About Stornoway
The Blue House is located in Stornoway, the main settlement on Lewis, and the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well as having the main port, and an airport. Visit the harbour to see the fishermen at work and catch a glimpse of what could become a delicious dinner that night, and have a good look for the friendly seals. Relax and have a coffee, and explore the shops for a look at traditional Harris Tweed.
Find out more at https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/our-islands/isle-of-lewis/stornoway
GIFTS
There are numerous gift shops around Stornoway selling Harris tweed and local souvenirs but my favourite gift shop is Salka, located to the left of the Blue House and about 100m away. It sells beautiful local sea glass jewellery and other local gifts - it's well worth a visit!
TARBERT
As the main ferry terminal for Harris, Tarbert is also a great place to catch one of the many boat tours out to see the puffins and razorbills. Browse the shops for more Harris Tweed or an original framed island painting.
ISLE OF HARRIS DISTILLERY
Pop into the Isle of Harris Distillery, as it's also known as the 'social distillery' to celebrate the generous character of the island and the people who live there. The working distillery is open six days a week and produces both the famous Harris Gin and whisky.
Find out more at https://www.harrisdistillery.com/
BEACHES
Explore the pristine beaches of Lewis and Harris, with their white sands and azure blue waters. Luskentyre Sands was named one of the UK's best beaches in the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards.
There are beautiful beaches all over the island, including in Tolsta, Coll and Uig, so take your pick and the Braighe beach in Point is our most frequented which is about 4 miles from the Blue house.
Find out more at https://www.isle-of-lewis.com/what-to-do/beaches/
HEBRIDEAN CELTIC FESTIVAL
We couldn’t not mention the world-famous Hebridean Celtic Festival, held in July each year.
During festival week, the town is buzzing, with thousands of visitors flocking to the island to listen to great music and soak up the unique atmosphere.
There is so much going on during festival week that it really is a fantastic time to visit. Accommodation accordingly becomes very difficult to get at this time of year, so if you’ve not joined us during festival week, we highly recommend that you come back again to enjoy this unique event and atmosphere. Book early to avoid disappointment.
Find out more at https://www.hebceltfest.com/
COLL POTTERY
Coll Pottery Craft Centre is a working craft centre, located in the former Coll Pottery buildings at Coll, Back, just 6 miles outside of Stornoway and easily accessible by bus.
Galleries feature a range of art, crafts and gifts, in a wide variety of prices. All are guaranteed to be made in the Western Isles, with the vast majority being made on site. During your visit, you can watch resident artists/craftspeople at work, from a vantage point that overlooks the main pottery floor.
The tearoom serves simple refreshments, with vegetarian and vegan options always available.
Tel: 01851820475.
Find out more at https://www.collpottery.co.uk/
BOAT TRIPS
One of the best ways to discover the islands of the Outer Hebrides is by enjoying one of the many scheduled or charter boat trips offered around the Western Isles.
Boat trips in the Outer Hebrides provide different perspectives on our islands, allowing visitors to understand a little more about the isolation of the island chain as well as learning about the amazing environment we enjoy here on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Visitors wishing to enjoy sea tours around our shores can choose from a wide range of different options, ensuring that there are Outer Hebrides boat trips on offer to suit everyone.
Choose from scheduled sailings to distant and uninhabited outlying islands, including boat trips to St Kilda and sailings to the Shiant, Flannan and Monach Isles.
Alternatively, why not take a sea tour offering dolphin and whale watching in the Outer Hebrides? Or a boat trip for bird watching around the shores of these Western Isles that are so popular with ornithologists?
Sea anglers may enjoy fishing boat trips, with charter fishing available off many of our islands.
Check out Stornoway Seafari or Hebridean Adventures for further details and options.
THE HEALING TREE
Having never actually been to The Healing Tree, we cannot personally recommend it, however, so many friends have raved about it that we thought we should include it here!
Run by Catherine Ann, a local Therapist, The Healing Tree is located on the west side of Lewis, and offers relaxing and therapeutic treatments and pamper days in remote and unique surroundings, if you are looking for a special treat.
If you’re looking to be pampered and have saved up some cash before your visit, it may be worth considering booking an appointment here.
Contact 07557 277478 for information.