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Hebridean Way – July 2024

By CoachKev | Published 2 September 2024 | No Comments

In the years BC (Before Children), Claire and I discussed a plan to cycle the length of the Western Isles. We joked that perhaps not wearing ponchos would be a good idea. And we’d have to have decent bikes. And we’d need a week. And then children came long.

20 years later the opportunity arose again, this summer, when by a stroke of good fortune, all three children were going to be away for the same week in the summer holidays. It was on! It didn’t take long to discover that this was now a recognised cycle / walking route and required a bit of planning, with various ferries and accommodation having to fall into place. We had decided, having seen a family cycle up the hill from Tarbert on Harris in the pouring rain and with tents a couple of years earlier, camping was not an option for us this time. So, B&Bs and hotels with appropriate distances between them, and timings of ferries, was going to key.

Due to logistics, car transport was not an option, having to leave a car in Oban. So trains, ferries and buses were all researched. It became pretty clear early on, that the sooner you start planning, the better.

Day 1 Oban – Barra – 4km

A pretty easy day! You do often forget how remote the islands are until you have a 4 hour ferry journey to Castlebay. It was on the ferry that we had a dawning realisation that we were on our way with tools and inner tubes that would hopefully see us to the finish. A 4 km cycle on Barra took us to our first night’s accommodation. The start of the Hebridean Way is on Vatersay, an island linked to Barra by causeway and we decided to do that short but hilly section the following morning before breakfast and just enjoy the long evening on the beach.

Day 2 Vatersay – Benbecula – 78km

A cracker. 7am start and headed south to Vatersay in the morning sun. A building southerly breeze was soon our backs as we headed for breakfast and then setting off for the Barra – Eriskay Ferry. Most of the cyclists we had met on the Barra ferry were on this ferry too, making for a sociable crossing.

Having all day did mean that we could be relaxed and choose our café stops accordingly. Being the Sabbath, not many places opened until after 1pm. We were soon onto South Uist and looking for a coffee, the strongest of which was found in the only café open in Lochboisdale, a portacabin in the harbour. Great single roads and a southerly breeze meant steady time was made. We passed stunning landscapes and hamlets and crossed onto Benbecula to stay in the only accommodation we could find – post the Eilean Dorcha Festival.

Day 3 – Benbecula – Tarbert – 100km

A stinker. The forecast rain arrived and was unrelenting. Cold, windy and wet, with no stops until the Berneray ferry. We had planned for the 2.30 ferry crossing, but with the weather so poor, we decided to try and make the 12.00 ferry, in case the later one was cancelled. That meant a steady push and we missed our planned coffee stop and lunch at Berneray harbour. The ferry journey was spent drying

out under the handryer. We thought the worst was over when we arrived at Leverburgh, but after soup and a sandwich at Talla Na Mara, our last 10 miles over the pass from Harris to Tarbert was as wet as it could have been.

Day 4 – Tarbert – Borve – 103km

A steep climb out of Tarbert in clean dry clothes warmed us up. A steady ascent over the Clisham road meant for a sweeping descent on the road down towards Lewis. Although linked, Harris and Lewis are quite distinctive and the road on Lewis became dualled, with a bit more traffic. A steady headwind west to Callanish meant for slow going, and our planned lunch stop at Callanish was cancelled due to the only café for miles, at the most famous standing stones on the island, on the busiest day of the year, was closed for refurbishment. Another 15km up the road and the only other option for us was a very welcome community café at Carloway. And then up to Borve. We had considered heading on up to the Butt of Lewis that evening, but decided to leave that as planned for the following day.

Day 5 – Borve – Butt of Lewis – Ullapool – 64km

The calmest day of the trip – thankfully. The road north to the Butt of Lewis and the famous lighthouse marks the end of the Hebridean Way and we were blessed with no wind, meaning our return leg to Stornoway passed without too much difficulty – other than the midges were ravenous. We arrived at the Lighthouse at 10am and celebrated with a picture and turned tail, keen not to miss the 2.30 ferry to Ullapool. The road to Stornoway passed through some of the most desolate island scenery, peat bogs for miles. We arrived in Stornoway at 1.30, just enough time for a coffee and sandwich before boarding the ferry for the mainland. We arrived at the Ceilidh Place in broad sunshine and little breeze, and celebrated with a gin on the beach.

Day 6. Ullapool – Garve – 60km

One of the challenges of the Hebridean Way is getting to the start and then back home again. Public transport with bikes is a challenge and multiple confirmations with Scotrail still didn’t leave us convinced that we would get on the train to Edinburgh. A 30km steady climb out of Ullapool and then a 30km descent into Garve in beautiful sunshine with a tail wind made for good progress and we had some time to wait for our train, wondering if we would have to continue on to Inverness.

Thankfully, we boarded, and our journey to Inverness and then home, albeit on different trains from Inverness to Edinburgh passed uneventfully and we arrived home around 10.30pm.

Notes:

• We travelled at an average of 20km/h throughout the entire journey. Steady enough for plenty of coffee stops and lunch when you could find it.
• The route is well signposted – there is only one main road!
• The recommended route is South – North – with the prevailing wind. We did see some folk cycling North – South. It looked grim.
• When it rains – it really does rain.