Benbecula Airport

Boarding the Flight from Benbecula to Barra

The Island of Benbecula lies between North Uist and South Uist and its airport serves both, as well as Benbecula itself. The airport is located on a spit of machair, grassy dune land, at the north west corner of Benbecula, adjacent to the main village of Balivanich (Baile Mhanaich).

Terminal Building G-UIST at Benbecula Airport Fire Trucks Control Tower

Aircraft have operated from Benbecula from the late 1930s, and in 1939 an air ambulance was based here. In June 1942 an RAF base was established at Balivanich and for the rest of the war a variety of maritime patrol aircraft operated from here, guarding Atlantic convoys and hunting U-boats.

At the end of the war, RAF Benbecula became Benbecula Airport, helping link Benbecula and the Uists with the rest of Scotland. At the end of the 1950s the military returned to expand the airport and build an Army base nearby. This serves as the headquarters for the missile ranges off the west coast of South Uist.

Travellers using Benbecula Airport today find an attractive terminal, complete with a cafeteria that is worth bearing in mind even for those not planning to travel by air. The terminal is an indication that the airport continues to develop, though the most recent additions are less obvious but equally important barriers to protect the airport from Atlantic storms.

Passenger Lounge

Check In Desks

Runway

Benbecula Airport is operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), which in total operates 10 airports throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. These form an arc including Campbeltown, Islay and Tiree, Barra and Stornoway in the Western Isles, Wick and Inverness on the mainland, Kirkwall in Orkney and Sumburgh in Shetland.

A number of services operate to and from Benbecula. These include links by British Airways to Glasgow; by Highland Airways to Stornoway; and by Loganair to Barra. The Stornoway Service is operated by a Jetstream 31 aircraft, appropriately registered G-UIST.

The Loganair link to Barra is the most famous of Benbecula's services. The flight to Barra's world famous beach airport by Twin Otter aircraft is a unique experience and one of the very best ways to see Benbecula and South Uist.

Arrival at Benbecula