North Uist is an island as well as community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. North Uist is the tenth-largest Scottish island and also the thirteenth-largest island bordering Great Britain. It has a location of 117 square miles (303 km2), somewhat smaller than South Uist. North Uist is connected by causeways to Benbecula via Grimsay, to Berneray, and also to Baleshare. With the exception of the south eastern, the island is very flat, and covered with a jumble of peat bogs, low hills as well as lochans, with majority the land being covered by water. Some of the lochs contain a blend of fresh and also tidal seawater, giving rise to some complex as well as uncommon habitats. Loch Sgadabhagh, regarding which it has been claimed "there is probably no other loch in Britain which comes close to Loch Scadavay in irregularity as well as intricacy of outline", is the largest loch by area on North Uist although Loch Obisary has concerning twice the volume of water. The northern part of the island is part of the South Lewis, Harris as well as North Uist National Scenic Area, among 40 in Scotland. The main settlement on the island is Lochmaddy, an angling port and house to a gallery, an arts centre as well as a video camera obscura. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries cruise from the town to Uig on Skye, in addition to from the island of Berneray (which is attached to North Uist by road causeway), to Leverburgh in Harris. Lochmaddy additionally has Taigh Chearsabhagh-- a museum and arts centre with a cafe, small shop and post office service. Nearby is the Uist Outdoor Centre. The island's major villages are Sollas, Hosta, Tigharry, Hougharry, Paible, Grimsay and Cladach Kirkibost. Various other settlements consist of Clachan, Carinish, Knockquien, Port nan Long, Greinetobht and Scolpaig, house to the 19th century Scolpaig Tower folly. Loch Portain is a tiny community on the east shore-- some 9 miles (14 km) from Lochmaddy, with sub areas of Cheesebay and also Hoebeg. According to the 2011 census North Uist had a population of 1,254.