here. Close
to Home . Return to previous page Guesthouses and hotels in Stornoway with
secure on-line booking facilities Hotel
lodgings in Stornoway, accommodation in Stornoway,
bed and breakfasts, Discount Hotels in Stornoway, Bed and Breakfasts,
B&Bs, Guest Houses. Looking for a hotel in Stornoway with
a conference centre, weddings and function room or perhaps a quieter
guesthouse or hotel in the Outer Hebrides (on the west of scotland) at
the heart of town, with
centre of shopping and with restaurants close by? You’ll find
that Cala hotels Cala Hotels in Western Islesoffer disabled access,
special
diets, group travel accommodation, coach party accommodation, romantic
wedding locations. Meeting and Function Rooms.
Weddings
Cala hotels on the Isle of Lewis In the heart of the
Gaelic speaking islands, off Scotland, holidays here are
where you'll enjoy Hebridean hospitality. See tourism
information elsewhere on this site.
Cala’s
restaurants include the Manor Restaurant at the Caberfeidh, Eleven at
the Caladh Inn (pronounced Cala Inn - Caladh is the Gaelic spelling)
HS-1 at the Royal Hotel and the Boatshed restaurant, also at the
Royal. Although
you may well concentrate on travelling to beaches, visiting villages
and historic sites around the Isle of Lewis, or strolling around the
streets of Stornoway, it’s also worth taking a walk or two in
the immediate vicinity of our Western Isles hotel. Just
a couple of hundred yards or so brings you to the shoreline, a
beautiful harbour, where you may be lucky enough to see seals swimming
on a calm day. A
short drive, brings you to the most Northerly part of the Point
peninsula, with superb views on clear days, back down both the coasts -
the afternoon sun makes the vista of Broad Bay especially
spectacular. Take
another walk through the common grazings of the villages, to view the
rugged coastline and streams meandering off the moorland to the
sea. Drive
to Garrabost, then to Bayble - it’s only 10 minutes
or so and you’ll be rewarded by a small but pleasant sandy
beach, where Ringed Plovers raise their young in Spring, alongside the
rock pools. On warm Sundays - always a quiet day of rest on the Island
- families visit, but there are few visitors here on other days. A
short stroll along the coast from here may be rewarded with views of
basking seals. Return
to previous page Beaches on the Isle of Lewis and
Harris Lewis and Harris are famed for the almost
white, sandy beaches that are formed by tiny grains of shells, crushed
by the Atlantic Ocean and carried by the Gulf Stream from the West
Indies.
Closest to our holiday hotel on the Isle of
Lewis is Bayble, but you’ll want to travel a little further
to visit others, too.
Tolsta, is just the other side of Broad Bay,
and is accessed via Stornoway, either by car or, if you fancy the walk
at the other end, by bus. There you will two magnificent soft sand
beaches, the first, backed by sand dunes, being very long (we guess
over a mile) and the other being almost encircled by high
cliffs.
Which beach is the best is a matter for
debate, but Bosta must be high on the list. It’s at the
northern tip of Great Bernera and around 45 minutes drive away, through
magnificent, rugged countryside. This is a place where, on a still,
warm day, you could be forgiven for thinking you were basking in the
Indian Ocean.
A little beyond the turn off to Bosta,
you’ll find Uig beach, probably the largest expanse of soft
sand on the island.
Closer to home, on the east coast, are Dhail
Beag and Dhail Mor - well worth a visit and noted for their
surf.
For a longer trip, drive down to Harris and
explore the beaches alongside the road South from Tarbert - it will
take you around 90 minutes to get there and it’s a rewarding
end to a journey through wonderful, mountainous
countryside.
Stornoway, Isle of Lewis Stornoway is our fascinating, busy, local
town, reached by car in around 15 minutes or by bus in about 30
minutes.
Entirely unpretentious, the town exists
mainly as a supply point for the 20,000 island population, as a ferry
port, as a fishing port and as an administrative
centre.
There is an eclectic mix of architecture,
ranging from traditional Scottish style gentlemens’
residences, the ultra modern new arts and sports centres to brightly
painted new mews houses.
While the industrial area at the edge of the
town is grey and uninteresting, the town centre is bright, cheerful and
bustling.
