Eilean Glas Lighthouse

Eilean Glas is a very picturesque lighthouse located on a tiny peninsula on the eastern tip of Isle of Scalpay - a small island connected to Harris through a single-track bridge. You should catch a glimpse of it from the distance as you ride the ferry from Uig to Tarbert.

Built by Thomas Smith and operational since 1789, Eilean Glas is the oldest lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides, and one of the first four to be built in Scotland. The picture-perfect red and white striped tower we see today replaced the original in 1824. The lighthouse has been fully automated since 1978 and the old lens and machinery is on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

You can’t drive all the way to the lighthouse, so you’ll need to park your car in the village of Kennavay - a 20 min drive from Tarbert. That is where the trail starts and the walk to the lighthouse takes around 30 min. The path is well maintained and relatively flat, so it’s a fairly relaxing walk. Parking next to the trail is quite limited and can only fit a few cars, so you might need to head a little further down the road (but note that what looks like parking at the end of the road is a turning place for local buses).

The place feels very remote, quiet, and has this edge-of-the-world feeling to it. The views are beautiful - you can see the mountains of Harris and all the way to Skye and the rest of the mainland - and the lighthouse adds a splash of colour and quirkiness to this scenery. The building also operates as a small museum, and apparently serves tea and coffee during open hours. We visited in the evening, so the place was already closed by the time we arrived - but the light and colours at sunset made up for it!