Some workings on how a Outer Hebrides trip might work.  I’m going on the conservative side with timings (10mph) assuming that we’ll be stopping to look at views and history.  Lots of folk seem to do it in 3 or 4 days, but i guess some of that is taking most direct route rather than scenic route, and maybe not going up to Butt of Lewis, and back down again.

Approaching Malacleit by Richard X, on Flickr

Day 1

1. Train to Oban

Trains to Oban go via Glasgow. Need to be in Oban by early afternoon.

2. Ferry Oban to Castlebay (Barra)

Timetable: summer-barra–oban-castlebay . Most days the ferry seems to depart mid-afternoon and  get in late at night 8.30pm (4.5 hours)

Maybe stay on Vatersay? or maybe cycle to near ferry if light and conditions allow..

Day 2

1. Cycle Barra

It’s 8 miles from the ferry port  at Castlebay to the ferry port at Ardmhor via the east coast of the Island.  9 miles via the west coast.  (1 hour aprox)

2. Ferry off Barra

There’s 4 ferries a day from Ardmhor; 9.25, 11:10, 15:45, 17:30 . Would be good to get first one. (the sailing to Eriskay takes 40 mins)

3. Cycle Eriskay to South Usit

3 miles from Ferry to South Usit across the causeway.
35 miles up the island of South Uist.

(4hours aprox)

Day 3

1. Cycle Benbecular

a) The long way round – 11 miles, by the main road

b) Up the main road – 7miles

(1 hour aprox)

2. Cycle North Uist

a) the long way round (west coast) – 32 miles

b) the east way – 23 miles.

(3 hours aprox)

Day 4

1. Ferry from North Uist to Harris

Timetable: north-uist-and-harris (berneray-leverburgh)

Four ferries a day, either up early for the 7.15 or later for the 10:25

(takes 1 hour)

2. Cycle Harris

1. Cycle 50 Miles up Harris – a few different routes depending on how feel.
would be good to make some dent on the next days miles too.

(5  – 6 hours)

Day 5

1. Cycle Lewis

Cycle up one side of Isle to butt of Lewis – then back down the other side to Stornaway,
70 miles – 7 hours

Day 6

There used to be a coach that took bikes between ullapool and inverness, but no longer running. Seems the only way with bikes is to ride.

1. Ferry Stornaway to Ullapool

Ferry Timetable: Stornaway > Ullapool

Seems to be 2 a day, most days. Either up early for the 7am – or there’s one at 13:50 takes 3 hours.

2. Ride Ullapool to Garve

Along A835 is 32 miles with 450m of ascent – approx 3 hours.

3. Train – Garve to Inverness

Trains at 13:39, 16:14, 18:50 (check up to date times nearer time)

4. Train Inverness to Home

train back to edinburgh/carlisle

Notes

Freedom of Scotland Travel pass;

• covering Train and Ferry. and some coasches
• 4 days unlimited travel out of 8 consecutive days £114
• Valid from Carlisle.

Bibliography

Crazy Guy on a Bike | Magic of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland
Paul’s Cycling Trips (with 2 Hebrides trips)
http://www.visithebrides.com/cycle/
Book: Cycling in the Hebrides: Island Touring and Day Rides (not released until 15th May 2012)

Some random bits from my 2011 tour of France, and Northern Spain.

Camping in France

There are a lot of campsites in France – but about half of them shut at the end of September, some more shut at the end of October, and yet more shut mid November (after the 11th November bank holiday). Not very many open all year.  Confusingly some campsites remain open – but not for tents, only for caravans. It’s not often you can’t find an open site – but sometimes it takes a bit of planning.  When you do find a site, you’ll probably be the only person in an actual tent.  Autumn camping in France seems to mean campervan.

Some trees are too thick to tie a bike to, Tree provision is a big pitch consideration.

Because I often didn’t plan on wildcamping (i do like a shower after a day in the saddle)  it was always a bit of a last minute decision. Usually meaning i didn’t have enough water to re-hydrate and cook. Sometimes i just ate prince biscuits and drank tea – sometimes i cooked then work up dry mouthed.  Better planning and more water carrying capacity might be the way forward.

Health

I did manage to spend the first month with reduced and painful mobility in my right shoulder- no idea what caused it – but I think maybe sleeping on it. It went away again though.

The only medicine I used was anti-fungal cream and 2 tablets of ibuprofen.

Towards the end I  lost some feeling in the fingers on my right hand – they would be tingly at times- and numb at others.  It took a week to feel my little finger again.  All OK now though.

It’s probably a good idea to carry a first aid kit.

Bike Bits

I love my bike.

I intended fit a kick stand before I went, but never got round to it.  I’d still quite like one. (…but)

It’s a good idea to write the code that corresponds to your wheel size on the back of your bike computer – then you’ll know it when you reset your computer trying to change the time.

I also love my non-puncturing tyres.

My saddle kept coming loose near the start – I took it to a man with dead long allan keys and he sorted it.  Pigeon French and gesticulating was involved. He didn’t even charge me.

My bike is a boy magnet.  (I am not)

on The Road

Hills are the best bit.

I took a week off to go bouldering in Font, apart from that I took 4 days off, for sightseeing more than rest. Generally I would cycle about 80km a day – although a few days i just did 50km.

French and Spanish drivers are nice to bikes.  Merci Beaucoup! Gracias!

A woman said to me “if you can do this, you can do anything“. I hadn’t though of it like that, but I liked it.