Cycling the Outer Hebrides - from Barra to Stornoway

[2seas]

In a couple of weeks a friend and I will be cycling from Barra to Stornoway. The current plan is a follows:

- Day 0; Ferry from Oban to Barra and stay the night in Barra
- Day 1; Barra to North Uist (via ferry) and stay the night
- Day 2; North Uist to Harris (via ferry) and find somewhere to stay around Tarbert and book some activities for the following day. Should be there around lunchtime so maybe squeeze in an activity
- Day 3; Kayaking around Tarbert / Wildlife watching boat trip / Hiking
- Day 4; Tarbert to Stornoway
- Day 5; Day trip to Port of Ness and back to Stornoway
- Day 6; Ferry back from Stornoway to Ullapool and back home

If anyone has experience of the islands and/or cycling there it would be great if you could share your suggestions on the plan above and anything else worth seeing and doing. Are there any must do's? Or any particularly good roads?

[Gizmoish]

Unless I'm mistaken, your route doesn't take you past Callanish / Calanais. Well worth the trip. Drop in on the black houses at Gearrannan too.

[2seas]

Gizmoish said:

Unless I'm mistaken, your route doesn't take you past Callanish / Calanais. Well worth the trip. Drop in on the black houses at Gearrannan too.

You're not mistaken - I didn't call that out specifically but it is in the general plan. We're also planning some sea kayaking around Harris and visiting the Luskentyre beach.

[Evo141n]

Day 0: Dinner in Café Kisimul in Castle Bay
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g67...

Day 2: Accommodation: Am Bothan Bunkhouse, phone up 'cause they also have a local contact for sea kayaking
http://www.ambothan.com/

Day 4: Watch out! as you come down the north face of the Clisham Mountain, I know a few folk come a cropper on this and spent the next week or so in Stornoway Hospital.

Dinner in Stornoway: Digby Chick http://www.digbychick.co.uk/
or the County Hotel does a great curry night on a Thursday IIRC http://www.countyhotelstornoway.co.uk/

If you can get round the Gearrannan, the Standing Stones and the Broch all very good to view.

Keep an eye on Calmac as the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry is due to be replace this year and the current boat Isle of Lewis is prone to breaking down.

Oh good roads if you cut across the old Pentland 'peat road' from Carloway to Marybank just out side Stornoway, good surface and a nice quite single track road, just watch for out for the odd boy racer in his Scooby, mind you you'll hear them coming a mile away.

Hope that helps a little

[2seas]

Evo141n said:

Day 0: Dinner in Café Kisimul in Castle Bay
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g67...

Day 2: Accommodation: Am Bothan Bunkhouse, phone up 'cause they also have a local contact for sea kayaking
http://www.ambothan.com/

Day 4: Watch out! as you come down the north face of the Clisham Mountain, I know a few folk come a cropper on this and spent the next week or so in Stornoway Hospital.

Dinner in Stornoway: Digby Chick http://www.digbychick.co.uk/
or the County Hotel does a great curry night on a Thursday IIRC http://www.countyhotelstornoway.co.uk/

If you can get round the Gearrannan, the Standing Stones and the Broch all very good to view.

Keep an eye on Calmac as the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry is due to be replace this year and the current boat Isle of Lewis is prone to breaking down.

Oh good roads if you cut across the old Pentland 'peat road' from Carloway to Marybank just out side Stornoway, good surface and a nice quite single track road, just watch for out for the odd boy racer in his Scooby, mind you you'll hear them coming a mile away.

Hope that helps a little

That helps a great deal - thank you very much for taking the time to post all that. It sounds like you've done this trip before - how did you find it? How was the midgie/wind situation? People keep warning me about that..

[thewhangie]

Have you booked your accomodation? I stay in Oban and its mobbed just now,I'm also just back from a week on Lewis and it was busy as well.

You dont want to be scratching around at night for somewhere to stay.

I had the road bike over on Lewis and had a great few blasts.

[2seas]

thewhangie said:

Have you booked your accomodation? I stay in Oban and its mobbed just now,I'm also just back from a week on Lewis and it was busy as well.

You dont want to be scratching around at night for somewhere to stay.

I had the road bike over on Lewis and had a great few blasts.

