Typical Itinerary for a Cycling Holiday

Hebridean Hopscotch Holidays

Freedom of the Isles

A cycling holiday, including bike hire, which you are free to book in either direction.

The cost, actual accommodation used and daily distances will vary according to your individual budget and choices.

Subject to availability of bikes in the right place at the right time, there is no difficulty in specifying either direction. Some sources of information suggest that South to North tends to put the wind behind you, but the writer has found little practical experience to justify the claim (I have cycled a number of times in both ways and experienced head- and tail-winds from all directions). When booking, a little flexibility on dates may help us to better satisfy your requests.

We are offering the option to book e-bikes for 2013 – electrically assisted for easier hill-climbing and riding against the wind. This option adds £18 per night to the holiday cost.

The models we selected offer assistance for up to around 50 miles (80kms) between charges (subject to the amount of pedalling input by the rider) at speeds up to 15mph (24km/h). Beyond that speed, all power input is by the rider. E-bikes would be charged each night at the guest accommodation.

The mixture of accommodation suggested here includes some B&Bs, which cyclists sometimes prefer for the informality and the chance to meet island residents in their own home. The B&B properties we use are of a high standard and rooms are often in a separate guest wing of the house, with access to a lounge shared with other guests.

Rooms are limited in B&B accommodation, so please be aware that it may be necessary to substitute properties, occasionally with a cost differential.

We have adjusted the 2012 suggested itinerary slightly to give clients a little more time in Harris and to divide a travel section that was slightly arduous for riders who want a fairly gentle adventure. Dinner suggestions are provided (cost not included).

Schedule:

Note that the approximate distances are for the journeys described and do not include additional distances for detours down side roads (which we recommend all guests should do as this is where you most experience the Hebrides ‘for real’).

Day 1: Arrive Barra by air or sea.

Taxi to Airds for first night’s B&B (transfer cost not included). Bikes will be delivered to the accommodation.

Day 2: Explore the Isle of Barra.

A complete circuit with the possibility of a diversion over the causeway to the neighbouring island of Vatersay.

Second night at Airds. Dinner suggested at Heathbank Hotel (0.7km)

Daily distance about 15 to 20 miles (20 to 30 kms). All single track roads.

Day 3: Eriskay and South Uist Cross by ferry (about 40 minutes – look out for possible dolphin sightings) to the tiny island of Eriskay, which has two small villages, and a shop. In summer lots of wildflowers on the hillside and machair (grassy dunes). Also a long sandy beach.

Be sure to investigate this small island’s roads to the small settlements and harbours, which are very interesting and picturesque.

From Eriskay, cycle over the causeway (about 1 mile/1.5 km) to South Uist and explore the south coast, which is a mixture of rocky outcrops and small sandy beaches. Cattle graze on the beaches in summer, close to the small crafting (farming) villages.

Continue inland to the small ferry port of Lochboisdale for one night’s B&B stay at Brae Lea House. Dinner suggested at Lochboisdale Hotel (0.5 mile/0.8km) or Borrodale Hotel (3 miles/4 kms)

Daily distance about 14 to 19 miles (20 to 30 kms). All single track roads.

Day 4: Wildlife and history Follow the undulating spine road (mostly single track) north through South Uist, passing nature reserves and lochs (lakes). For a fairly substantial part of the journey, it’s possible to ride along pathways and very small roads close to the sea-shore, which is an almost un-interrupted shell sand beach stretching along about 50 kms on the west coast of the island.

Many varieties of birds. Small folk museum at Kildonan (also a café). Interesting old church, cottages and ancient ruins at Howmore.

Cross more causeways – onto Benbecula and to Grimsay, for one night at Ardnastruban House B&B. Dinner suggested at Stepping Stone restaurant, Balavanich. Very good food and value. (5 miles (8 kms) – taxi recommended.)

Daily distance about 26 miles (42 kms). A mix of single and double track roads, coastal lanes and paths.

Day 5: North Uist – panoramic views Take the causeway from Grimsay to North Uist, crossing low lying moorland with wonderful sea views. Follow the quiet single track coastal road around the west of the island – Balranald bird reserve and extensive sand-beaches and machair. An alternative route is to follow a small road that crosses over the hills between the west and north coasts – golden eagles are often seen on this route, as well as occasional owls that hunt during the day. From this elevated road, there are views over the Atlantic, with the Monach and St Kilda islands to be seen in the distance on a fine day.

