Hebrides tour

[Ice2911]

Hi all
I'm looking to do a tour through the Hebrides 3rd week of September for 6 days riding. Will have tent with me up happy to use B and B and hostels if any. Below are some initial thoughts for a circularish ( is that a word,it is now) tour. Are there any places that are must sees and any places that are no goes? Thanks in advance for your help

Oban to Castlebay, only 1 per day leaves at 1330. £14.75
19.1 miles from ferry to bottom then up to next ferry
Barra to Eriskay £3.05
66.91 to ferry
Bernasay to Leverburgh £3.60
80.3 to top of Harris
60.3 top back to Tarbut
Tarbert to Uig £6.30
61.2 Uig to Armadale
Skye to Mallaig. £5.80




Either
Malaig to lochaline 71.24
Lochaline to Mull. £4.80
To next ferry 5
Mull to Oban £3.60

Total
366

Or
Malaig to Kilchan 57.2
Kilchoan to Tobermory £5.50
Tobermory to ferry 21.7
Mull to Oban £3.60

Total 370

 

[Drago]

Can be windy this time of the year. Fortunately you're past midge season, which is a serious bummer in the Western Isles.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

Book everything in advance......
I mean everything..

I did it the same time(Sept) last year, your first option..
Check out for CalMac ticket deals first...
plenty off road camping spots on lovely beaches. (passed on by others en-route)

on Vatersay, cracking sand dunes to camp(near the start)..
I did the B&B thing with Mrs M..
Any further help, PM me...

I'm sure I still have my route somewhere, if needed although well sign posted and roads excellent (apart from the last mile or two)

 

[Pale Rider]

An average of 60+ miles a day is a lot for a tour on a loaded bike in an area with some ups and downs.

 

[Ice2911]

Can be windy this time of the year. Fortunately you're past midge season, which is a serious bummer in the Western Isles.

That was one of the reasons for leaving it a little later in the year pesky things ( polite terminology rather than what I would normally call them) I was hoping, maybe showing my naivety, that the weather may not be too extreme in September.

 

[Ice2911]

Book everything in advance......
I mean everything..

I did it the same time(Sept) last year, your first option..
Check out for CalMac ticket deals first...
plenty off road camping spots on lovely beaches. (passed on by others en-route)

on Vatersay, cracking sand dunes to camp(near the start)..
I did the B&B thing with Mrs M..
Any further help, PM me...

I'm sure I still have my route somewhere, if needed although well sign posted and roads excellent (apart from the last mile or two)

I appreciate this and would be interested in your route., thanks for the offer and I’ll pm you.

 

[Ice2911]

An average of 60+ miles a day is a lot for a tour on a loaded bike in an area with some ups and downs.

I agree riding a loaded bike is very different but I’m hoping mileage will be ok, I did this average on LEJOG last year and I have more miles in my legs this time. I tend to look at it as 3 x20 mile rides. Breakfast then 20 miles. Coffee and cake another 20 miles lunch and a pint, final 29 miles and find somewhere to stay. Lots of stops to admire the view etc.

 

[Bobby Mhor]

I appreciate this and would be interested in your route., thanks for the offer and I’ll pm you.

PM sent...
Forgot to add, this was handy (bought on Harris)
HERE

 

[MontyVeda]

Have you camped up there in a tent before? I'd check the forecast before you go and if its going to be bad regarding rain and storms then forget it.
You'll not keep a tent up, it will be blown away!.
If its going to be nice then it will be beautiful.

My experience of the Outer Hebrides is that the weather changes quite drastically every twenty minutes.

 

[Drago]

My experience of the Outer Hebrides is that the weather changes quite drastically every twenty minutes.

And from one side of a hill to another. Whatever the forecast, prepare for near costant wind and a strong likelihood of moistness. Fantastic.

 

[rualexander]

You say 80 odd miles to top of Harris, but I presume you mean the top of Lewis.

I would skip Skye and instead ride back down the other side of Harris from Tarbert, then the other side of North Uist and Benbecula, and down to Lochboisdale and take the ferry from there to Mallaig.

Skye is nice for walking, but the roads are busy and cycling there is not as nice as on the Western Isles.

 

[snorri]

I tend to look at it as 3 x20 mile rides. Breakfast then 20 miles. Coffee and cake another 20 miles lunch and a pint, final 29 miles and find somewhere to stay. Lots of stops to admire the view etc.

It will not be quite as simple as that, you have to eat and drink where and when you can, rather than where and when you want.

19.1 miles from ferry to bottom then up to next ferry

I'm thinking you mean from Castlebay to the south end of Vatersay then back to the north end of Barra. I would suggest a round trip of Barra should be included.

80.3 to top of Harris

Harris? I think you meant the Butt of Lewis.

60.3 top back to Tarbut

Tarbut? That'll be Tarbert, Harris. Would you really want to do Tarbert to the Butt of Lewis and return? That's a lot of tedious miles to retrace your steps, you could include a loop over the west side of Lewis via Bragar, Carloway and Breasclete. Or, Tarbert to the Butt of Lewis and on to Stornoway for ferry to Ullapool.

PS I'm slow at typing, some of my points may have been covered by others.

 

[suzeworld]

You will be shocked how much the wind slows you down.
It is a very empty place so don’t expect many bijou cafes etc. Make a flask and carry plenty of food. When we turned up @ Carloway, some years ago, the local shop was just shutting up “for ever”. We had crackers and tinned peas for tea cos that’s what he had left! Maybe a new shop has opened since, but we had to add in a trek to Stornaway and back for supplies. I Think locals buy stuff from touring vans, but you don’t know when they are. Or maybe it’s all done by internet shopping these days.

Whatever you do. Do not miss the standing stones at Callanish. Beyond fabulous. And a good cafe when we were there..

I don’t camp and planned this trip with military precision booking every night of BnB and a cottage for a few days in Carloway. If you are used to bivvying when you are soaking wet, then go for it. Me, I prefer a shower and a bed. You will get wet, I am pretty sure of that.

We went around Easter and cycled back through Skye in snow! Youth hostels are good on Skye but it has got much busier in recent years when we’ve been there - so we have decided not to go there again, but if you ferry across to mainland off Skye it’s a beautiful route to Fort William for your train home. Or just get the train from off the ferry. Equally beautiful but easier!!

 

[Aravis]

I hope this comes off for you. September in the Outer Hebrides sounds as though it could be fantastic.

If it were my trip, I would seriously consider going in the opposite direction, something like this:

This comes to a respectable 306 miles, not including ferries. Missing out the whole of Lewis (the comment above about Callanish above is noted) allows time to take in more of Mull and Skye. And if you go this way the best bit is always still to come.

Reaching Uig at about two-thirds distance, there's the option to cross to Lochmaddy on North Uist if time is short or the wind is strong. That might not be a bad idea anyway - it would leave all of Lewis and Harris to be explored properly another time, perhaps linked with a trip to the area north of Ullapool.

 

[suzeworld]

That route would be lovely and more chance of wind blowing you back down the Uists.
Not sure quite which road is proposed over Ardnamurchan peninsula but some of that is very steep and if you are heavy you might have trouble stopping in the rain. That happened to me, scarey.