Outer Hebredies/ Lewis & Harris

[gotthearse]

Hiya just booked for 28th June for a week and super excited. Q's are ..
What's the most usual weather pattern?
Are there any lifeguarded surf beaches, and is the sea temp ok in wetsuits (we are a tad wimpy)?
We fancy kayaking in that glorious turquoise sea, any recommendations?
Anything else recommended?
Any best walks or roads?

We'll have a DS16 and DD18 with us x

weather can change in 10 minutes in Lewis it could be 20C and glorious sunshin it could be 8c and rwith wind and rain, there will be midges away from beaches. As far as I know the surf beaches do not have life guards haven't been for a few years but used to live there and there were no life guards
hiring kayaks is definitely a possibility

the golden road down the east coast of harris is fantastic as is the bridge over the atlantic on way to Bernera, the beaches at Uig Tolsta and Luskentyre are fantastic,
there are walks to suit most but if you just go over moorland it can be very boggy and walking through 3ft heather is tiring

Weather is very unpredictable so you could have a mix of sun, cloud, rain and wind over a few days holiday. However, the temperature rarely gets above mid-teens and the water temperature is typical for the west coast, probably just making double digits by the end of June, so wet suits are essential.

Those turquoise seas and long sandy beaches you see in the photos are dreamy on good days, but the reality can be very different because of the weather. Last time I was there (in summer) we couldn't see more than a few hundred yards as it was torrential rain all day. The motto 'If in doubt, don't go out' definitely applies here but also be aware that it can change very quickly.

One minute it's pouring with rain, the next it's radiant sunshine...we were there for a week, I saw more rainbows in one week than in my entire lifetime ( this was late May).
Have fun, it's beautiful. Also, I'd recommend reading Coffin Road by Peter May beforehand; we found the exact house that was described in the book.

Weather is unpredictable, anything from 14-30 and any combination or sun/cloud/rain/wind! Wetsuits definitely

Yes, it looks nice but I do wonder if the writers of the 'look at this who needs to go to the Med or Caribbean' headlines are being disingenuous or are oblivious to the very pertinent fact that the sea is freezing cold as well as the weather only being like that a minority of the time.

To add, the Outer Hebrides are a fabulous place for an outdoorsy holiday, but with the right clothing and you'll be lucky to have the portrayed blue skies.

Thanks everyone, we will have layers, waterproofs, boots and optimism :)

Luskentyre beach for beautiful blue sea and amazing scenery

Also Bosta beach