Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, off the west coast of Scotland, and a place where you can leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life far behind. Its name is Gaelic for ‘Mountain of the Ford’, a fitting name for an isle with one solitary hill, named Rueval. It has a long military history with an airfield built during WWII, and an army base that is now the island’s biggest employer. Benbecula is a place where legend and folklore are woven into an incredible landscape of white sands, lochs and lochans, and the pretty machair that is typical of these islands. Benbecula boasts bird life in abundance with buzzards and hen harriers, short-eared owls and golden eagles. The principle settlement is Balivanich, which means ‘Town of the Monks’ and dates back to the sixth century when a monastery occupied the site. In fact, there’s a temple to the east of Balivanich, believed to have been established by the monk St Toranan, who first set foot on the isle all those years ago. Other historic sites include the ruins of fourteenth century Borve Castle which stands in the tiny village of Torlum on the west side of the isle. On this sightseeing adventure, our exploring takes in both South Uist and North Uist, as well as Barra, possibly the only place on planet Earth where scheduled flights land on the beach.