Western Isles Geocaching

Lewis and Harris have been historically known as two separate island but are in fact one and only a sign along the Tarbert to Stornoway road gives you a clue as to which island you are on – there isn’t even a border marked on the Ordnance Survey map!

There are two ways of reaching Lewis and Harris. The cheaper, longer and more scenic route is to come up through Skye and take the ferry from Uig Bay to Tarbert. If you are planning to do the caches in Harris then this is the best way to come but be prepared to spend a few days at least in South Harris because the caches there can take some finding! Mind you they are not a lot better in North Harris with one on the top of a mountain! The other way – longer and more expensive – is to take the ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway which this gets you right into the heart of the ‘big town’ and you can start caching while the ferry is still offloading!

Lewis and Harris is a bigger place than you might imagine and you won’t find all the caches quickly but if you are short on time then there are concentrations of caches in certain areas to boost your tally. An hour’s walk around Stornoway will net you half a dozen and if you drive round within a mile and a half radius there are 20 caches to look out for. Just a twenty minute drive away to the area known as Point will currently get you 9 caches but there are plans afoot to increase the total to 25 or more almost all of which can be done in  a day. More details of these will be added as the site grows.

Of course, the real reason to come to Lewis and Harris is that it is simply a fantastic place with friendly people, tons of history and some of the finest beaches you’ll find outside the Caribbean. The caches are an added bonus!