Cycle the Hebridean Way in 2024
Four days riding on the Outer Hebrides NCN 780 with Skinny Tyres.
We are now taking bookings for this road cycling holiday in the Outer Hebrides in 2024
The Hebridean Way on the Outer Hebrides is unlike any other bike ride in the UK, quite possibly Europe. From Vatersay in the south to Lewis in the north, you cycle across ten islands, linked by causeways and ferries, covering nearly 200 miles.
You can ride this amazing route in 2024 supported by Skinny Tyres who will organise every part of your holiday and be a constant presence along the way.
Read on to find out more about our trip to these islands and the unrivalled support on offer.
The chain of islands that form the Outer Hebrides is on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Next stop to the north are the Faroe Islands and, to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador. Just getting to the Outer Hebrides is an adventure in itself: the ferry trip from Oban takes nearly five hours which really adds to the sense of travelling somewhere on the very edge of the Atlantic.
this spectacular chain of islands
Cycling the Hebridean Way – Day 1: Vatersay to Benbecula
Vatersay
Ardmhòr Coffee at Barra ferry terminal.
The cycling adventure starts the morning after your arrival on Barra. First you ride down to Vatersay (Scottish Gaelic: Bhatarsaigh). Then a short but steep climb takes you from Castlebay to a causeway to Vatersay. Here you experience your first taste of Hebridean beaches with turquoise water and white sands. As you cycle over the isthmus towards Baile Bhatarsaigh, you pass the Annie Jane Memorial which commemorates the tragic shipwreck of 28 September 1853 when 350 men, women and children lost their lives whilst emigrating from Liverpool to Quebec.
Arriving in Baile Bhatarsaigh, you reach the start point of the National Cycle Network route for the Hebridean Way (NCN 780). Being on the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides, you now have no choice but to turn around and cycle back to Barra. Reaching Castlebay once more you then pedal along the western and northern parts of the island towards Aird Mhòr before taking a 40-minute ferry ride to Eriskay. Many cyclists will tell you that one of the main reasons they ride a bike is for the coffee and cake, and if this is you, then Ardmhòr Coffee with its barista coffee, home baking and friendly welcome will be a welcome sight as you wait for the Calmac ferry.
Eriskay
The ferry docks on the west of the island of Eriskay and your ride here will be only 1.8 miles / 3 km, but in that short distance you pass two legendary places in Scottish history. The first is the spot at Coilleag where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil before heading to the mainland of Scotland to lead the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. The second is the location where the SS Politician ran aground on Rosins Point in 1941. Eriskay locals formed unofficial salvage parties and discovered in the ship’s number five hold 264,000 bottles of whisky. The incident inspired Compton Mackenzie’s book ‘Whisky Galore’, which in turn was made into an Ealing comedy. Today, the Am Politician pub still has one of the original bottles of whisky that was brought ashore from the stricken ship.
Eriskay links
South Uist
everywhere you cycle – ruined black house on South Uist
Leaving Eriskay via a causeway, you cycle north for 28 miles / 45 km along the west coast of South Uist towards Benbecula. En route you cross the machair. Machair is a Gaelic word meaning a fertile, low-lying, grassy plain. These habitats are one of the rarest in Europe and can only be found on the western coasts of Scotland and Ireland. South Uist and North Uist have the most extensive areas of machair on the Outer Hebrides You stray off the main road north to enjoy the rich and diverse flora and fauna in this area.
Flora Macdonald was born in South Uist in 1722. A Jacobite heroine, she assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie in his escape from the Hanoverian Army after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The story is immortalised in the song ‘The Skye Boat Song’. You cycle past Flora’s birthplace at Kildonan with the option of stopping at the museum and cafe there to find out more about the history of South Uist.
South Uist links
Benbecula
the hills on Harris can be a bit of a surprise
Benbecula in Gaelic is Beinn na Faoghla which means Mountain of the Ford. The island has one solitary hill, Rueval, and is the connecting point between North and South Uist. It has a long military history and its airport was originally built during WWII, later to become a rocket range during the Cold War. The army base on Benbecula is one of the island’s main employers.
You spend the night in the southern part of Benbecula before traversing the island on Day 2 of your Hebridean cycle ride. For those wanting to explore the island a bit more before dinner, there is an optional out-and-back ride to Port Pheadair (Peter’s Port). After dinner, you can walk to Liniclate beach, behind the hotel, to watch the sun set over the Atlantic.
Benbecula links
Join our road cycling holiday on the Outer Hebrides
The Hebridean Way on the Outer Hebrides is unlike any other bike ride in the UK, quite possibly Europe. From Vatersay in the south to Lewis in the north, you cycle across ten islands, linked by causeways and ferries, covering nearly 200 miles.
You can ride this amazing route in 2024 supported by Skinny Tyres who will organise every part of your holiday and be a constant presence along the way. Read on to find out more about our trip to these islands
Cycling the Hebridean Way – Day 2: Benbecula to North Uist
North Uist
Looking at a map of North Uist, you might think the island is made more of water than it is of land. The north-west of the island has a reasonably substantial landmass, whereas the rest of it is often described as a ‘drowned landscape’. The human history of North Uist is reflected in the numerous stone circles, chambered cairns such as Barpa Langais, and neolithic settlements scattered around the island.
