Introduction to North Harris

North Harris is a spectacular area of land located in the centre of a long chain of islands called the Western Isles off the North West coast of Scotland. The estate comprises of 25,900 ha. of croft land, common grazings, and open hill ground including An Cliseam, the highest peak in the Western Isles and some of the most remote and rugged terrain in Scotland. The combined estate is bounded on three sides by the sea: East and West Loch Tarbert to the south, Caolas an Scarp and Loch Resort to the west, and the long arm of Loch Seaforth to the east. The northern boundary follows a meandering line tracking the Lewis/Harris border from Bogha Glas, on the edge of Loch Seaforth, to Loch Reasort in the west.

The landscape features a unique combination of sandy beaches, mountains, rugged coastlines and numerous freshwater lochans. The area is also a fantastic place for watching wildlife and boasts a rich cultural history. Tarbert is the largest settlement in North Harris with excellent facilities for a small place including restaurants, hotels, shops, guest houses and a tourist information centre.

With around 1000 inhabitants North Harris is sparsely populated. Approximately half the population live in Tarbert, 250 on the Island of Scalpay with the remainder living in smaller crofting townships scattered along the coastline.

In the following pages we invite you to gain an insight into the culture, way of life, landscape and natural history of North Harris.