The Isle of Lewis and the Isle of Harris have contrasting landscapes. Lewis with it's giant sea cliffs, consists mainly of moorland with fresh water lochs. North Harris is more mountainous and on the West Coast of South Harris, beautiful beaches with turquoise water can be found.

Stornoway Harbour

Stornoway is the largest town in the Outer Hebrides and has a population of around 6,000 people. It has a picturesque sheltered harbour, which is overlooked by Lews Castle, currently under renovation, as at June 2012. Lewis has many empty sandy beaches. If you head north stop off at Coll, Tolsta and Port Ness Beaches. From the Port of Ness Beach, head to the Butt of Lewis to view the cliffs, the lighthouse and the sea bird life, notably gannets, kittiwakes, fulmars and cormorants.

Heading South, visit the Calanais impressive Standing Stones at Callanish, which are believed to have been erected around 2900 BC. Further along the coast is Uig Bay, where a viking chess set was discovered in a small stone chamber at the edge of the beach. Inside were 93 chess pieces made of morse ivory from the husks of walrus teeth. The chess men are now housed in the British Museum, with replicas in Stornoway Museum.

Gearrannan Blackhouse

At Carloway on the atlantic coast the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village can be found, standing in an area of outstanding natural beauty. This unique group of restored thatched cottages has been restored to enable visitors to experience the way of life of a crofting community during the last century.

Seilebost Beach