Good to know - we were going to book the first and last nights and then just wing it for most of the rest which would allow us to be more flexible in our plans, but maybe on your advice it would be better to book everything in advance. Not planning on staying in Oban though - first night will be in Barra.

Do we need to book the ferries in advance too? I assumed being foot passengers with bikes we could just sort that out the day before..

[nammynake]

You should visit Luskentyre beach on Lewis/Harris. Stunning.

[thewhangie]

Ferries should be fine.

There's always a B and B somewhere on the islands so you should be ok, but even booking at breakfast for somewhere further on that night could save some hassle.

[Evo141n]

My folks live there.
TBH I would book ahead as much as possible it's busy during the summer.
Or take a small tent, as there are plenty of great beaches to camp at.

Also the Uig / Valtos area on the west coast is one of my favourite areas on the island. http://www.virtualheb.co.uk/Valtos-Bhaltos-western...

[Evo141n]

Oh the midge!
Well if its windy there won't be any ;-)

Best try Avon Skin-So-Soft body oil as a repellent. Honest!

[tuffer]

Take the wind into account, I went for a ride there in 1992 from Balivanich (the airport) to Loch Bi, I am still on my way back. Seriously, going out was great but ended up walking the last few miles coming back due to wind and serious bonk.

[Gizmoish]

Evo141n said:

Oh the midge!
Well if its windy there won't be any ;-)

Best try Avon Skin-So-Soft body oil as a repellent. Honest!

Skin So Soft seconded. Take lots of bottles.

[2seas]

One bottle of skin so soft has arrived

Any advice on where we can leave a car for a week in Ullapool near the ferry?

I called up the ferry company but they don't allow advance bookings for foot/cycle passengers. Is there any risk we might not get a space on the ferry or is there always room? Just wondering how early we may have to pitch up...

[SFV]

It's a big ferry from Ullapool, so there should always be space for foot passengers and cycles. That'll be why they don't worry about reservations.

No restrictions on parking a couple of streets back from the Ullapool seafront, so I would be parking on one of those roads that run parallel to the seafront.

[2seas]

SFV said:

It's a big ferry from Ullapool, so there should always be space for foot passengers and cycles. That'll be why they don't worry about reservations.

No restrictions on parking a couple of streets back from the Ullapool seafront, so I would be parking on one of those roads that run parallel to the seafront.

Cool thanks - how about the ferry from Oban to Castlebay?

[Evo141n]

Both Ferries are fine for foot (cycle) passengers.
Parkin just into Ullapool is fine, we used to leave my integrale here for a week with no problems while visiting the island.
BTW How are you retrieving the car once you get back to Oban?

[2seas]

Evo141n said:

Both Ferries are fine for foot (cycle) passengers.
Parkin just into Ullapool is fine, we used to leave my integrale here for a week with no problems while visiting the island.
BTW How are you retrieving the car once you get back to Oban?

We're actually starting from Oban. Taking two cars to Ullapool and leaving one there, then we drive to Oban and leave the other car there and board the ferry. Then a week later once we arrive in Ullapool we pick up the first car, go to Oban and get the second and then back home.

Sounds convoluted (and it is) but it works out the cheapest and a lot less of a ballache then faffing around with trains/buses.

[Craikeybaby]

The ferry to Harris actually goes from Berneray - just over the causeway from North Uist, when I was there in 2012 I stayed at a nice little B&B on Berneray, overlooking the beach - I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head, but could find out if you want me to. The road up from south Uist to Berneray was a good drive.

If you've got time, the calanish stones and dun broch on the west of Lewis are worth a visit as mentioned above.

[2seas]

Craikeybaby said:

The ferry to Harris actually goes from Berneray - just over the causeway from North Uist, when I was there in 2012 I stayed at a nice little B&B on Berneray, overlooking the beach - I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head, but could find out if you want me to. The road up from south Uist to Berneray was a good drive.

If you've got time, the calanish stones and dun broch on the west of Lewis are worth a visit as mentioned above.

Thanks - we're planning to catch the early ferry from Barra to Eriskay then cycle up to Berneray for the last ferry to Harris. We get in to Eriskay at 10am and need to be at Berneray for 5.20pm which I think is plenty of time...

We're staying a night in a place right next to the Calanish stones so I look forward to checking them out. It blows my mind that they're close to 5000 years old!