Click the map's Google logo to go to Google Maps - for Directions, Street View etc.
Wikipedia Undiscovered Scotland Internet Guide to Scotland Explore Scotland Benbecula Airport: Wikipedia Undiscovered Scotland Highland & Islands Airports The main settlement and administrative centre is at Balivanich (Baile a' Mhanaich) close to the island's airport. Benbecula & WhiskyNo further information than shown under Drinking
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Benbecula is a small island between the two Uists, but it is the administrative centre of the three islands. It is linked by Causeway to the Uists at North Ford and South Ford, which reflects that access to the island was formerly by ford at low tide. A bridge to South Uist was built in 1942 to help with access to the RAF Station (now Benbecula Airport). This was replaced by the causeway in 1982. North Ford was replaced in 1960 by a two part causeway linking Benbecula to the Northern tip of the small island of Grimsay, and thence on to North Uist.
The name Benbecula is a corruption of the Gaelic Beinn na Faoghla, meaning Mountain of the Fords - but Benbecula has no mountain - see Etymology on Wikipedia page. Arriving & DepartingOpen Cycle Map Bing Map Sustrans Map (search Balivanich, Western Isles).
(Some Maps may give place names in only Gaelic or only English, so spellings may vary - alternate spelling shown in brackets in some cases). Benbecula has no direct ferry link, so you must travel: South on the A865 to get to Lochboisdale (timetable Winter Summer) - sailings 4 times a week in summer, 3 times a week in winter, taking nearly 7 hours (5 for the weekly summer direct sailing) from Oban, were the ferry terminal is adjacent to the railway station - Oban (OBN) Live Train Times. Further South on the A865/B888 and causewayto Eriskay for the ferry to Barra (timetable Winter Summer). 5 sailings each way each day in Summer, 4 (2 on Sundays) in Winter. North on the A865/A867 to Lochmaddy (timetable Winter Summer) - sailings at least daily in Winter; twice daily most days in summer. Crossing to Uig (Skye) takes 1¾ hours - a few sailings are via Tarbert (Harris) and take 2 hours longer. Further North on the A865/B893 and causeway to Berneray for the Sound of Harris ferry to Leverburgh (Harris) (timetable Winter Summer) - twice daily sailings in Winter (stepping up to 3 from February, except Sundays); 4 times daily in Summer (reducing to 3 in September, only 2 or 3 sailings on Sundays). The crossing takes an hour. Fly from Glasgow, Stornoway or Barra with Flybe to Benbecula airport SleepingNo personal experience of staying on Benbecula - I passed briefly through the island in 2001 and 2002
Explore Scotland: Hotels & GHs B&Bs Self Catering Not on above lists: Ceann na Pairc GH Nunton 01870 602017 EatingDark Island Hotel Liniclaite 01870 603030
Isle of Benbecula House Hotel Creagorry 01870 602024Stepping Stone Restaurant Balivanich 01870 603377 CyclingShoppingCo-Op Creagorry
Spar Blaivanich MaGillivrays Clothing Craft and Gift Centre Balivanich Banking - HBOS in Balivanich with ATM. Raining?? |
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Photos on this page were taken by me. Click on photo to enlarge. Full size versions and my other pictures of Barra are available at: