Wildlife of North & South Uist - The Outer Hebrides

Tour Code: GBR21

An 8-day birdwatching tour of the beautiful islands of North and South Uist.

8 days from
£2,395 (Inc ferry)

Land only price from
£2,395

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Highlights

The Outer Hebrides in spring offers a superb and varied wildlife experience. We meet in Inverness and drive through the stunning Scottish Highlands to the Isle of Skye, and onwards to the port of Uig, before boarding a ferry to Lochmaddy on North Uist (a journey of around 2 hours). From our base on North Uist, we will explore the three islands of Benbecula, North & South Uist, which are linked by road causeways, to visit the moorland, lochs and machair. The latter is a unique coastal habitat of short grass sward on sandy soil, a product of croft farming, which has created habitat for a spectacular array of flowers and breeding waders. At this time of year the waders should be pairing up and the air will be filled with their display flights and calls; the islands are also home to the rare and elusive Corncrake. The moorland offers wonderful opportunities for seeing both Golden and White-tailed Eagles, Short-eared Owl and Hen Harrier, and the lochs will be home to breeding Red-throated and Black-throated Divers in their summer finery. We have good chances of seeing Otter, Red Deer, and Common and Grey Seals. With spring migration in full swing there is always the possibility of observing all four skua species (Great, Arctic, Pomarine and Long-tailed) as they pass Aird an Runair, North Uist, whilst rarities such as Red-necked Phalarope or Snowy Owl are also possible!

Drives & easy-paced wildlife walks on North & South Uist, plus Benbecula
Look for Otter, seals & Red Deer
Golden Eagles, Hen Harrier, Merlin & Short-eared Owl
Corncrakes & many breeding waders
Boat trip from Grimsay to view fishing White-tailed Eagles
A 7-night single-centre stay in a delightful local hotel on North Uist
Expert naturalist guide

North Uist, South Uist and Benbecula comprise the wild and beautiful southern islands of the Outer Hebrides and on this holiday we'll explore their fabulous mountain,'machair' and lakeland habitats. We will be based for the week on North Uist. The lochs of South Uist support breeding waterfowl, including wild Greylag Geese, plus such waders as Snipe, Redshank, Golden Plover and occasional Greenshank. Corncrakes call persistently day and night from the hay meadows, and by the sea-lochs and inlets we'll look for Otters, and both Grey and Common Seals. The Uists in May are also great for seabirds, and are one of the best places to observe the passage of our four Skua species: Pomarine, Long-tailed, Arctic and Great. Breeding raptors are another highlight, amongst them Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin, and both White-tailed and Golden Eagles, and we might also see all three of our Divers: Black-throated, Red-throated and Great Northern. Standing stones, cairns, and a vibrant Gaelic culture provide a rich cultural ingredient to this special destination, while the sighting of a rare Snowy Owl or Red-necked Phalarope may add final icing to the cake!

DETAILED INFORMATION

Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1

Inverness to Skye. Ferry to North Uist

Day 2/7

Benbecula, North and South Uist

Day 8

Ferry to Skye and transfer to Inverness

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What's Included

What's Included?

Ferries
Accommodation:
We stay in a comfortable hotel on North Uist with en-suite rooms.
Food:
Breakfast and dinner included. Lunches at own expense.

Reviews

This was a wonderful week away with like-minded people. We were totally immersed in the beauty and extensive wildlife these islands have to offer. We enjoyed many sightings thanks to our expert guide and keen spotters on the trip. We covered a great deal of ground but at a comfortable pace. Our patience was frequently rewarded and we were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I have travelled with Naturetrek a few times, always small group trips with an expert guide. As a solo traveller I feel very comfortable on these holidays, each day being full and rewarding, sometimes with early starts. We quickly become a 'family' exploring in the van, time spotting and taking meals together. Each time our guide has been extremely knowledgeable, great at spotting and very accommodating of any additional needs/desires.
E.N., Somerset, May 25
Comfortable hotel. Staff friendly and food very good. Enjoyed the boat trip with close views of birds.
E.C, Banffshire, May25
The quantity and variety of wildlife on the Uists was excellent, it truly delivered. It was totally absorbing. We were a friendly group who got on well and our guide was excellent. Close up encounters with White Tailed Eagle, seeing Short Eared Owls most days and also managing to see a corncrake. The sheer volume of wildlife on these islands is incredible. The pace was gentle with plenty of opportunity to spot and linger and absorb the scenery. Jim was an excellent leader. He had extensive knowledge of wildlife and plants; he accommodated the group's needs and found pit stops when we needed them. He was a lovely person to spend the week with - full of information, good humour and great spotting and identification expertise. He also managed the single track roads and occasional reversing with ease.
E.N, Midlothian, May25

