Photo: Tim Niblett, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to get to South Uist by train
The train takes you to the ferry port, and the ferry carries foot passengers, so you can walk on with a rucksack and no car.
Train and CalMac ferry
Train to Mallaig, 3hr 30min ferry to Lochboisdale
The ferry terminal is a short walk from the platform. Mallaig station
Train and CalMac ferry
Train to Oban, 5hr 45min ferry to Lochboisdale
The ferry terminal is a short walk from the platform. Oban station
Walking distances are estimates from the straight-line distance and the type of ground, not a measured route. Check a map before you set off.
Train times to the ferry from Glasgow, Edinburgh and more
The quickest train from each city to the ferry port. Then add the crossing: 3hr 30min from Mallaig, 5hr 45min from Oban.
Hills you can walk to from the ferry
4 listed hills lie within 3 miles of the Lochboisdale terminal as the crow flies, so you can start walking straight off the ferry.
- Beinn Ruigh Choinnich276m · 0.8 mi (about 1 mi on foot)
- Triuirebheinn357m · 1.7 mi (about 2 to 2.5 mi on foot)
- Easabhal242m · 2.5 mi (about 3.5 mi on foot)
- Leathabhal182m · 2.9 mi (about 4 mi on foot)
Hills on South Uist
South Uist has 13 listed hills, including 9 Marilyns. Beinn Mhor is the highest at 620m.
Marilyns on South Uist
- Beinn Mhor620m
- Heacla607m
- Beinn Choradail526m
- Stulabhal374m
- Triuirebheinn357m
- Beinn Ruigh Choinnich276m
- Airneabhal255m
- Easabhal242m
- Roineabhal201m
Protected places on South Uist
Protected places that lie mostly on South Uist, each with its own page.
Special Areas of Conservation
Wild Land Areas
Can you visit South Uist without a car?
Yes. The ferries carry foot passengers, so you can arrive with a rucksack and no car. 4 listed hills start within 3 miles of the terminal. We don't list island buses, so for anywhere further from the ferry, check local transport before you travel.
More Scottish islands by train and ferry
- Isle of SkyeTrain to Mallaig, 30min ferry to Armadale
- Isle of MullTrain to Oban, 50min to 1hr ferry to Craignure
- Isle of ArranTrain to Ardrossan Harbour, 55min ferry to Brodick
- Isle of ButeTrain to Wemyss Bay, 35min ferry to Rothesay
- BarraTrain to Oban, 5hr 35min ferry to Castlebay
- The Small IslesTrain to Mallaig, ferry to Eigg, Muck, Rùm and Canna
- Coll and TireeTrain to Oban, ferry to Coll and Tiree
- OrkneyTrain to Aberdeen, 6hr ferry to Kirkwall
- ShetlandTrain to Aberdeen, 12hr 30min ferry to Lerwick
Also by train and ferry: English, Welsh and Manx islands.