Welcome toEriskay
The essence of the Outer Hebrides: the home of Whisky Galore, indigenous ponies, and the landing place of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
More about Eriskay
Ideal for:
History & heritage
Nature & wildlife
The original Whisky Galore! island
For such a small island, Eriskay has had more than its fair share of action. It was the first place Bonnie Prince Charlie set foot on British soil in 1745, and in 1941 the SS Politician ran aground and spilt its cargo of whisky onto Eriskay's shores. You can see one of the original whisky bottles in the Politician Bar - and Eriskay is the original Whisky Galore! island made famous by the film.
Of course, it's not all about history - Eriskay also has beautiful landscapes, sandy beaches and stretches of machair grassland. Look out for the Eriskay ponies, a protected rare breed with a distinctive grey coat. Eriskay is small enough to explore on foot, and it's connected to South Uist by causeway, if you did decide to explore further.
For more information on Eriskay visit the Visit Outer Hebrides website.
How to get here
You can get to Eriskay on the ferry from Barra, or via the causeway from South Uist. The journey takes 40 minutes. Vehicle reservations are recommended.
Have you thought about alternate routes to get to your chosen destination?
With 5 routes to and from the Outer Hebrides and great connectivity throughout the island chain the travel options available have never been greater.
Whether you are looking to explore on an Hopscotch® holiday or find a different route home we offer a variety of daily sailings to ensure that you can reach your ideal destination.
Here are the 5 route options to the Outer Hebrides
Castlebay (Barra) from Oban
Lochboisdale (Uists) from Oban and from Mallaig (available during 27 October - 2 April)
Lochmaddy (Uists) from Uig (Skye)
Tarbert (Harris) from Uig (Skye)
Stornoway (Lewis) from Ullapool
Useful information for your journey
For those travelling onward without a vehicle find out more about the bus services offered throughout the Outer Hebrides.
Download the free
'Ultimate Outer Hebrides' App
your ideal journey companion.
Keep up to date with all our CalMac services and Service status & info.