LOCATION
North Tolsta is a small village on the north-east coast of the island of Lewis, only a 20 minutes' drive from Stornoway, the capital of the Outer Hebrides.
Directions for 'Slios-na- Beinne': from Stornoway follow A857 and then turn right and follow B895 to North Tolsta (Tolstadh bho Thuath).
[Grid Reference: O.S. Landranger Series No 8 - 535464]
ACTIVITIES
North Tolsta provides many opportunities for walking, bird watching, fishing and photography or simply spending a relaxing time on one of the nearby beaches.
The village is very popular with visitors as it has three beautiful sandy beaches nearby:
Garry Beach, probably the best known, is overlooked by the ruins of two prominent ancient forts, ie. Dun Othail and Caisteal a 'Mhorair. These date back beyond the conflicts between the Macleods of Lewis and the Stewart kings of Scotland. Inland there is a river and a freshwater loch decorated with waterlilies and often visited by swans.
The Traigh Mhor, the middle beach, is over one mile long and is often frequented by surfers and water-skiers. In summer the dunes behind this beach are the habitat of many species of wild flowers and plants.
Giordail Beach is south of the other two and is sheltered from the east by the high cliffs of Tolsta Head, frequented in summer by myriads of nesting sea birds. At each end it has low-lying reefs whose rock pools are inhabited by crabs, mussels and whelks, together with a variety of seaweeds. There are several caves on this beach which children find very exciting to explore.
Behind the township, to the west, lies a vast area of moorland, the habitat of many rare birds and plants. It is dotted by many freshwater lochs which provide anglers with a plentiful supply of brown trout. In summer visitors can combine fishing expeditions with walking to Muirneag, the most prominent hill on the North Lewis moor.
Another interesting walk is from the 'Bridge to Nowhere' at Garry Beach along the high cliffs to the waterfall at Abhainn na Cloiche which takes appr 30 minutes. For the adventurous there is the possibility of continuing along the coast by following the green painted posts to Skigersta in Ness which takes appr 3 1/2 hours and which requires a little bit of stamina but is certainly worthwhile because some of the views are quite breathtaking.
Walking along the Traigh Mhor and then making your way up the grassy slopes at the end of the beach and following the coastline round Tolsta Head is a walk that is also very interesting. Other things to do further afield include Stornoway town centre, Lews Castle & Grounds, Arnol Blackhouse, Dun Carloway Broch, and Callanish Standing Stones. Information on all these and more can be found at the local Tourist Information office in Stornoway or at www.visithebrides.com.
HOW TO TRAVEL TO THE ISLAND
By Car Ferry:
Caledonian MacBrayne run an extensive network of ferries throughout the Western Isles and the west coast of Scotland. Their website gives much useful information. For reservations, call 08705 650000.
The three ferries which serve the Islands of Lewis and Harris
are:
Ullapool to Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
Uig, Isle of Skye, to Tarbert, Isle of Harris.
Otternish, North Uist, to Leverburgh, Isle of Harris.
By Air:
Flights run regularly between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness to Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
British Airways - www.britishairways.com - 0870 850 9 850
Highland Airways - www.highlandairways.co.uk - 0845 450 2245
By Bus:
Coaches run directly from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.
Citylink Coaches - www.citylink.co.uk - 08705 505050
Rapsons Coaches - www.rapsons.com - 01463 710555
