Intermediate
Volkswagen Golf or similar · 5 seats · Manual · 2–3 luggage
from£65.63incl. VAT
BookBook now: IntermediateThe whole chain
Car hire across the Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides are a chain, not a single island, and hiring across them is mostly a question of where you start and where you finish. This page is the overview; each island has its own page with the detail.
How the chain works
North to south, joined by road and by ferry
Lewis and Harris are one landmass, so you drive between them. North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are joined by road to each other. Between those groups, and onward to Barra, you travel by ferry.
That is the single fact that shapes most island trips: some of the chain is a drive and some of it is a sailing, and the sailings are the parts that need booking and buffering.
Where we operate
Five points, and one of them is on the mainland
We hold collection points at Stornoway Airport, Stornoway Ferry Terminal, Barra Airport, Tarbert and Inverness. They are not all the same kind of place: two are terminal desks, one is a partner handover, one is a delivered collection and one is our mainland base.
Each has its own page explaining exactly how the handover works there, because the differences are the part that matters on the day.
Start and finish
The one-way question is the important one
For a trip down the chain, returning to your starting point can mean repeating the whole route in reverse. Collecting at one of our locations and returning at another removes that.
One-way hire is available between our locations subject to vehicle availability and pre-arrangement. Any applicable charge is confirmed before booking. The figures vary by route and date, so we do not publish a fixed one. Never leave a vehicle at an unagreed location.
When things move
Plan for the weather having an opinion
Flights and ferries here are more weather-dependent than most people expect, and a cancelled sailing rearranges the rest of a trip rather than just one afternoon.
Tell us as soon as a confirmed arrival or departure changes and we will do our best to adjust the handover. Revised arrangements stay subject to staff, vehicle and location availability, which is a real limit, not a disclaimer.
Choosing a vehicle
Vehicles for a full island route
Family Automatic
JAECOO 7 or similar · 5 seats · Automatic · 3–4 luggage
from£84.31incl. VAT
BookBook now: Family Automatic
9-seat people carrier
Ford Tourneo or similar · 9 seats · Manual · 1–2 luggage
from£94.42incl. VAT
BookBook now: 9-seat people carrierA trip down the chain carries more and covers more than a single-island stay. Weigh boot space and comfort over distance against the narrow roads at either end. Availability is decided by the booking search.
Plan the whole chain
Search all five pickup and return locations and build the route you actually want.
Book now