Useful Numbers
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Cal Mac
There are 2 ferry routes to and from the Island. Stornoway – Ullapool and Tarbert – Uig (Skye). Tel – 01851 307470
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Tourist Information
Visit Outer Hebrides is a fantastic resource to provide you with any information you need for your stay.
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Car Hire Hebrides
Car Hire Hebrides are located at Stornoway Airport & Stornoway Ferry Terminal.
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Stornoway Police Station
The local police station is located at 18 Church Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2JD. You can call 101 for non-emergency enquiries.
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Western Isles Hospital
The local hospital is located at on MacAulay Road, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2AF.
You can call 01851 704704 for non-emergency enquiries.
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Stornoway Airport
There are multiple daily flights to and from Inverness and Glasgow.
Things to do
Valtos Cottage is ideally placed for a relaxing self-catering holiday but if you want there are a range of interesting places to visit as well as a range of outdoor activities including fishing, sailing, surfing, kayaking, hill walking or just enjoying the many beautiful beaches Uig has to offer.
Sea Trek
Boat Trips, Wildlife Cruises, Sea Angling
Uig Sands Restaurant
The restaurant has a focus on fresh and local produce with an emphasis on local seafood.
Whisky
Abhainn Dearg, or Red River Distillery offers Tours and has a gift shop.
Beaches
Visit any of the many beaches within 10 minute walk.
Historical Sites
The range of Historical interest on Lewis is almost unbelievable in its quantity & quality.
Location
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Stunning landscapes and breathtaking beachscapes
Valtos Cottage & Hillside Retreat are both situated on the far west coast of the Isle of Lewis, the most northerly island of the Outer Hebrides.
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Natural Environment
Uig and Bernera’s natural environment is rugged, peaceful and unspoiled. Small villages are dotted around a coastal landscape of breathtaking beauty. The fertile machair lands lining the west coast become a beautiful carpet of rare and colourful wild flowers in summer. Rock faces teem with sea birds and the seas are home to an abundance of life. Fresh water lochs are dotted across the area, a massive resource for fishermen and birds alike.
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Aurora Borealis-The Northern Lights
The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights can be viewed quite regularly throughout the autumn, winter and spring in Uig and Bernera, where light pollution is at a minimum, and where the winds from the Atlantic keep the skies relatively clear.
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Gleann Bhaltos
Gleann Bhaltos (Valtos Glen) is a striking example of a glacial meltwater channel which runs between the villages of Timsgearraidh in the west and Miabhaig in the east.
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Uig Flora and Fauna
Near the Sgealasgro road end look out for Golden Eagles hunting over the nearby hills-they can sometimes be seen to the north of the road, but are often just a speck in the distance. If you walk a short distance out towards the hills to the south of the road there is a chance you may see red deer. Occasionally they are seen close to the road.
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Uig Chessmen
The Lewis Chessmen were found in 1831 on Uig Bay, Ardroil. There are few stories associated with the finding of the chess pieces in the early months of 1831 in the sand dunes above the shores of Uig Bay.
The twelfth century Lewis Chess Pieces have been described as ‘the outstanding ancient chessmen of the world.’ They form that largest and finest group of early European chess pieces to have survived.
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Gearrannan Black Houses
Facing the Atlantic lies the blackhouse village of Gearrannan, an evocative port of call for anyone trying to understand a way of life once very common on Lewis. This is a unique place in a beautiful environment.
Modern settlement here dates back to the 1600s. For over three hundred years people eked out a living here; lived, died, paid their rents, or were quickly evicted if they didn’t. The 1886 Crofting Act gave crofters a security of tenure they had never had before, and patterns of living and farming changed as a result.
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Callanish Standing Stones
The Calanais Standing Stones are an extraordinary cross-shaped setting of stones erected 5,000 years ago. They predate England’s famous Stonehenge monument, and were an important place for ritual activity for at least 2,000 years.