North Uist is an island and also community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. North Uist is the tenth-largest Scottish island as well as the thirteenth-largest island bordering Great Britain. It has an area of 117 square miles (303 km2), slightly smaller than South Uist. North Uist is connected by causeways to Benbecula via Grimsay, to Berneray, and to Baleshare. With the exception of the south east, the island is really level, and covered with a jumble of peat bogs, reduced hills and also lochans, with more than half the land being covered by water. Some of the lochs include a blend of fresh as well as tidal salt water, generating some complex and unusual habitats. Loch Sgadabhagh, concerning which it has actually been said "there is most likely nothing else loch in Britain which comes close to Loch Scadavay in abnormality and also complexity of overview", is the biggest loch by location on North Uist although Loch Obisary has regarding two times the quantity of water. The northern part of the island belongs to the South Lewis, Harris and North Uist National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland. The main negotiation on the island is Lochmaddy, a fishing port and also home to a gallery, an arts centre as well as an electronic camera obscura. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from the village to Uig on Skye, as well as from the island of Berneray (which is linked to North Uist by road embankment), to Leverburgh in Harris. Lochmaddy also has Taigh Chearsabhagh-- a gallery and arts centre with a coffee shop, small shop as well as post office service. Nearby is the Uist Outdoor Centre. The island's primary towns are Sollas, Hosta, Tigharry, Hougharry, Paible, Grimsay and Cladach Kirkibost. Other negotiations consist of Clachan, Carinish, Knockquien, Port nan Long, Greinetobht and also Scolpaig, house to the nineteenth century Scolpaig Tower folly. Loch Portain is a tiny community on the east coastline-- some 9 miles (14 km) from Lochmaddy, with sub locations of Cheesebay and also Hoebeg. According to the 2011 census North Uist had a population of 1,254.