The shops are mostly privately owned, so the
range of products on offer is much more individual than you find on the
multiple store dominated high streets of the mainland. There are book
and record shops, a locally owned department store, a fabulous
jewellery and gift shop, packed with island crafted silver, an
excellent tourist information office and much more. Above all, our
experience of shopping here is that it’s a much friendlier
activity than on the mainland. Stornoway is also the main centre for
eating out in the area. More information on the shopping page and on
the eating out page.
At the harbour, fishing boats unload their
catches, pleasure yachts and small cruise ships visit and the ferry
brings vistors and essential lorry loads of
supplies.
When you tire of mooching around the streets
and quay sides, take refreshment, perhaps at the excellent library
coffee shop, which offers a choice to rival any you’d find in
a fashionable capital, or at the Woodland Centre - just a stroll from
the town centre - where you can sit out in the sun and enjoy the views.
While there, you can enjoy a walk in the grounds of Lews Castle, a
large house built for Lord Leverhulme, which is surrounded by extensive
woodland and parkland.
While the spring and summer weather here can
be much sunnier and drier than some people expect, if it does rain
during your stay, why not take the opportunity to visit the interesting
local museum, enjoy activities at the new sports
centre?
Callanish Return to previous page
At Callanish (Gaelic - Calanais) fields were
first cultivated before 4000BC. However, farming on the earthen ridges
below the Standing Stones probably started much
later.
The stones at Callanish are said to predate
Stonehenge.
Stone circles on earth embankments were built
around 3000 BC and it’s thought that a structure was built at
about that time, which would be surrounded by the ring at
Callanish.
The Calanais stones are not in a perfect
circle, but they are symmetrical, running along an East West line,
which dissects the central stone. The Western section ia a more or less
exact semi-circle, while the Eastern section is
flatter.
The avenue may have been ceremonial or in
some way astronomical, possibly aligning with lunar
movements.
Whatever the truth of the Callanish stones,
which you will find explored at the excellent visitor centre, they are
a highlight of any trip to the Isle of Lewis. Their elevated position
also provides dramatic views over the surrounding
countryside.
From our hotelCallanish, at about 45 minutes
drive, is an easy excursion by car and may be combined with a visit to
the beaches of the West coast.Return to previous
page
The North West Coast The coast that runs down the West side of
Lewis, from Ness to Carloway, is punctuated by numerous villages and is
host to several pleasant beaches.
It is reached from Stornoway by driving
across Barvas Moor, a wild area of rolling, heather clad hillsides.
At Barvas village (Gaelic - Bharabhas), you
have the choice of turning right towards Ness, or left towards
Carloway.
Should you take the right turn, be sure to
visit the Butt of Lewis, the most Northerly point of the island, and
the pleasant, dune backed beaches reached by turning at
Lionel.
Following the road south from Barvas, at
Arnol you can visit the Black House Museum, which offers an interesting
view of traditional croft living and a walk for the village down to the
shore reaches a mixed sand, shingle and pebble beach, with panoramic
views across Loch Arnol.
Continuing through Bragar - note the
whalebone arch - Shawbost is home to a Tweed Mill and an interesting
village shop - turn right off the main road at the sign and
you’ll find the shop on your left - the amazing mix of
products makes it well worth popping in for a loaf of bread, a tin of
paint or a pair of wellington boots!
On this road, don’t miss the chance
to visit Dhail Beag and Dhail Mhor, both being extremely picturesque
beaches.
A little further on, the Blackhouse Village
affords a glimpse of life gone by and the hotel just after Carloway may
offer you welcome refreshment.
The West of Lewis No cowboys in this Wild West, just craggy
hills and glens, cliffs where the Atlantic thunders against the rocks,
plus a selection of superb beaches.
Take the Timsgarry / Uig road off the route
that leads from Stornoway to Callanish and enjoy an unhurried drive
through dramatic countryside.
You can divert Northwards to Great Bernera,
visiting Bosta beach, then return to the route.
At Meobhaig, take the short, circular route
off to the right, to see Traigh na Beirigh, a wonderful expanse of
sand, backed by dunes, then return to the Timsgarry
road.
Prepare yourslf for a visual sensation as Uig
beach comes into view. Some two mile long and up to half a mile wide,
this is for many the jewel of the Hebrides. Continue on the Breanais
road for a couple of miles and you’ll see a car park
indicated to the road. Don’t miss the opportunity to stop and
walk upon the sands, for this is a truly special
place.
