Scotland has always been a popular destination for us. I don’t think you can ever run out of places to enjoy motorcycling in Scotland, and the islands in the Outer Hebrides are a great example, which, it turned out, none of us have ever visited.
Hebridean Way
The Hebridean Way starts in Vatersay on the Isle of Barra and ends at the lighthouse on the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis.
Following the official 185-mile Hebridean Way, you will cross ten islands and six Causeways and take two additional ferries. We used this as the basis for our route and expanded it to 370 miles to ensure we missed nothing and pushed into the corners of the islands.
As motorcycle tours go, 370 miles isn’t that long. Still, first, there is the joy of getting to Oban for the ferry to the Isle of Barra, and the ride back from Ullapool, where the ferry from Lewis docks, is excellent, especially if you take the northern loop to Inverness.
Island Hopping
Caledonian MacBrayne runs the ferries to the Outer Hebrides, often called CalMac for short, and operates mainly out of Ullapool, Oban and Uig on the Isle of Skye.
Assuming you are going south to north on the Hebridean Way, the first ferry you need is from Oban to Castlebay. In the summer months, the ferry departs Oban around 1pm, arriving in Castlebay at approximately 6pm.
Next, you need the ferry from Barra to Erisay. There are five crossings daily in summer, starting at 7am, with the last Erisay departure at 5:30pm. Crossing time is roughly 40 minutes.
Erisay and the islands of North and South Uist are linked by a series of causeways that, as long as you remember to take the B893 turn from the A865, will take you to the Beneray Ferry Terminal and the second of the inter-island ferries, this one to Leverburgh on the Isle of Harris.
In June, July and August, the ferry runs five times a day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; four times a day on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; and three times on Sunday. Crossing time is an hour.
Having ridden to the top of the Isle of Lewis and taken the compulsory photo by the lighthouse, the route doubles back to the ferry at Stornoway for the sailing to Ullapool and the rest of Scotland.
There are two ferries daily, with a crossing time of two hours and forty minutes.
Where Can I Find …
- CalMac Ferries – Home Page
- CalMac Bookable Ferries – The ones for the Hebridean Way
- Hebridean Way – Great Page from the Tourist Board
Weather and Tickets
In an ideal world, there would be a “turn up and go” ticket for the Hebridean Way route, but the ferries needed are not part of that CalMac scheme.
We plan to take a ten-day trip to Scotland, look at the weather forecast, and ride the Hebridean Way on the best two or three days the weather gives us.
On a peaceful summer day, the islands are breathtaking. However, there is nothing between the west coast of the Outer Hebrides and Canada except the Atlantic Ocean. When bad weather rolls in, it can be … err … invigorating.
Studying the CalMac website, there doesn’t appear to be any advantage to booking early, other than a guaranteed spot on the ferry of your choice.
Not usually a problem if you are on a motorcycle, as we take up little room, and can normally fit in somewhere, but having to wait is always a possibility.
You do need to buy your ticket in advance, either online or at the ferry port. Unlike some of the other ferries, there isn’t a pay-on-board option for these routes, as far as we can tell.
Taking it as it comes and being flexible looks to be the best way of extracting the maximum enjoyment from the Hebridean Way. It certainly adds something different to touring Scotland.
When importing GPX files, your GPS or Phone navigation app will recalulate the route based on your navigation preferences. We add waypoints to hopefully minimise any differences, but it is always worth double-checking.
If you have a route that you would like to share, get in touch and with the Editor, and we will do our best to include it. Download, ride and enjoy. What could possibly go wrong? All the motorcycle touring routes are GPX 1.1 version files.
All of the motorcycle touring routes are provided “as is” without guarantee, liability or any assurances. The lawyers said we had to include that sentence. All we can tell you is that we had an excellent time planning and riding them.
Hebridean Way (Complete)
Points To Ponder
Our route explores much more of the islands than the official Hebridean Way. Chop and change as you desire. You are not going to get lost.
We have highlighted fuel stops at waypoints 1, 11, 19, 26, 26, 31, and 34. There are enough to ensure you shouldn’t run out. Most are community-run. Some operate 24 hours on credit cards. All the fuel has to be brought in, so it may cost a little more.
On Barra, Waypoint 3 is Barra Airport, the only permanent airport that uses the beach as a runway.
The Butt of Lewis on the northernmost tip of the Outer Hebrides, features dramatic cliffs, crashing waves, and a striking lighthouse. Compulsory photo spot.
The Callanish Stones are a stone circle dating back to around 3000 BC.
Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris, famous for its white sand and turquoise water, is often listed amongst the most beautiful in the world.
Locally produced food, and not surprisingly perhaps, seafood is available across the islands. There is even a distillery. This is Scotland after all.
Getting to Oban, if you are coming from the south, should always include the 100 miles from Dunoon to Oban, perhaps the best 100 miles of motorcycling in the UK.
Dunoon to Oban
via the River Clyde
Ullapool to Inverness
and the Cairngorms
