Uig

Uig (Gaelic: Ùige) is a small town in the north of Skye. It is mostly used as a stopover for the ferries to and from the Hebrides. It is a long thin village clinging to the side of an amphitheatre of low hills around Uig bay. Rarely a destination in itself to travellers, most visitors just pass through it on their way across the sea to North Uist or Harris.

Uig ferry terminal from across the bay

The Trotternish Peninsula is the largest and most frequently visited. The A855 road (and 57A / 57C bus routes) circumnavigate this beautiful part of Skye, with plentiful options for walking and climbing, as well as numerous attractive small settlements for overnight stops or holidays bases

Get in

By bus

Buses 57C (clockwise around the Flodigarry Peninsula) & 57A (anti-clockwise) connect Uig with Portree. A daily long distance Citylink coach connects Uig with Glasgow via Kyle of Lochalsh and Fort William. It is timed to connect with the ferry.

By boat

Calmac run to and from Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist about once daily.

Get around

Uig's shape makes it a long walk from one end to the other. From the Youth Hostel at the southern end of the village to the ferry terminal at the other end is about 1.5 miles. On a nice day it's a pleasant 20-30 minute walk.

See

There isn't much to see in Uig itself but there a few nice walks up to waterfalls from the middle of the village near the Ferry Inn. Any walking involving a climb will be rewarded with a view across the bay. Uig bay is very pretty at sea level and it gets even prettier from a height.

• 🌍 Skye Museum of Island Life, Kilmuir (about 6 miles north of Uig), ☎ [phone]. Easter - late September: Mon - Sat 9.30am - 5pm. Preserved township of thatched cottages, opened as a museum in 1965 £2.50. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Duntulm Castle.  
• 🌍 Kilt Rock and Waterfall. 
• 🌍 Old Man of Storr. The rocky outcrop is one of the famous sights. Expect a 2-3 hour walk, from the carpark to the Old man and back down.  
• 🌍 Quiraing. A picturesque landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach. (updated May 2018)

Do

Looking down the A855 into Uig - a steep descent

• 🌍 Fairy Glen (From the main road into Uig take the side road signed Balnaknock, near the Uig Hotel. The Fairy Glen is situated near the end of that road, on the right hand side.). The Fairy Glen is a little valley of grassy hillocks, with gnarled old trees, quick-running streams and a castle-shaped rock known as Castle Ewen. At the bottom of the Castle Ewen, near the road, is a little lake from which point you can make your way up through the hilly landscape. You can climb up to the top of the Castle Ewen for lovely views of the Conon glen and its waterfalls, though the path is treacherous on a windy day. It's good for a picnic on a sunny day. 

Buy

There is one mini-supermarket with a post office at the end of Uig bay in the middle of the village. Prices on Scottish islands are generally slightly higher than elsewhere so expect the same in this case. There are a few other small shops and souvenir shops by the pier although these seem to be seasonal in their business. Off-licence sales are available from the bar of the Ferry Inn and from the garage by the pier.

• 🌍 Uig Pottery, ☎ [phone]. The Uig Pottery has its workshop right next to the sea with views out over Uig Bay, and has an adjoining shop. 

Eat

• 🌍 Flodigarry Country House Hotel, ☎ [phone]. Was apparently once very good, but now past it: food is unimaginative, overcooked, and poor value at £36/head for three courses and coffee. 

Drink

The Pub by the Pier is right by the ferry terminal. Not a great atmosphere and doesn't do food off-season. Ferry Inn has a bar and restaurant which is open all year. Similarly for Uig hotel at the top of the hill, a mile or so round the bay from the ferry terminal. In the summer, there are cafes open near the ferry terminal and the Isle of Skye Brewery sells its own local beer.

• 🌍 Isle of Skye Brewing Company, The Pier, Uig, ☎ [phone]. Brewery tours and a shop open from Easter to mid-October. The breweries most popular bottled beers Black Cuillin (a dark porter), Red Cuillin (an amber) and Hebridean Gold (a golden ale) are available in most pubs throughout the island. 

Sleep

• 🌍 Uig campsite, ☎ [phone]. 100 yards from the ferry terminal on a slight incline but with views over the sea. Be prepared for midges in the summer! 
• 🌍 Uig Hotel, ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Ferry Inn, ☎ [phone]. 

There are also a number of private B&Bs.

• 🌍 Cowshed Hostel, IV51 9YD (On the road from Portree, near the entance to the village.). Backpackers and private pods. (updated May 2018)

On the peninsula

• 🌍 Dun Flodigarry Hostel, Flodigarry, IV51 9HZ (5 km north of Staffin), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Offers 6/8 bed dorms, camping, and twin or double bed ensuites. 19£. (updated Apr 2015)
• 🌍 Staffin Bay Cottages, ☎ [phone]. Two adjacent self-catering cottages. 

Go next

From Uig take the road north to the top of the Trotternish peninsula, passing the village of Kilmuir, where the Museum of Island Life is situated, up to Duntulm. From there you can walk to the very northern point of the pensinsula, called Rhuba Hunish, which gives you wonderful views over the surrounding sea. It is a popular spot for birdwatching and there is a small bothy which can provide shelter. From Duntulm continue along the road past Flodigarry, which has a lovely and friendly hotel, to Staffin. In Staffin it is worth checking out the lovely beach with its grey-coloured, volcanic sand. Dinosaur footprints were found here a few years ago.

▼ Skye

  Armadale (Skye)

  Broadford

  Carbost

  Colbost

  Dunvegan

  Elgol

  Glenbrittle

  Kyleakin

  Portree

  Sligachan

  Stein (Skye)

  Uig

Routes through Uig

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