An easy riding tour the length of Scotland's Western Isles - the Hebridean Islands. A land of beautiful coastal and mountain scenery and spectacular sea vistas.

Road cycle touring at its best - a route to unwind on, and virtually traffic free. We travel the length of the Western Isles from the island of Arran in the Inner Hebrides to Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The roads twist and turn between small lochans through small glens with everchanging views. Enjoy the numerous unspoilt golden sandy beaches.

Explore the Celtic ruins and friendly crofting communities. We enjoy the bird life and the abundance of wild flowers, whilst island hopping using small ferries northwards on the Hebridean Islands.

Relax on one of the many secluded beaches on the island of Barra. One of the beaches is used as the airport. It is an opportunity to seek out the rare plants and bird life. Sit among the vast expanses of machair (wild flowers) and enjoy the magnificent unspoilt landscapes.

Moving North up the Hebridean chain of islands, we pass Flora McDonald's birthplace, and visit the isle of Berneray - the jewel of the Hebrides and the birthplace of the World's tallest man. Prince Charles spends his holidays here.

On to the rugged island of Harris with its ancient St Clements church and a wonderful sea side golf course operating on an honour system for payment. We have a few hills to climb enroute to the Island of Lewis where we visit the ancient standing stones at Callanish before arriving at Stornoway.

Our adventure finishes with a sail back to Ullapool on the mainland - the port of departure for America's many Scottish ancestors who were forced to leave their homeland during the "Highland Clearances" in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

SUPPORT:

A support vehicle to carry the luggage, spares, drinking water, snacks, and tools will follow the group. This is a fully serviced tour with vehicle support and qualified Wildcat guides/mechanics. There are a few seats in the vehicle for riders wishing to rest.

Support Vehicle

All bikes are transferred to the start of the tour on our special trailer

Your Guides Brigitte & John

At least 1 Wildcat guide/mechanic will ride with the group.

Biking Profile:

100% asphalt roads.

Average 23 miles per day (with longest day 37 Miles).

Great riding on quiet well surfaced roads.

The tour is vehicle supported.

Most of the riding is on easy undulating terrain (refer to itinerary below for description on terrain).

2 rest days

OUTLINE ITINERARY

Our tour uses several small ferries to hopscotch between the islands. A relaxing and scenic way to travel. All ferries are included in your cycle holiday

Day 1 ARRIVE in SCOTLAND –
Tour briefing & introductions – Build bikes – store boxes.
We stay in Stirling both at the start and the end of the tour; an easy 40 mins train ride to Edinburgh. Stirling is perfectly situated giving participants the option to go for a beautiful pre tour ride into the Trossachs National Park or visit the historic cities of Stirling and Edinburgh.
Overnight Hotel in Stirling.

Day 2 STIRLING – LOCHRANZA (Arran)
Transfer to Ardrossan on west coast of Scotland. Ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran. Visit Brodick Castle. Cycle up east coast of Arran and enjoy the great descent to Lochranza.
Overnight Guest House
(14 miles - 12% climb for 1 mile - option to ride round the island up to 42 miles)

Day 3 LOCHRANZA – BOWMORE (Islay)
Short ferry ride to Claonaig on the Mull of Kintyre. Visit Skipness Castle. Cycle across the Mull of Kintyre to Kennacraig. Ferry to Port Askaig on Islay. Visit woollen mill (where kilts were made for the movies ‘Rob Roy’ & ‘Braveheart’). Visit bird reserve & Finlaggan Archeological site – home of ‘Lords of the Isles’. Cycle to Bowmore.
Overnight Guest House (2 nights)
(26 miles – 12% climb for 1 mile, 12% climb for 500m - option to ride additional miles)

Day 4 ISLAY Day Ride
Day run on Islay – home of 10 distilleries! Ride south to visit famous distilleries (Ardbeg & Laphroig). Beautiful coastal & mountain scenery on quiet roads.
Overnight Guest House.
(34 miles – option to ride on the west coast round Loch Indaal to Portnahaven and up the west coast to Machir Bay. Opportunity to visit Bruichladdich distillery - 44 miles).

Day 5 BOWMORE – OBAN
Short ride to Port Askaig (8 miles). Take ferry to Oban via the beautiful island of Colonsay (30 minutes ashore). Our arrival at 2pm in Oban on the Scottish coast provides us the opportunity to explore this charming old Scottish town situated in a bay overlooking the Ilse of Mull.
Overnight hotel.
(8 miles)

Day 6 OBAN – BARRA
Morning ferry to the Island of Barra via the small islands of Coll & Tiree. Magnificent views of the island of Mull and Suinart. Our arrival on Barra at 3PM allows us time to ride to Vatersay where Prince Charles holidays frequently. Views of the beautiful sand beaches.
Overnight Guest House
(12 miles – with opportunity to extend miles)

Day 7 BARRA – BENBECULA
Ride round the west coast of Barry to take the ferry to Eriskay, where you can visit the Politician Bar where there are bottles of whisky rescued from the wreck of the SS Politician which sank in 1941 with a cargo of 20,000 cases of whisky. This event inspired Compton MacKenzie to write the novel, Whisky Galore. Eriskay also has the famous cockle strand where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed to gather the Highland Clans for the 1745 rebellion. Cycle through South Uist and over the causeway to Benbecula. Visit to Flora MacDonald’s birthplace and traditional thatched cottages (black houses) at Howmore. Loch Druidibeg is a national nature reserve and one of the largest breeding grounds for the Greylag Goose in Britain. Opportunity to sample the local real ales.
Overnight Guest House.
(36 miles)

Day 8 BENBECULA – NORTH UIST visiting BERNERAY
Cycle across the causeways to North Uist and Berneray. Berneray is the birthplace of the world’s tallest man, Angus McCaskill and has wonderful beaches and machair (flower strewn grassland). The traditional crofting way of life is still practised here. Otters, seals and many shore birds can be seen round the rocks and beaches.Visit the ancient Broch in North Uist.
Overnight Hotel on North Uist
(30 miles – with option to extend ride)

Day 9 NORTH UIST – TARBERT
Catch ferry from North Uist to Harris. Visit Rodel and the 12th century St Clement’s Church on Harris. Cycle along the west coast of Harris past beautiful white sand beaches to Tarbert.
Overnight Guest House (2 nights)
(35 miles - 8-10% climb for 2 miles with last 400m being 12% –options to extend ride)


Day 10 TARBERT day run
Day rides east or west to visit small islands and beautiful beaches.The ride East of 16 miles is an out and back undulating ride with several short sections (200-500m) of 10% climbs.
The ride West of 30 miles is an out and back undulating ride with several short sections (500m) of 10-12% climbs.
Overnight Guest House
(16 miles or 30 miles – or both!)

Day 11 TARBERT – STORNOWAY.
Cycle through the mountains of north Harris to Loch Seaforth and on to the largest town in the Hebrides, Stornoway.
An exciting beautiful ride through the mountains around the many sealochs to the capital of Lewis.
Overnight Guest House.
(37 miles – 15% climb for 400m at mile 3 – Option to see the 4,000 year old standing stones at Callanish (extra 20 miles). The stones stand in the form of a Celtic Cross and may have had an astronomical function)

Day 12 STORNOWAY – ULLAPOOL
Explore Stornoway in the morning and take the afternoon ferry to Ullapool. Opportunity to explore Ullapool. Final celebration dinner.
Overnight Guest House.
(25 miles)

Day 13 ULLAPOOL transfer to STIRLING
Transfer in morning to our hotel in Stirling
Box Bikes

Day 14 Say our goodbyes until next time