The beaches of the Isle of Lewis are more scattered than the Harris ones and take longer to reach, but they are more varied and considerably quieter. Most of the best lie in the Uig district on the west coast, roughly an hour and a quarter from Stornoway on single track road, with one notable exception on the east coast at Tolsta.
- Ardroil (Uig Sands): the largest beach in the Outer Hebrides, where the Lewis Chessmen were found.
- Reef (Traigh na Berie): a mile of white shell sand at Kneep with flowering machair and a campsite.
- Cliff (Camas na Clibhe): striking quartz sand on the Valtos peninsula, a surf break and not safe for swimming.
- Mangersta: the most dramatic on the island, below high cliffs and sea stacks.
- Bosta: on Great Bernera, with a reconstructed Iron Age house and a Time and Tide Bell.
- Traigh Mhor (Tolsta): two miles of golden sand facing the Minch, only 25 minutes north of Stornoway.
Cliff Beach
In short
The main beaches of the Isle of Lewis are Ardroil at Uig Sands, Reef, Cliff and Mangersta on the west coast in the Uig district, Bosta on Great Bernera, and Traigh Mhor at Tolsta on the east coast. Most are around an hour and a quarter from Stornoway on single track road; Traigh Mhor is only 25 minutes away on good road.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the easiest beach to reach from Stornoway?
Traigh Mhor at Tolsta, about twelve miles north on the B895, a drive of roughly 25 minutes on good road. The Uig beaches on the west coast are far further and involve long stretches of single track.
Where were the Lewis Chessmen found?
In the dunes at Uig Sands beside Ardroil beach on the west coast of Lewis, in 1831. Six of the pieces are displayed at Museum nan Eilean in Lews Castle, Stornoway.
How long does it take to drive to the Uig beaches?
Around an hour and a quarter from Stornoway, and longer in summer traffic, because much of the final stretch is single track with passing places. Allow more time than the mileage suggests.