Lochboisdale ( gd, Loch Baghasdail) is the main village and port on the island of

South Uist South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the ...

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

, Scotland. Lochboisdale is within the parish of South Uist, and is situated on the shore of Loch Baghasdail at the southern end of the A865.

History

The town profited from the

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...

boom in the 19th century, and a steamer

pier image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...

was built in 1880. In 1905, a mission church was built, and by 1953, steamers were connecting Lochboisdale with

Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...

, Castlebay,

Mallaig Mallaig (; gd, Malaig derived from Old Norse , meaning sand dune bay) is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line (Fort William ...

and

Lochmaddy Lochmaddy ( gd, Loch nam Madadh, "Loch of the Hounds") is the administrative centre of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. ''Na Madaidhean'' (the wolves/hounds) are rocks in the bay after which the loch, and subsequently the village, are ...

Economy

Lochboisdale is the ferry terminal for the island of South Uist, with regular vehicle ferry services to

and, in the winter,

. The pier area has undergone a transformation; the old shop and surrounding buildings were either renovated or removed to provide new housing and commercial units for rent. Lochboisdale Hotel, built in the late 19th century as a fishing hotel, is adjacent to the ferry terminal. The whole village is within walking distance of the pier, and has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

with a coffee shop and

internet café An Internet café, also known as a cybercafé, is a café (or a convenience store or a fully dedicated Internet access business) that provides the use of computers with high bandwidth Internet access on the payment of a fee. Usage is generally ...

. A bank (

RBS RBS may refer to: Organisations Banking * The Royal Bank of Scotland, a retail banking subsidiary of NatWest Group ** RBS International, the offshore banking arm of NatWest Group Education * Regent's Business School * Rotterdam Business School ...

) branch is also present in the village and has a 24h ATM, although the branch itself is only open once a week. By the pier is an all-purpose store called Fàilte (meaning welcome in the local Gaelic language). Lochboisdale Development Limited have recently opened a new harbour on the small island of Gasaigh. This is about from the village, and is reached by two causeways. The harbour provides many facilities. Mooring licences are available for day visiting, monthly and seasonal berths, with inclusive use of the quayside facilities, WiFi, showers and laundry.

Ferry service

Trivia

London-based restaurant chain Boisdale is named after Lochboisdale, having been founded in 1987 by Ranald Macdonald, the eldest son of the 24th

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

of Clanranald.

References

External links

Comann Seolaidh Lochbaghasdail (sailing club)

Lochboisdale Hotel

Lochboisdale Coffee Shop/Cafe
Villages on South Uist {{WesternIsles-geo-stub