Bikepacking the Hebridean Way - getting started
Waiting for the ferry in Oban
UPDATED WITH INFORMATION AND LINKS FOR 2024
I've always had a little wanderlust in my soul. Backpacking around the world was one of my dreams as a student and I finally did it in my thirties, having just taken on a new mortgage. I also wanted to load up my bike and cycle around France, camping by the side of the road and fuelling on baguettes, brie, and local red wine. Watch this space as that one’s still on my tick list! So, when I heard about cycling the Hebridean Way, it’s no wonder that the combination of remote Scottish islands, white beaches, and multi-day bike touring captured my imagination.
What is the Hebridean Way?
Let me tempt you…
The Hebridean Way is a 185 mile (297km) route running through the length of the Outer Hebrides. It starts at the very southern tip of Vatersay and ends at the Butt of Lewis lighthouse.
The route follows quiet roads, often single track with passing places, and is well signed. For example, the section on South Uist takes you away from the fast main road over the moors and onto tiny quiet roads closer to the coast, making them a pleasure to cycle.
It’s an island hopping adventure comprising 10 islands, 6 causeways, and 2 ferries. You can travel in either direction but, because of prevailing winds, the general recommendation is to cycle from south to north.
Note that there’s a Hebridean way walking route too, covering 156 miles (252km) which takes in remote beaches and wild mountains. It’s described as a “challenging route at times” so do some research first if that’s peaked your interest.
Arriving in Castlebay, Barra
How to get to and from the Hebridean Way
We started our trip from Oban on the west coast of mainland Scotland. We drove, but it can also be accessed via train from Glasgow Queen Street station. Check the ScotRail website for route and ticket information.
Wanting to travel under our own steam, we left our van in an Oban car park for two weeks. At the time, it was free of charge but I think that’s changed now. So, if you want to leave a vehicle in Oban, have a good hunt on the internet at the options available. I did a quick search and found this website showing the Corrans Halls car park offering a week long charge of £30. I can’t guarantee the information on the site and there may well be better options, so do some more research before making a decision!
Ferry from Oban to Barra
From Oban, we caught a Calmac ferry to Castlebay on Barra (which is the next island up from Vatersay). The crossing takes around 5 hours, arriving on Barra in the evening.
Bikes are carried free of charge on all Calmac ferries, so you just have to pay as a foot passenger if you don’t have a vehicle.
Check the Calmac website for route and ticket information.
Flight from Glasgow to Barra
Barra has a small airport where you can get flights from Glasgow. Interestingly, it’s the only place in the world where scheduled flights land on a beach.
Getting back
We booked a return ferry crossing from Oban, so needed to make sure we were back at Castlebay on Barra in time for our return ferry. It meant cutting our trip short and turning round at Berneray to cycle back down the islands.
For those continuing on to Harris and Lewis, the obvious option is to catch a ferry from Stornoway (on Lewis) to Ullapool on the mainland. See the Calmac website for Stornoway to Ullapool crossing information.
There are no rail links to Ullapool, the nearest staton is Garve which is around 32 miles away. There are bus links between Inverness and Ullapool and there are options for carrying your bike on a bus. You could also use a transport company to carry you and your bike - kind of a cyclist taxi service, although it can be quite expensive.
Alternatively, you could continue cycling from Ullapool back down to Oban, or to another area where public transport is available.
Beach on Vatersay
Where to stay when cycling the Hebridean Way
Looking back, we were pretty naive and disorganised before our trip. We figured we’d find somewhere to stay on arrival, so didn’t even bother looking for accommodation that first night. But, despite it being a popular tourist destination, we soon realised that the Outer Hebrides are remote. The few places to stay in Castlebay were fully booked by people disembarking from the ferry.
We grabbed some food at Castlebay Co-op, then cycled over to Vatersay and the start of the Hebridean Way route. We’d planned to camp much of the trip anyway, so had all the kit with us. It was serendipity as, once there, we saw tents and motorhomes pitched for the night, overlooking the beach.
I wrote about our wild camp above the beach in my series of posts about cycling in the Outer Hebrides, so I’ll not spoil the story here. Head over to Bikepacking in the Outer Hebrides - Barra and Vatersay to read more.
The remainder of our overnight stays was a mix of campsites, wild camping, and hostels:
Scurival campsite - Barra
Kilbride campsite - South Uist
Howmore and Berneray Hostels - South Uist and Berneray
Other ideas for accommodation
Check places like booking.com and airbnb for ideas.
Also look at the Visit Outer Hebrides accommodation section and check the Visit Scotland website for accommodation.
Tips for cycling the Hebridean Way
Single track roads
When cycling on the single track roads, you’ll find there’s not enough space for a bike and car to safely pass. It means keeping an eye on the traffic - both oncoming and behind - and pulling in to let vehicles pass at the nearest passing place. In our experience, drivers were more than happy to wait for us in a passing place, often giving us a cheery wave as we puffed our way past.
Hebridean wind
The Outer Hebrides can be very windy. We were lucky and had almost perfect conditions on our visit. But there are tales of people being blown off their bikes, especially with panniers, when the winds pick up.
Midges and Ticks
Midges tend to be worst between June and September. We use Smidge insect repellant and keep an eye on the Smidge Midge Forecast. To learn more about ticks, which can cause Lyme Disease if infected, read my post What to do if you get a tick bite (don’t worry, it’s safe to click, there are no yukky pictures).
Sunday opening
The Outer Hebrides is a religious area and many places are closed on Sundays. We spent a day cycling on North Uist, passing just one Co-op and a cafe. Both were closed. Luckily the Lochmaddy Hotel was open for meals when we finally arrived that evening. Read more in my post Bikepacking in the Outer Hebrides - North Uist and Berneray.
Single track road on North Uist
Our Hebridean Way cycling adventure
This was our first long-distance bike packing trip and I was on a mountain bike with knobbly tyres. We had no idea how far we could travel each day and whether there would be enough time to cycle right to the tip of Lewis and back again in time to catch our ferry back to Oban.
So, we decided to keep our plans fluid and, instead of pushing hard to tick the full Hebridean Way route, we meandered our way through the islands. Armed only with a map of the Outer Hebrides, marked with recommended campsites and shops, we set forth from Vatersay.
I later learned that the locations people had suggested to us were not the best places to visit, they were the only places! Did I mention that the Outer Hebrides are remote?
It may sound disorganised and, in hindsight, it probably was. But I loved the freedom of being on the road, not quite knowing where we’d end up that night. I’d not felt that thrill of adventure and freedom since travelling round the world back in my thirties.
It also meant we chatted with people, and connected more with our environment.
We may not have taken that second ferry crossing from Berneray to Harris, and we may have missed the glorious beaches on Harris, the Callanish standing stones on Lewis, and the sense of achievement at reaching the Butt of Lewis. But our trip felt like a real adventure.
It ignited a passion for multi-day cycling trips, and only left me craving a return trip to cycle the full Hebridean Way.
Scroll down to read about the trip in more detail.
Bikepacking the Hebridean Way: Posts in the series
1. Getting started
2. Barra and Vatersay
3. Barra, Eriskay and South Uist
4. North Uist and Berneray
5. North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist
6. South Uist, Eriskay and Barra
7. Bike packing kit list
Cloudy day on North Uist
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