Benbecula
Benbecula is the low, watery island at the heart of the Uists, linked by causeways to North Uist on one side and South Uist on the other. It is about twelve kilometres across in each direction and home to around 1,250 people, many of them in and around Balivanich, the island’s main settlement, whose Gaelic name Baile a’ Mhanaich means “town of the monk”. Benbecula is the transport and services hub of the southern Outer Hebrides, with an airport, a large school and the area’s main shops, but away from the main road it is a quiet land of lochs, machair and wide skies, where Gaelic is still the everyday language of many homes. In Gaelic poetry it is An t-Eilean Dorcha, “the dark island”.
Landscape
Almost all of Benbecula lies below 20 metres, and so much of it is water that from the air it looks more like a lace of lochs than solid ground. The only real hill is Ruabhal, 124 metres high, in the east, and from its top the whole island and its neighbours are laid out below. The island is built of Lewisian gneiss, the oldest rock in Britain, but in the west it is blanketed by shell sand that forms long white beaches and flowery machair grassland behind them. The east coast is a maze of sea lochs, rocky islets and tidal channels, with small islands such as Wiay lying offshore.
The name is thought to come from the Gaelic Peighinn nam Fadhla, “pennyland of the fords”, because before the causeways were built Benbecula could only be reached by crossing the tidal sands of the North and South Fords at low water, a crossing that once claimed many lives. The weather is mild and windy, and Benbecula holds the record for the highest temperature ever measured in the Western Isles, 27 °C on 30 July 1948.
History
People have lived on Benbecula since prehistory, and the remains of wheelhouses, duns and early chapels are scattered across the island. In the Middle Ages it belonged to the Clanranald branch of the MacDonalds; the ruined tower of Borve Castle on the west side was one of their strongholds, and the ruined chapel of Teampull Chaluim Chille at Balivanich marks an early monastic site that may have given the town its name.
The island’s most famous episode came in 1746, after the Battle of Culloden, when Bonnie Prince Charlie was driven ashore here by a storm while fleeing government troops. He hid for days in a shieling and a cave on the slopes of Ruabhal while Flora MacDonald, from neighbouring South Uist, arranged his escape; disguised as her maid, Betty Burke, he was rowed from Benbecula “over the sea to Skye”. During the Second World War an RAF airfield was built at Balivanich, and the military presence grew after the war with the rocket range on South Uist, bringing new jobs, houses and English speakers to the north of the island.
In 2006 the people of Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay bought the 92,000-acre estate that covered their islands from its sporting owners for £4.5 million, one of the largest community buy-outs in Scotland. The land is now managed by the community company Stòras Uibhist.
Birdwatchers come for waders and wildfowl on the lochs and shore, and for the chance of seeing otters and golden eagles.
Places to visit
Climbing Ruabhal is a short, rewarding walk with views across the Uists, and the cave where the Prince is said to have hidden lies on its southern slope. The west coast has long sandy beaches, especially at Culla Bay and Liniclate, backed by machair that blazes with wild flowers in early summer. The ruins of Borve Castle and the chapel at Nunton are worth seeking out, and at Lionacleit the community school houses Museum nan Eilean, with displays on the islands’ history and culture. Birdwatchers come for waders and wildfowl on the lochs and shore, and for the chance of seeing otters and golden eagles.
Getting there and around
Benbecula Airport at Balivanich has daily flights to Glasgow, Stornoway and Barra. There is no direct ferry, but the island is joined by road causeways to North Uist, for ferries from Lochmaddy to Uig on Skye, and to South Uist, for ferries from Lochboisdale to Mallaig. Buses run the length of the Uists, and the island’s quiet roads are good for cycling, though the wind can be fierce.
Island life
Benbecula has the Uists’ main supermarket, the regional secondary school and sports centre at Lionacleit, a hospital and offices of the islands’ council and services. Defence work, public services, crofting, fishing and tourism provide most of the jobs. More than half of the people speak Gaelic, rising to around three in four in some villages, and ceilidhs, music and Catholic and Presbyterian church life all remain strong. The island’s position in the middle of the chain gives it a busy, connected feel unusual in the Hebrides.
Wildlife
Among the wildlife most often recorded on Benbecula are Field Vole, Shoveler, Short-eared Owl, Lapwing, Gadwall and Polecat. See the Wildlife tab for the full list of 125 species and when to see them.
Tides
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Heights in metres relative to mean sea level; times are UK time. Not for navigation. Tide model: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).
How to get to Benbecula
You can reach Benbecula by air.
By air
Benbecula Airport, run by HIAL, has Loganair flights to Stornoway, Inverness and Glasgow — useful given the island’s position between North Uist and South Uist.
Plan your trip
Timetables change, so always check with the operator before you travel. We may earn a commission if you book through some of these links, at no extra cost to you.
Where to stay on Benbecula
11 places to stay on Benbecula, from hotels and B&Bs to hostels and campsites.
Check dates and prices-
Dark Island Hotel
Hotel · Isle of Benbecula
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The Isle of Benbecula House Hotel
Hotel · Isle of Benbecula
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Borve Guest House
B&B / guest house · ★★★★ · Isle of Benbecula
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Ceann Na Pairc
B&B / guest house · Isle of Benbecula
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Hebrides House
B&B / guest house
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Hestimul Bed and Breakfast
B&B / guest house · Isle of Benbecula
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Orcardia Bed and Breakfast
B&B / guest house · Isle of Benbecula
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Cursty's Cottage
Self-catering
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Lionacleit Self Catering
Self-catering apartment
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Ostail Bhaile nan Cailleach
Hostel · ★★★★★ · Isle of Benbecula
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Shellbay Caravan & Camping Park
Campsite · Isle of Benbecula
We may earn a commission if you book through some of these links, at no extra cost to you. Places to stay are from OpenStreetMap; if one has closed or is missing, let us know. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Wildlife
128 species recorded on the island
Highlights
Island specials
All wildlife
Loading all 128 species…
Nothing on the list is usually seen this month.
Recordings from Wikimedia Commons, under Creative Commons licences; hover a Listen button for the recordist. Sightings are records shared with GBIF since 2000.
Watching wildlife responsibly. Keep your distance from seals, seabird colonies and cetaceans, stay quiet, and never feed or chase wildlife. See the Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code.
