Uig Sands

Sand everywhere

Uig Sands is a huge stretch of sand on the south-western coast of Isle of Lewis.

It’s not the typical beach - a long stripe of sand along the sea - but looks much like a bay that has been drained, leaving behind a vast sand flat with patches of shallow milky blue water. The name Uig actually comes from Norse word for bay. The bay is surrounded by green hills and rugged mountains, which create a wonderful backdrop. On a sunny day, this place looks quite stunning. If not for the wind and the chilly Scottish temperature, you’d think you are in a more exotic location.

Lewis Chessmen

The remote beach in the Outer Hebrides is the place where the famous Lewis Chessmen were found - regarded as one of the top archaeological finds in Britain. They were found in 1831 in one of the sand dunes at Uig Sands. At the time of its discovery, the chess set contained 93 artefacts, including 78 game pieces, with 5 missing (one knight and four warders). The pieces are made of walrus tusk ivory and thought to have been originate from 12th century Norway. Today, the pieces are shared between Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland (11 pieces) and London’s British Museum (82 pieces). There has been a lot of debate that more of the pieces should be in Scotland where they were found.

One of the missing pieces - a warder - has recently been discovered in Edinburgh. The medieval piece was bought in 1964 for a mere £5 (equivalent to around £100 today) and was kept in a drawer of an Edinburgh home, without knowledge of its significance until just a few years ago. In 2019, it sold at auction for a whooping £735,000. The whereabouts of the other four missing pieces remains a mystery.

On the road to Ardroil Beach, there is a large wooden statues, modelled after one of the kings, supposedly marking the spot where the discovery was made.

Naturally, upon our return to Edinburgh, after having been to Uig Sands and learning about the Lewis Chessmen, we had to go and see them at the National Museum of Scotland:

Uig Sands Restaurant

Just off the beach, there is a really nice restaurant, claimed to be one of the very best on Isle of Lewis - and one that pairs your meal with an amazing view across the bay. Advance booking is required.

Salmon

Salmon is very popular all around the islands and Hebridean Salmon is known to be one of the finest in Scotland. There is a smokehouse and shop at Uig Lodge, a striking white castle-like building, and also an accommodation.