The Hebridean Way Questions for experienced cyclists!

[Kianoo]

Good Afternoon all you awesome people, I was recommended to come and ask my question here!
I wanted to ask a couple of questions about The Hebridean way. I am considering adding it to my cycling tour list! A couple of things I wanted to ask are:

1. How long does it usually take to complete?
2. Which islands are harder than the others and why?
3. I want to know about things like weather constraints on certain islands
4. which islands and areas have the most hills and steep inclines.
5. I also want to know how long the ferries tend to take during travel.
6. Are there any other things I should look out for and bear in mind?

Any advice or help would be hugely appreciated! Thank you so much in advance!

 

[IaninSheffield]

Although I can't speak from experience of this route, it's one I've considered doing at some time. If you search for 'cycle hebridean way' on YouTube you'll find a dozen or so videos from cylists who've done it in different ways. They should help you answer some of your questions, since those answers depend to some extent on your capabilities and your approach to touring.

 

[OldShep]

1 You can take as long as the time you’ve available. 156 mls do it in one day five or week it’s up to you especially depending on how much wandering off route you do. There is a lot to see outwith the basic route.
2 There’s a couple of hills on Harris and Lewis. Nothing really big, I got up them laden with camping gear.
3 None of the islands could be described as hard. The hardest thing you’ll meet is wind which in the main was in my favour.
4 Ferry journey times between islands is negligible and, I believe, part and parcel of the adventure. The longest time is getting to Barra from Oban. CalMac restaurant is good though
5 I always carried at least 2 days food with me. In practice I think I did find a shop everyday.
Sunday is still Sunday, from my childhood, over there. Even the mighty Stornoway Tesco closes on Sunday.

 

[PaulSB]

I haven't ridden the Hebridean Way as such but I have ridden Barra >Stornoway with lots of little diversions here and there. It's a great ride. This was 15 years ago.

1. Depends on how much touristy ambling about you do. Ferry times will have some impact. I think the HW is +/-200 miles so could be ridden in three days, four would be easy.
2. With two exceptions its an easy enough ride. On Barra you'd be advised to use the western route to avoid a nasty little climb on the eastern road. The climb off Harris to Lewis is a pig.
3. People usually ride south >north in the hope of a tail wind. Not sure what you mean by "constraints" these are islands in the Atlantic!
4. Harris >Lewis and then Lewis itself is a bit lumpy. Nothing to worry about.
5. Check the timetables
6. Don't fixate on how long it will take. Accommodation can be difficult to find so take what you can get.

 

[oldwheels]

Calmac publish timetables which will tell you how long the ferries take.
While generally it is advised to travel South to North due to prevailing wind that cannot be taken for granted and I remember sailing south meeting cyclists grinding northwards.
Clisham from Harris to Lewis is a beast of a hill but there is nothing else of any significance.
The southern islands are fairly liberal re the sabbath but Lewis is predominantly shut tho' nowadays that is changing.
It is as well to remember that many shops and even B&B places will be closed on Sundays tho' ferries still run nowadays.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

While generally it is advised to travel South to North due to prevailing wind that cannot be taken for granted and I remember sailing south meeting cyclists grinding northwards.

The southern islands are fairly liberal re the sabbath but Lewis is predominantly shut tho' nowadays that is changing.
It is as well to remember that many shops and even B&B places will be closed on Sundays tho' ferries still run nowadays.

Northerly winds must be more frequent than you would think. I remember sheltering at anchor from a howling northerly gale in Castle Bay on Barra. We watched the ferry arrive from Oban full of excited cyclists heading north only to have the smiles blown off their faces as they struggled to even make it down the ferry ramp.

The route passes through three very distinct religious divisions. The 'Wee Free' around Stornaway are the most conservative and although they no longer routinely lock the swings up in the children's play park or stone cyclists, they still greet the Sunday ferry with a protest. However you do need to be sensitive to their views and any 'difference' in their attitude to tourists on a Sunday is down to many still believing that what you're doing is wrong. There's also other 'inexplicable' aspects with a similar rationale: The Catholic inhabitants on Barra don't have any problems with public transport on Sunday, but there's no buses from the airport or elsewhere as the bus company is run from Stornaway.

 

[PaulSB]

When I was there I spent a day riding around Vatersay and Barra exploring places. I rode round Barra west to east which is how I know of the climb on the eastern road - I went down it! From what I recall the western side of the island is by far the more interesting.

The sandwich shop in Castlebay next to the port makes salmon sandwiches to die for. Worth it alone for the trip!!!!

 

[Blue Hills]

The route passes through three very distinct religious divisions. The 'Wee Free' around Stornaway are the most conservative and although they no longer routinely lock the swings up in the children's play park or stone cyclists, they still greet the Sunday ferry with a protest. However you do need to be sensitive to their views

I well remember seeing the locked sunday swings when there in the mid 90s - and also someone telling me that it wasn't true - that I must have imagined it - maybe they were from a different bit of the isles and had never been there on a sunday.


>>However you do need to be sensitive to their views

Why? Self preservation?

 

[rualexander]

Be aware that Berneray to Leverburgh ferry can be subject to sailing time alterations due to tidal conditions.

 

[Twilkes]

Ha, I was about to post about the swings too, this was in 2011.

 

[oldwheels]

I had forgotten about the hill at Castlebay going northwards as I also went round Barra in a clockwise direction and always came down that hill I have a photo taken at the top which I will post when I find it. There is also a steep hill over to Vatersay.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

>>However you do need to be sensitive to their views
Why? Self preservation?

Sensitive as in being aware of the issues and where some of the locals on Harris and Lewis might be coming from. How you chose to react in response is up to you.

 

[T4tomo]

"Thou shalt not swing on a Sunday"

I imagine swinging is frowned upon by the church on any day

 

[oldwheels]

Castlebay taken from near the top of the hill. Not my best picture.

 

[rualexander]

Castlebay taken from near the top of the hill. Not my best picture. View attachment 633614

That's nowhere near the top of the hill on the road out of Castlebay.
That's been taken in Castlebay itself.