Situated in the idyllic coastal village of Mangersta, in Uig on the Isle of Lewis, Mangersta Croft Holidays provide all the ingredients for a perfect vacation in the Hebrides! Our facilities include a stone walled enclosure for camp fires and barbecues under a star filled night sky. Designated a National Scenic Area, Uig is particularly noted for its numerous white shell sand beaches, rocky coves, crystal clear turquoise seas, dramatic cliffs and gentle machair grasslands which are carpeted with wild flowers during the summer months. A hidden escape in one of the most beautiful and remote parts of the Outer Hebrides.
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Mangersta Croft Holidays aim to give visitors a truly unique and affordable accommodation offer. The independence of self-catering facilities, available for short stay and nightly holiday lets. Family friendly, comfortable rooms which sleep up to 4 people per Wigwam® Glamping Pod and 2 people per Shepherd's Hut. The fun of a camping holiday but within the cosy warmth and shelter of a fully insulated, double glazed and heated camping pod with its own private en-suite shower and toilet. Guests can bring sleeping bags or there is the glamorous camping option to hire duvets, pillows, bed linen and towels for your stay. Both Wigwam® Glamping Pods are equipped with a double bed, a double sofa bed, a mini kitchen with sink, 2 ring hob, microwave and fridge, cooking utensils and crockery, table and chairs. The Shepherd's Huts are decorated in a delightful vernacular style and contain the same facilities as the Wigwams® (without the sofa bed). Uig Community Shop is located 5 miles away and is well stocked with fresh produce, household supplies, off-licence, fuel and launderette facilities. Uig Sands Restaurant, one of the best dining experiences in the Hebrides is a 5 min drive with wonderful views across Uig Bay.
The Wigwams® and Shepherd's Huts are located on a working croft where we keep a small herd of grass fed Aberdeen Angus cattle, Blackface sheep and grow fodder crops and vegetables. Our crofting activities are year round and vary across the year; April/May is a time to see new Spring Lambs and Calves; cropping and harvesting takes place in late summer.
Mangurstadh Gallery is also on site displaying, pastels, paintings, landscape photography and handmade paper crafts by Mangersta Croft Holidays Glampsite hosts, crofters and artists Derek Scanlan and Elsie Mitchell. Original art works are included in the hut and cabin decor and can be viewed online on the Mangurstadh Gallery website.
For that special meal why not try catching your own dinner? Fish for brown trout in the lochs, mackerel from the rocks or gather cockles from local beaches.
Mangersta makes an ideal base for a range of outdoor activities. There are fantastic coastal walks from the village. Artists, photographers, film-makers and writers will find themselves in an inspiring landscape, vividly described in the novels “The Chessmen” and "I'll keep you safe" by Peter May. Fans of his Lewis trilogy will enjoy discovering the dramatic back-drop to the books including the giant boulder valley, the vast expanse of sand around Uig Bay and the Mangersta Bothy cliffs.
Climbers may want the challenge of the Mangersta sea-cliffs which are a convenient 10 minute walk from Mangersta Croft Holidays. Named climbing routes can be found in UK climbing guides. The cliffs here were used as a stand in for St Kilda during the filming of the aerial cliff dance sequences in the acclaimed St Kilda Opera. From the village and cliff tops the islands of St Kilda and the Flannan Isles can be viewed on the horizon.
To the south east of the village the Uig Hills rise up from the sea. These are the highest on the Isle of Lewis. Mealaisbhal, summit height 574m, is close-by, a walk to the summit and back takes 5-6 hours. Bird watchers flock to the island for good reasons. The croft fields and coastal heath provide a habitat for birds like the corncrake, snipe, golden plover, lapwing and skylarks. The sea-cliffs are home to colonies of Fulmar. Gannets can be watched from the shore diving for fish. Red Throated Divers breed on moorland lochans. Golden Eagles and White Tailed Eagles are regularly sighted here.
Mangersta Beach (5 min walk) is a SSSI and a popular location for experienced surfers. The Magic Seaweed website gives a daily surf forecast for Mangersta. The beach is also a great place for less strenuous activity like building sand castles, exploring rock pools and caves or a gentle stroll along the tide-line. With sea lochs, fresh water lochs, an indented coastline and numerous small off-shore islands Uig is also a regular destination for kayakers. If you would like to see the marine wild-life of the North Atlantic, in a guided trip, including puffins, seals, basking sharks and whales, local company Seatrek are based 8 miles away at Miavaig Pier and offer day boat trips around the islands of Loch Roag and the Uig coastline.
Uig is the site of one of the most significant archaeological finds in Scotland. The Lewis Chessmen, an iconic set of Norse chess pieces, carved from walrus ivory were found at Ardroil beach in the 1800’s. Traces of Norse settlement are scattered throughout the landscape and retained in the place names. Mangersta or Mangurstadh in Gaelic, is derived from old norse and can be translated as Magnus’s Steading or Farm. Stac Domhnaill Chaim, a fortified sea-stac is situated on the coastline at the top of the croft. Iron age pottery has been found on the stac which was used as a hide-out by its name-sake in the 1600’s. For visitors with an interest in archaeology and local history Uig Museum (5 miles from Mangersta) is a treasure trove of information and an excellent place to trace your island roots or start a journey of discovery, as you walk around the area.
A stunning landscape, steeped in history, abundant wild-life, a chance to unwind and relax by the sea in luxury camping facilities, Mangersta Croft Holidays provide all the ingredients for a perfect vacation in the Hebrides!
