Of all the islands that I have so far visited on this trip, the island of North Uist has been the least unexpected. Thatโs not a criticism, just an acceptance that what I cycled through today gave me pretty much all the things that come to mind when conjuring up images of the Outer Hebrides. The remoteness, the beauty, the cattle, the birds, the ruined cliff top buildings, the mountains, the ancient crofts and the massive expanse of the ocean with its uninhabited islands just off shore. Even the weather played its part In delivering what you are โsupposedโ to get when you visit this place. It was fairly wet. Thankfully most of that fell when I wasnโt on the bike.
The day was split into three; a cycling-ferry-cycling sandwich. I managed to reserve my place on the ferry last night despite the dodgy Wi-Fi connection at the Tractor Shed. Not that I needed to; cyclists were still turning up today without reservations and being let on board. But it gave me peace of mind as I set off this morning. What didnโt give me peace of mind was the accommodation for the evening. Wild camp? B&B in Leverburgh? I wanted to avoid rushing to one of the campsites on north-west Harris and in the process miss the opportunity of appreciating all that the coast of Harris had to offer, either its east or west coast, whichever route I decided to take.
I chatted to a couple of cyclists on the ferry and whatever they said must have got me thinking about distances. From Leverburgh – where the ferry from Berneray arrives on Harris – to those campsites on the west coast was only about 20 km. I could do that easily after the ferry docked at around 2:30pm and before the rain was forecast to start again this afternoon. A route all the way around Harris – taking on both the east and west coasts is only about 50 km. I could do that on Sunday when the weather is looking dryโฆ so thatโs the plan. Iโm here on the campsite at Horgabost for two nights and will do just that tomorrow. Iโll save my comments about Harris until tomorrow.
Here’s the plan for my trip to the Outer Hebrides…
…and here’s a podcast I made about cycling the Hebridean Way prior to setting off:
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so enjoying your ride but it does look wet. what time is it getting dark in the evenings.
It hasnโt been particularly wet. It has rained a few times but I seem to have managed to avoid it when cycling. The weather today has been fantastic and itโs looking good for the rest of the week. Should be a good sunset tonight so Iโll get back to you with the time ๐
“From Leverburgh โ where the ferry from Benbecula arrives on Harris โ to those campsites on the west coast was only about 20 km.”
Benbecula? You meant Berneray? ๐
Probably. Thanks for spotting the error ๐
Two really good recommended stopping points for coffee or snacks on your circular route around Harris are the Temple at Northton and Skoon Cafe (there’s not too many stopping points on the Golden Road).
On Monday Croft 36 is definitely worth a visit but that means back tracking from Horgabost
Thanks for the recommendations. Iโll look out for them butโฆ it is the sabbath.
I’m currently cycling along the coast form Gairloch ….the film is very similar to my ride …wet wet wet …hopefully tomorrow will be dry ! Best wishes ..
Yes, dryness is promised from here on inโฆ Enjoy your ride Denis!