Stornoway

By plane:

1 Stornoway Airport (SYY IATA) (2 miles east of town on A866), ☏ +44 1851 702256. Stornoway has flights from across Scotland by Loganair, in twin-prop aircraft. These are not cheap, around £250 return and more at the weekend, but it's a full-service airline so a checked bag is included in the fare. (And think what petrol alone will cost if you drive then take the ferry.) There are four flights M-Th and two F-Su from Glasgow GLA taking an hour, one or two from Edinburgh, 1-3 from Inverness, and M-F one or two from Benbecula. Check-in an hour before flight is soon enough at Stornoway; allow the standard two hours at busy Edinburgh or Glasgow. The airport has toilets, a lounge and cafe. There's car hire but you need to book ahead. Bus W5 runs between town and airport five times M-Sa, taking 15 min. Another five buses M-F pass nearby on the highway out to Point. All the local taxi firms serve the airport, see "Get around". (updated Sep 2023)

By boat:

Calmac ferries sail to Stornoway from Ullapool on the mainland, taking 2 hr 30 min. There are two sailings year-round M-Sa, and on Sunday two Apr-Oct and just one Nov-Mar. The ferries often sell out in summer, so even foot passengers should book in advance. Be at the pier at least 45 min before sailing.

There's also a ferry from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris, from where you can drive up to Lewis.

You can also sail to Lochmaddy on North Uist, or to South Uist or Barra, then work your way north by road and ferry, as part of a tour of the Outer Hebrides.

By bus:

See Lewis for buses around the island, which all converge on Stornoway. They're sparse M-Sa with nothing on Sunday. The bus station is next to the ferry terminal.