Island 12 - Benbecula, Outer Hebrides

Benbecula (Beinn na Faoghla in Gaelic, meaning little mountain of the fords) is mainly flat with lots of lochs and lochans.  The highest point is Rueval at 124 metres.  In 2011 the population of Benbecula was 1,303.

 

I have visited Benbecula four times (1977, 2006, 2016 and 2018).  In June 2016 I stayed in a B&B at Liniclate and in June 2018 I stayed in the excellent Nunton House Hostel.

 

There is an airport at Balivanich, which is located in the north west corner of the island.  It is  the main settlement on the island and the location of most of the shops and services (bank, petrol station etc).  MacLennan's Supermarket at Balivanich is excellent - in the style of Waitrose.  MacLean's Bakery is located halfway between Balivanich and Gramsdale.  I can highly recommend their oat biscuits.

 

Liniclate (Lionacleit) at the south west end of the island is the only other settlement on the island of any size.  The secondary school, leisure complex and Co-op Supermarket are located here.

Benbecula is linked by causeways to North and South Uist.   The causeway to North Uist was opened in 1960 and the one to South Uist was opened in 1983 when it replaced a bridge built during the Second World War. 

Bonnie Prince Charlie hid in a cave in the south east of the island for 2 days in 1746 after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden.  He borrowed clothes from Lady Clanranald at Nunton and set off from Rossinish with Flora Macdonald disguised as her maid Betty Burke to go 'over the sea to Skye', a journey that was immortalised in the Skye Boat Song:

"Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye."

I don't recommend a wet Sunday afternoon on Benbecula - there is nothing to do!  In June 2016 I had spent the morning getting wet visiting the islands on the Benbecula-North Uist Causeway and was very damp.  There was no sign of the rain easing, so I thought I would spend some time in MacLennan's Supermarket but I got there just as it shut at 4pm. There was nothing else open, so in the end I went to sleep in the car for an hour or so until it was time to go and find my B&B for the night.

 

Benbecula isn't the world's most photogenic island and doesn't have that many places of interest.

Sadly we didn't see any otters crossing the days we were there.

 

St Mary's Chapel, Nunton

 Welcome to Benbecula

 War memorial in the centre of the island

St Mary's Chapel, Nunton

 Culla Beach - on the west coast

 Nunton Steadings
 Tearoom and Craft Shop in 2016 but closed down by 2018

Nunton Steadings

 

Plaque commemorating the men who took part in the Nunton Farm Land Raid in 1923 

Nunton House Hostel
 

Culla Beach - looking north

Ruins of Caistel Bhuigh/Borve Castle near Liniclate

This was one of the 3 places on the Outer Hebrides that I heard a corncrake rasping away in June 2016.  It was built in the 14th century and was a Clanranald stronghold.