If you’re not worn out by now,
follow the road to it’s end, for spectacular coastal views of
the steep cliffs - on a windy, rainy day you will realise the power of
the waves!
The Isle of Harris The Isle of Harris is not actually a separate
island, as only the Southern portion is virtually detached from
Lewis.
It has, however, a distinctly different
character. At the northern end, you pass through dramatic, rocky
mountains on the road from Stornoway. While the highest peak, An
Cliseam, is not particularly tall by Scottish standards, at 799 metres,
the height above the surrounding, low lying Lewisian countryside makes
it seem much more so.
Tarbert is around an hour’s drive
from Stornoway, but rather than driving there directly, it’s
worth taking a detour along the B887 to Hushinish, to see the beach and
perhaps to visit the glens near Torga Mhor mountain, where you may be
lucky enough to see eagles soar.
South of Tarbert, the landscape changes.
While it remains extremely rocky, it is at a much lower level. If you
have the time, take the circular route off to the left, through Manish
and Finsbay to Rodel, where St Clements Church is an important visitor
attraction.
As you head back north up the main road from
Leverburgh, there are further superb, West facing beaches to explore.
If you have brought your clubs, the Harris golf club presents unusual
challenges ad spectacular views alongside the
coastline.
Eating out on The Isle of
Lewis Eating out on the Isle of Lewis centres
mainly on Stornoway, although there are a number of hotels and
restaurants scattered around the island.
Among the varied menus, at prices to suit all
pockets, you’ll find superb fresh fish dishes. The Hebrides
are renowned for prawn catches and langoustines taken from lobster
pots, which have not suffered the trauma
of
trawling in nets, taste absolutely wonderful. Fresh monkfish is
excellent value here, likewise freshly caught cod and
haddock.
Take stroll around the town and check out the
menus. Select from Scottish, Balti, Chinese, Thai and
International cuisine - the choice is wide
and value excellent.
Shopping If you’re a holiday shopaholic,
prepare for an interesting experience.
Forget high street chain stores, for we have
only a few.
Instead, you will find independently owned
shops, where products have been selected by the owners, to suit the
individual needs of local residents and
visitors.
This is no means an exhaustive list and is in
no way intended to suggest that other shops are not worth a visit -
just a sample to whet your appetite.
Murdo Macleans - the Stornoway department
store, with quality decorative objects, fabrics, clothing and
shoes.
The Lewis Loom Centre - an
Aladdin’s cave of Harris Tweeds, jackets, coats, scarves and
even tweed to buy off the roll and take back to your tailor. Amazing
prices.
Hebridean Jewellery - manufacturers of
beautiful silver jewellery with Celtic infuences - you could buy all
your presents for Christmas here and save the bother of shopping in
December!
The Fishermens’ Co-operative -
outdoor clothes ranging from practical and inexpensive to
‘designer names’ at prices we’ve not seen
on the mainland. Plus all kinds of chandlery items and yellow
wellingtons galore! Fonn - a super little musical instrument shop,
where you get personal attention.
Besides these, browse the boutiques, book
shops, kilt makers, Celtic record shop and quite a few more. And if you
really want multiples, there’s a Co-op superstore and a
Somerfields for groceries, Boots, Superdrug and Woolworths,
too.
Getting Here One of the attractions of the Outer Hebrides
is the remoteness of the islands - a place where you can feel a million
miles from the hustle and bustle of town and city life on the mainland,
a place where complete strangers greet each other warmly, a place where
drivers give a friendly wave to pedestrians - there’s simply
no other place quite like it.
Travelling here is not, however, too
difficult.
By road, we are a long way from pretty well
everywhere, but there is motorway and dual carriageway virtually all
the way from the South of England to Perth, then the excellent, wide,
much improved A9 to Inverness. Just over an hour from Inverness to
Ullapool and you join the Calmac ferry (www.calmac.co.uk) for a 2.75
hour crossing, during which you can relax, watch TV, eat a meal, or
simply enjoy the scenery passing by as you travel along the sea loch
towards Lewis.
By air, British Airways, BMI and Highland
Airways all operate services into Stornoway airport, which is modern
and well equipped. You can book flights through to Stornoway from many
regional airports with BA and BMI, at reasonable prices. Easyjet and
Eastern Airways fly to Inverness, where you can connect with Highland
Airways. Car hire is available at sensible rates and it is even a
realistic proposition to use the buses here, which are plentiful and
reach pretty well the entire island.