This was my 15th Naturetrek tour and the best for birding! Excellent, repeated sightings of target species, sometimes several times daily, clear & close. I have travelled with Stewart before to Orkney, which remains my favourite Naturetrek tour, so was pleased to see he was leading the tour to North & South Uist. The description by the leader of identifiable features was brilliant and his spotting skills from a moving bus was outstanding. I had never seen a Red-necked Phalarope and will long remember this elegant bird. Also it was my first time seeing Short-eared Owls & Corncrakes.
M.R. Devon, May 24

I wanted to see(for the first time ever) the Black-throated Diver and Red-necked Phalarope; Stewart managed to locate both birds for me, and the rest of our group.
N.C. Somerset, May 24

The Uists, situated in the Outer Hebrides, offer an abundance of wildlife watching opportunities. Our visit in May with Naturetrek provided opportunities to see many raptors including White Tailed Sea-eagles, Golden eagles, Short-eared owls, Hen Harriers. Other bird species included less confiding birds such as corncrake and dotterel; we had views of red-necked phalarope and 3 species of Diver. Often, we were torn as to which way to look – otter in one direction, porpoises in another and, look, there’s a great Northern Diver! The amazing expertise, patience and organisation of our guide was crucial to ‘being in the right place at the right time’. Much of the wildlife viewing was in beautiful unspoilt scenery. Our accommodation and the superb dining (fresh crab, hand -dived scallops amongst the specialities of the house) complemented the wild-life watching. We have travelled with Naturetrek many times before and have found the company so helpful and reliable. A phone call to the office invariably links one to someone who is keen to help and will do their best to do so. The expertise of their wildlife guides is incredible – not just the knowledge of wildlife and where to find it and how to recognise/ distinguish similar species, but also their abilities to share their love of the places visited incorporating cultural sites as well as places of especial scenic beauty, and great lunch spots. Do their guides ever sleep? – must do as they always seem refreshed, patient, enthusiastic, personable and great behind the vehicle wheel! Our guide in the Uists was no exception - brilliant!
S.J. Derbyshire, May 23

We saw eagles white tailed and golden, ruffs with their amazing neck feathers, otters, seals and a dozen corncrakes as well as goosander, larks, merganser, northern diver, wheatear, snipe, a total of 80+ birds. We walked the beautiful landscapes and travelled all over North and south Uist. We stayed at an excellent hotel called Langass and ate excellent meals.
E.P. Lancashire

We had a great birding/wildlife trip to North and South Uists. It was everything we were hoping for and more. Great weather and a great leader.
W.B. Aberdeenshire

The guide was amazing, his enthusiasm, energy and consideration to everyone's needs was 100%. Without him I would not have seen half of the most important things. He was so patient and determined that we would see as much as possible. All in all a holiday I will never forget.
J.S. Hampshire

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Dates & Prices

2026

Departures Availability Cost

Thu 14th May – Thu 21st May FULL £2,495

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£2,495

Single Room Supplement:

Single Room Supplement.

£595

Tour Leader:

Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary

Glyn Evans

Tour Leader: Glyn Evans

Glyn has been a bird watcher since he found a Waxwing on his way to school, aged eight. Ever since then, he says, his “lifelong underachieving in study and work has been mainly attributed to this distraction! Many a previous work colleague had a conversation abruptly aborted due to something much more interesting catching my eye out of the window…”

Eventually the penny dropped, and now he finds wildlife for a living! He lives in a lovely part of Essex where a good variety of local habitats deliver a wide range of birds and other wildlife. He regularly enjoys showcasing this on social media which, in turn, has helped several environmental causes he is now working on as an influential local councillor.

Nature watching isn’t always action-packed, so it is important, he says, to enjoy people’s company in the quiet and challenging times as much as when the wildlife is performing! People’s holidays should be fun, regardless of whatever luck they have.

Tue 7th Jul – Tue 14th Jul FULL £2,395

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£2,395

Single Room Supplement:

Single Room Supplement.

£395

Tour Leader:

Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary

Stewart Woolley

Tour Leader: Stewart Woolley

To follow

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire

Tour Reports

Tour report - May 2018

Tour report - May 2017

Tour report - May 2016

Tour report - May 2015

Tour report - May 2014

Tour report - May 2013

Tour report - May 2012

Tour report - May 2011

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Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

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