Continue along the northern coast passing more farmland and sea views to reach the small island of Berneray, which has a picturesque village and beaches to be explored if you have time before joining the ferry to Harris (1 hour – look for seals basking on the many rocks). From the ferry landing at Leverburgh, Harris, it’s only about 3 kms to your B&B at Sorrell Cottage, where you can book a home-prepared dinner in advance.

Daily distance about 25 miles (40 kms). A mix of mostly single track roads and coastal lanes, with some short sections of double track roads.

Day 6: Harris – amazing beaches If you like beaches and mountain views, take the west coast road through Harris to Tarbert. You’ll pass several small villages, occasional art galleries and cafés, but the main attraction of the day is to relax on the beach at Luskentyre – a serious contender for the title of best beach in Europe – where there’s every chance you’ll have it entirely to yourselves.

Take the climb over the rocky hill to Harris’s main township of Tarbert, where you can relax for a night of delightfully old-fashioned service and comfort at the Harris Hotel (with mod-cons). You’ll eat well at the hotel and there are other choices in easy walking distance.

Daily distance about 20 miles (32 kms). Mostly single track roads with some short sections of double track roads.

Day 7: Lewis – riding the mountain pass Today is only a 19 miles (30 km ride), but it will test you a little, with a climb of almost 200 metres to the highest point of the Clisham mountain pass to the Isle of Lewis – you’ll probably walk up the first 100 metres height gain (about 1.5 miles - 2km) but the remaining section may be ridden reasonably comfortably. However the descent and views over coast, sea lochs and mountains are well worth the effort.

After crossing the mountains, the remaining distance, mostly over moorland, is fairly easily covered and you reach your night’s halt at the Loch Erisort Inn, a pleasant inn and restaurant – traditional pub food and fresh daily specials - overlooking a sea loch that leads into the East coast of Lewis.

Daily distance about 19 miles (30 kms). All on double track roads but traffic is still reasonably light.

Day 8: Lewis – ancient history or local shopping experiences

If you travel directly to the ‘capital’ of the Outer Hebrides, Stornoway, this is quite a short distance, at about 18 miles (28kms), crossing undulating moorland, punctuated by Hebridean villages. You may choose to deviate from the route to visit the ancient and mysterious Callanish stone circles.

Your final night is based in Stornoway at the Royal Hotel, which has an excellent restaurant plus a vibrant café-bar, offering good choices. There plenty of other options in the town, as well as good shopping opportunities – especially Harris Tweed and Hebridean jewellery.

Daily distance 18 or 25 miles (28 kms or 56kms). All on double track roads but traffic is still reasonably light.

Day 9: Homeward bound

Depart by ferry or air, according to your booking selection.

Additional information Some clients express an interest in making the full end-to-end journey known as ‘Barra to the Butt’ – the Butt at Ness being the most Northerly point of Lewis, where dramatic cliffs fall to the sea from the lighthouse.

The comments quoted below are purely the personal (but well informed) opinion of one cyclist and you should make your own decision as to whether you wish to take on the ‘full’ journey.

“The distance from Stornoway to the Butt is 29 miles (and 29 miles back!) with the route being mostly across exposed moorland.

It’s a journey that can easily be completed by car or bus in under an hour each way and is well worth making for the points of interest that can be visited with relatively little effort. These include beaches and machair at Barvas and Europie (Ness), a couple of archaeological sites (the Trussel stone and standing stones at Steinacleit). At Ness, there are a number of art and crafts people, a lovely beach, a bird reserve and an historic church.

To make this journey by bike would certainly require an average ‘occasional’ cyclist to allow two days from Stornoway, with an overnight stay in the Ness area. In view of this, as one who cycles more for pleasure than challenge, I would choose to adjust my itinerary to have two nights in Stornoway, then make this excusion by bus.

If I felt the need to make a journey from one extremity to another, my target on Lewis would be the lighthouse and cliffs at Tiumpan Head, on the Eye Peninsula (known locally as Point or An Rubha). It’s about 11 miles from Stornoway so can be visited by bike in under 3 hours.

The journey to Tiumpan Head passes several crofting villages and there are opportunities to explore side roads. Close to Tiumpan Head are good bird watching sites and, on the right weather day, wonderful views across the Minch to the mainland.”