Travel Guides
To get to the Western Isles, you can drive or take the train. If driving from Glasgow, take the A82 northwest to Fort William, then continue on the A830 to Mallaig. From Mallaig, take the ferry to the Western Isles. If coming from Inverness, take the A9 north to Thurso, then take the ferry to the Western Isles. Alternatively, you can take the train from Glasgow to Mallaig, then take the ferry to the Western Isles. From Inverness, take the train north to Thurso and take the ferry to the Western Isles.
If you're coming from Edinburgh, you can take the train to Glasgow and follow the directions above. If you're coming from the north of Scotland, you can take the A9 down to Inverness and follow the directions above. Alternatively, you can take the train from Inverness to the Western Isles.
The closest airport to Western Isles is Stornoway Airport, located on the island of Lewis. The airport is about 3 miles east of Stornoway town, which is the largest town in the Western Isles.
If you're driving from the airport to Stornoway, take the A866 road west towards the town. It should take less than 10 minutes to get there.
There are also buses and taxis available at the airport to take you to Stornoway or other areas of the Western Isles.
Other airports that are located on the mainland, but still relatively close to the Western Isles include Inverness Airport (which is about a 2.5-hour drive plus a ferry ride away) and Glasgow Airport (which is about a 4-hour drive plus a ferry ride away).