Hamanavay House, Uig & Hamanavay Estate

Hamanavay House is a spacious modern retreat for up to eight guests, set in a stunning position with commanding views of Loch Tamnabhaigh. Built in 1991 in a traditional style and newly refurbished to a high standard in 2021, the house has a large drawing room with seven floor-to-ceiling windows that let you watch the ever-changing view while you relax. The House faces west over Hamanavay sea-loch, a two mile long natural harbour.

The house is reached via an eight-mile track, transporting you to a completely peaceful, highly secluded, wild paradise. Loch Tamnabhaigh is remote sea loch in a vast wilderness. This is the ideal place to escape the stresses and strains of everyday life.

During your stay, a trip along the coast of Lewis looking at sea-eagles, seals, dolphins and hopping from one secluded white sand beach to another is an incredible day.

The south-west coast of lewis offers some of the most dramatic hill and sea-scape views in the Hebrides. While not high by mainland standards the hills rise sharply and directly from the sea. The ground is unyielding and flecked with exposed granite and interlinking pockets of water. The hill changes colour from vivid lush green in May to purple in August and to oranges and browns by late September. And the ever-changing weather plays tricks with the light regularly casting spotlights on raised peaks at the same time as plunging the foreground into semi-darkness.

Walking on the hill is the best way to experience the views and take in the wildlife.

The Outer Hebrides are famous for their Machair, the carpet of wild flowers occuring naturally where shell sand is blown over a layer of peat creating a fertile alkaline habitat. The Machair on the Estate is designated an SSSI owing to its national importance. The dunes of Uig are covered in this naturally occuring fauna (peaking in July). Lady’s bedstraw, plantains, harebell, clover, silverweed, thyme, selfheal, meadowsweet, lesser meadow-rue, lousewort, devil’s-bit scabious, field gentian and a wide variety of orchids are all found. The Machair is also home to migrating birds such as Corn Crakes and Ringed Plover. The hill itself shows an array of wild flows including wild bog orchids and the carniverous Sundew and Butterwort.

A scattering of red deer hinds live all over the Estate and large, transient populations of stags are also seen depending on the time of year and weather. The island’s deer are smaller and lighter than their mainland cousins but represent one of the last pure lines of red deer in the British Isles. Sitings are commonplace and a group of hinds and calves are often found directly outside the drawing room window at dawn and dusk. Seals, basking sharks, minke whales, dolphins and porpoises all inhabit the seas around Hamanavay and are sited regularly on sea-trips. The sea is full of an amazing diversity of fish and crustation.

In some years sea otters are seen in the bay in front of the house.

Extensive wild brown trout fishing is available in season.

Hamanavay House is reached via an eight-mile Land Rover track, which transports visitors to a completely peaceful, highly secluded, wild paradise. A four-wheel-drive vehicle with good clearance is needed to drive the 40 minute track to the house. If guests are unable to bring a 4×4, we’ll be happy to help you hire one.

The 40-minute journey along the track is a wildlife safari in itself, with regular sightings of golden eagles and red deer framed against the dramatic views north towards Uig Sands and the panorama of the North Harris Hills to the south. The start of the track is about 50 minutes from Stornoway airport and ferry.

Rates 2025:
Low season – £2,270 per self catered week (May/June)
High season – £5,950 per self catered week (July – Oct)

Rental high season includes salmon/sea trout fishing with two estate Ghillies. Fishing from Loch boat and from river bank.
Stalking charged at £540.00 inc VAT per stag.