A Cycling Tour Around The Hebrides

Cycling is an extremely popular sport and more and more people are discovering the pleasures of taking a cycling tour in preference to other types of vacation. Most choose to tour areas where the ground is rather flat and any hills are but gentle slopes while others prefer to visit areas which offer much more of a challenge. The Isle of Harris in the Western Isles (also known as the Outer Hebrides) of Scotland continues to increase in popularity for cycling tours and vacations and is well worth consideration if you are a competent and athletic cyclist.

The Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles) is a group of over two hundred islands found off the west coast of Scotland in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The vast majority of islands are now uninhabited with only a handful remaining populated. There are two distinctive land masses with the Isle of Harris and Isle of Lewis part of one in the north and to the south the islands of North and South Uist with a number of other smaller islands dotted around. Happily these islands have excellent transport links and it is possible to tour from the very south up to the northern tip via a network of double and single track roads, bridges, causeways and ferries.

You will find that South and North Uist are much flatter that the Isle of Harris. After visiting the beaches and other tourist attractions on Uist the Isle of Harris comes as something of a surprise. The beaches are just as, if not more, spectacular but the hills start off gentle but as you move further north they become far more challenging until you reach the mountains of North Harris. There is really only one steep assent and a steep descent in the range but it can be exhausting. Once you reach the Isle of Lewis the terrain flattens to open moorland and onto Stornoway, the main (and only) town of the Outer Hebrides. Further north the terrain once again becomes slightly more challenging.

When cycling in the Outer Hebrides/Western Isles there are a number of very important things to keep in mind. Firstly please be very aware of how powerful the sun can be on the islands, it does not have to be extremely bright for the UV rays to penetrate and burn the skin. Equally important is to ensure that you do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed by the sights. All too often I see cyclists riding two abreast admiring the views oblivious to other traffic on the roads. It is far better to pull over to admire the view at your leisure.

Single track roads are still common in many parts of the Hebrides and you need to understand how to use them properly to ensure yours and others safety. The roads on some of the islands can twist and turn and traffic can suddenly appear from nowhere so always keep an eye and an ear out for it. Do not hog a single track road by riding aside each other as this can be dangerous but mostly very annoying to other road users. Use the passing places to allow all traffic (from behind and oncoming) to pass by pulling into those on the left and pulling over to the left when they appear to your right.

On the Isles of Lewis, Harris and some parts of North Uist, Sundays are unique. Due to the strong Protestant faith there is a strict observance of the Sunday Sabbath which means that virtually everywhere is closed. Obviously you should always take care to ensure that you have everything you will need by stocking up on the Saturday or even on the Friday just to be certain.

In more recent years it would appear that a few places in Stornoway choose to open on Sundays but you can not afford to rely on this. It is far better to be safe than sorry. Stornoway has most shops that you would expect to see in a modern town but importantly there is a small bike shop who do repairs and hire out bicycles. Crime is extremely low so you can safely leave your bike parked in the town center to explore the town by foot.

If you are unable to face the challenge of a full cycling tour of the Outer Hebrides you may find that staying on the Isle of Harris provides numerous opportunities to enjoy cycling at a more leisurely pace. Many cyclist choose to stay in hostels or camp but if you can afford it bed and breakfast in a guest house or hotel is greatly appreciated after a day's cycling and even self catering accommodation is far more inviting.