Things to do in  Lewis and Harris

Set on the Isle of Lewis, overlooking Loch Roag and the hills of Great Bernera, the Calanais Standing Stones comprise 13 large stones set around a monolith, with 30-something smaller stones radiating out from the center to form a Celtic cross. Built almost 5,000 years ago, this Neolithic site is even older than the pyramids of Egypt and one of Scotland’s most important prehistoric sites.

Together with the larger Isle of Lewis, the Isle of Harris forms the largest island of Scotland's Outer Hebrides, Lewis and Harris. Traditional villages and distilleries dot the small island, but it’s better known for its rugged mountain landscape, tweed manufacturing, and some of the best beaches in Scotland, such as Luskentyre—part of the sandy bay looking toward the Isle of Taransay.

Standing steady against the fearsome storms that ravage the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis is the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse. Made from red brick, which is highly unusual for Scottish lighthouses, it was designed by Scottish engineer David Stevenson in 1862. It was one of the last Scottish lighthouses to be automated in 1998.

Built without bricks or mortar—just stone placed next to stone—on an exposed Lewis hilltop nearly 2,000 years ago, Dun Carloway (Dùn Chàrlabhaigh) roundhouse has stood tall against the Isle of Lewis’s raging Atlantic storms since the Iron Age. It is one of the best-preserved brochs in Scotland.

The small Isle of Harris settlement of Luskentyre is home to a beach that has been rated not only among Scotland’s best but also as one of the best beaches in the world. With its dazzling white sand and aquamarine water, you’d be forgiven for mistaking Luskentyre Beach for a tropical island rather than the Outer Hebrides.