Skye, Mull, Lewis, Harris

[Flyingsouthwiththeswallows]

Planning to go Island Hopping next August but looking for advice concerning Tourist numbers.

My travel companion has to take holidays during Public school holidays so we always end up having to travel in August, if going for longer than a week.

This year we have visited Arran but it is heaving. Overheard in a restaurant last night that all the Scottish Islands are experiencing a massive influx of tourists and it is causing problems in relation to accomodation, Ferry bookings, road congestion and restaurants etc.

Am wondering if anyone has visited the islands this summer? Was it a good experience? Or should we be making other plans for next August?

Been to all of the islands you've mentioned in the school summer holidays over the past couple of years. Skye was heaving, Harris and Lewis not too bad and Mull probably the least busy. Enjoy!

Skye will be heaving but in my opinion it is the most beautiful. So book accommodation early if you decide to go.

We found that the Fringe festival in Edinburgh has a massive ripple effect on the availability of accommodation miles and miles away.
We went up to the islands one year without pre booking any accommodation and found this to be the case. We went into tourist information in Portree and they had nothing on their books (although not all bed and breakfasts are listed with the Scottish tourist board).
I suggest that you get a "Hopscotch" ticket from Caledonian Macbrayne.
I would also consider visiting Iona if you are going to Mull. You have to cross the latter to get there anyway.

If you go during the second half of August then Scottish school children will have gone back to school.

If you are planning on taking a car on the ferry to Lewis or Harris then book early as the ferry can be very busy.

Not this summer, but went to Lewis and Harris a couple of years ago in August and they weren't busy at all. Skye was busy when we went quite a few years ago. I'd still go to Lewis and Harris, but book early.

Thank you all for your thoughts.

Having had a bit of a nightmare leaving Arran yesterday with appalling weather, ferries cancelled and no spare accomadation to see us through till the ferry service resumed, we will be thinking through our 2020 island hopping plans very carefully.

Your input is really valuable !!

We went to Skye this year in August and it was busy and the accommodation was expensive. We found that getting to places early was the key. We visited the Fairy Pools at 9.30am and it was busy but not heaving.

Some of the smaller roads are frustrating as some people don't understand passing places and the influx of huge motor homes don't help!

It was lovely though (despite the weather) !

Have family there - Skye has been no more heaving than normal for the end of summer really.

Just got back from a trip to Skye and for what it's worth I live in the Lake District so I'm used to large numbers of tourists.

Honestly I found it overwhelming. You couldn't park anywhere, there were hordes of tourists everywhere. This was after the Scottish kids had gone back to school and it was very very crowded. I didn't enjoy it at all, and I live in a tourist destination!

Yes all the islands are busy at the height of the tourist season, ferries and accommodation should be booked as early as possible and and plans can be affected by poor weather.

BUT it is so easy to get off the beaten track and find a secluded beach to yourself, there are the best whale watching opportunities in the whole of Europe, excellent restaurants, cafes and produce markers, live music most evenings, and more often than not warm, sunny weather in August.

We'll worth taking the chance but have realistic expectations and be aware of driving times on the islands and single track road etiquette.

We went to Skye and it was really busy. Rather than island hopping, we went for a road trip up the west coast from Skye - Applecross, Gairloch, Scourie - and it was fabulous. The other places were busy too but not as annoyingly so.

Mull is my favourite place on earth. We go ever July and whilst it's busy, I've never found it overwhelming (except one year when the Balamory craze was in full swing!)

Are you absolutely set on Scotland, or would you consider Northern Ireland? It's so much less crowded than Scotland is getting, too. (And I adore Scotland with a passion, especially Iona, but it's getting awful popular these days...)

The landscape is very similar to Scotland in many areas (it ought to be, geologically and geographically!) and as a tourist you will be made very welcome pretty much everywhere. There's tons to do if you like the outdoors and if you've never been to Belfast before you might get a very pleasant surprise as to all the family friendly things they now have. The food is also pretty good and portions generally very generous. The further up the coast you go, I found, the warmer the welcome gets. If you like islands, Rathlin is lovely. And the Fermanagh area, around the geopark and Lough Erne, has to be one of the best-kept tourist secrets out there...

I did outer Hebrides island hop this year but we camped. Book your ferry on & your last ferry off. Then plan accommodation & go from there.

You should be fine

Never been to Mull. Skye is lovely but full of tourists. Been to Harris and Lewis ( September not August) and could be the only person on the beach. Very different and much less touristy imo. However as part of that there are fewer facilities. You can go from Harris to the Uists which are beautiful and seemed very quiet. Can’t imagine its ever “heaving”
If you book in advance for both accommodation and ferry you Would be fine I think. There are some amazing properties

www.google.co.uk/travel/hotels/Harris/entity/CgsIy6fgtIjMmtaJARAB/photos?g2lb=2502404%2C4208993%2C4253230%2C4253565%2C4254308%2C4258168%2C4260007%2C4274032%2C4276661%2C4280051%2C4282357%2C4291191%2C4295061%2C4296056%2C4296667%2C4299259%2C4301054%2C4265427%2C4270859%2C4272931&hl=en&gl=uk&un=1&q=cottages%20in%20Harris&rp=OAJAAEgC&ictx=1&ved=2ahUKEwi31YGdsrDkAhUVrHEKHebzDYEQvS4wAnoECAsQKA&hrf=CgUIrAIQACIDR0JQKhYKBwjjDxAJGAMSBwjjDxAJGAQYASgAWAGSAQIgAQ&tcfs=EhoaGAoKMjAxOS0wOS0wMxIKMjAxOS0wOS0wNFIA

Have a think about Barra OP. It's stunning!