To reach North Uist you cycle from Benbecula over a series of causeways heading once more to the machair and beaches of the western edge of the island. You take a short detour from the main road to Hougharry and its beautiful beach where you might choose to take off your cycling shoes and dip your feet in the Atlantic.
If you fancy a short day, it is possible to head directly to Lochmaddy from here. However, if you are keen for a bit more of a challenge, you can cycle up and over the Committee Road. This is the highest road on the island at a dizzying 190 ft / 58 metres. Nevertheless, the road offers a great viewing point back towards Benbecula and South Uist before dropping down through the centre of ‘the drowned landscape’ and on to Lochmaddy. An optional extra, for those who want to say they have cycled on all the roads on North Uist, is the chance to pedal an out-and-back route to Loch Euphort. The end of the road here, beside the sculpture, ‘Sanctuary’ by Roddy Mathieson, offers stunning views across Loch Euphoirt and Loch Obasaraigh to the four summits of Eabhal, Burabhal, Lì a Deas and Lì a Tuath.
Join our road cycling holiday on the Outer Hebrides
The Hebridean Way on the Outer Hebrides is unlike any other bike ride in the UK, quite possibly Europe. From Vatersay in the south to Lewis in the north, you cycle across ten islands, linked by causeways and ferries, covering nearly 200 miles.
You can ride this amazing route in 2024 supported by Skinny Tyres who will organise every part of your holiday and be a constant presence along the way. Read on to find out more about our trip to these islands
Cycling The Hebridean Way – Day 3: North Uist to Lewis and the Golden Road
Berneray
Leaving Lochmaddy you cycle to Otternish on the northern edge of North Uist then along a causeway to the island of Berneray. Those arriving early may want to explore Berneray a little more and cycle past the ferry port, through Borve, and possibly have a coffee at the Lobster Pot Café, or ride on towards the white sand beach at Rushgarry. The ferry leaves Berneray at 10:25 am arriving in Leverburgh on Harris an hour later.
Berneray links
Isle of Harris
Disembarking from the ferry at Leverburgh, you leave the Hebridean Way for a while to ride on the stunning Golden Road. This route is one of the highlights of the trip and if ever a road was built to leave a smile on a cyclist’s face, this is it. The Golden Road hugs the wild and otherworldly coast of Harris. Climbing up to the south-eastern headland at Rodel, with views across the Little Minch towards the Isle of Skye, you turn north and on to 20 miles / 33 km of single-track, road cycling heaven.
The name of the Golden Road reputedly comes from the high construction cost which some locals commented on, “If it costs that much, then it must be made of gold”. The road was built just after WWII as there had been many accidents when people waded rivers to get home to their crofts. What makes the Golden Road so special to cycle along is the surrounding landscape: in some places it is raw with exposed ancient gneiss, in others it is coloured with strips of minerals, then, as you drop down into small sandy bays, you may spot a seal basking on the rocks. The route is a wild roller-coaster to cycle and, in our opinion, a road that should be on your bucket list of places to cycle in the world.
Leaving the Golden Road behind, you cycle onwards to Tarbet and then north for the first of two nights in Stornoway.
Harris links
Cycling the Hebridean Way – Day 4: Stornoway to the Butt of Lewis
Isle of Lewis
Today is the last day of your cycle trip along the Hebridean Way where you progress to the most northerly point of this chain of islands. The Butt of Lewis is mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as the windiest place in the UK. It marks the end of both our route and the classic Outer Hebridean traverse from Vatersay to Lewis, as north of there is nothing other than open ocean to the Arctic. The finishing point is marked with a 121 ft / 37 m high red brick lighthouse built between 1859-1862 by David and Thomas Stevenson. Thomas was the father of the author Robert Louis Stevenson.
Before you get there, though, you still have some epic cycling to do around the eastern side of Lewis. Once again, you veer off the main Hebridean Way to allow you to climb high on the moorland, giving you fabulous views south to the mountains of Harris. You then drop down past the Callanish Stones. These were erected 5,000 years ago which means that they pre-date Stonehenge. You also cycle past the impressive Dun Carloway, a broch (fortified dwelling only found in Scotland) that dates back to 200 BCE and still stands almost at its full height of 9 m.
The last part of your ride takes you over Ness which is impressive for its barren, but no less beautiful flatness. If there is a tailwind, you will love this section, if not … Well, let’s just hope you have a tailwind!
Once at the Butt of Lewis you can celebrate your ride and take photos with an impressive backdrop of the Atlantic crashing against the cliffs. Some people may want to end their ride here, but others may wish to ride another 30 miles / 50 km back south to the hotel in Stornoway to complete a circular route of Lewis.
Join our road cycling holiday on the Outer Hebrides
The Hebridean Way on the Outer Hebrides is unlike any other bike ride in the UK, quite possibly Europe. From Vatersay in the south to Lewis in the north, you cycle across ten islands, linked by causeways and ferries, covering nearly 200 miles.
You can ride this amazing route in 2024 supported by Skinny Tyres who will organise every part of your holiday and be a constant presence along the way. Read on to find out more about our trip to these islands
