Outer Hebrides - Tips and Places to stay?

Smithmas

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Hello All,

Just planning my first motorbike tour, figured it sensible staying in the UK for this year at least. Planning on going to the Outer Hebrides in mid August.

After a day trip to Mull, the next part is heading to Barra, South Uist, North Uist, Harris and Lewis before taking the boat to Skye.

Any tips? Essential kit? Places to stay? Must see sights? Fuel easy to get hold of? Camp or B&B? How does the bike get secured on the boat etc?

Thanks for help - appreciate novice questions but will benefit me loads.

Cheers!
 
I’d book early for a b&b and they get their money’s worth out of you.

Mind the midgets, they come out of nowhere.
 
Did all that in 2016.
Fabulous trip.
Amongst others we stayed at the A M Bothan Bunkhouse in Leverburgh on Harris.
Had dinner at The Anchorage just down the hill.Fresh lobster from memory.
Then brek was a coffee and bacon roll from a bus that doubled as a cafe.

Make sure you visit Huisinis Beach on Harris :


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The Old Inn right next to the Talisker Distillery on Skye was good too.
 
Midge net, midge repellent, and another midge net would be the best advice I can give.

It’s a great place though. Did I say there might be midges? Take and use Avon skin so soft and some Deet based midge lotion spray.
 
More seriously. I have done more or less what you plan three times I think.

Mull, generally great. Do a full lap if you can taking in as much of the western peninsulars as you can. If camping try Fidden Farm near Fionport. One of the best ever location-wise. Or semi- wild camp at Calgary bay which is worth a stop regardless.

Barra. You can lap it in half an hour. Visit the airport. Beaches and stuff via the peninsular to Vattersay. The most westerly road in Great Britain is there too.

Eriskay. You will probably scoot across it in two minutes from the ferry.

South Uist. Can be very very windy. West coast is wild and windswept with enormous long beaches. The “Machair” (dunes/lochs/rivers) just inland is unique to the area and well worth a mooch about. If you are a fisherman take, beg borrow or steal a rod. There’s some tracks along the coast you can just about get a bike along. They can be Sandy and you may get stuck. Damhik.

North Uist. It’s just a causeway to get on to it. I found it a bit scruffy. Best spot was to ride up to the mod radar /radio station for the views. I could see St Kilda.

Harris. Best island by far. East coast road is tortuous but spectacular. It takes 2-3x as long on that road compared to the main road. West coast has beaches like you have never seen. Tarbert - tweed, distillery and more. Hang a left about 1mile north and follow the road to the end at Hushishnish. Great beach and wild camping options. Even better beachrs an hour two walk away across the moors.

Lewis. More spectacular sea views and beaches. Black huts, standing stones,Butt of Lewis lighthouse at the north end is worth the ride up. Otherwise quite bleak and after the great sights on Harris a bit disappointing.

Skye. Fab place. A trip of its own really. Too much to mention really. Just ride around. You will work it out. Camping at Glenbrittle and a visit to the Fairy pools is on a long dead end road but well worth it. Seafood shack out the back of Colbost where Talisker is distillery (worth a tour) is worth a visit. Bunkhouse or B&b at Old Inn is ok.

On your other request for tips: boat the crew will either tie your bike down or give you the ratchet strap for a diy job - they’ll check anyway. Probably just over the seat. Use gloves or something to protect.

Camp or B&B. Do both. If the weather is shite b&b or hostel. If not camp.

Fuel, ummm it’s the uk and they have cars there. Lewis on a Sunday maybe difficult but generally every place of a half decent size has a pump. I think there’s a Tesco in Stornaway with fuel Station.

Weather.... you could have four seasons in one day, or four consecutive seasons in four consecutive days. Plan for wind and rain as that’s more likely than dry weather.

Here’s some links to places I’ve used

https://coolcamping.com/campsites/uk/scotland/scottish-isles/isle-of-mull/1083-fidden-farm

https://www.dunardhostel.co.uk/

http://www.gatliff.org.uk/

https://www.southuisthostel.co.uk/

https://lickistoblackhousecamping.co.uk/

https://www.dunvegancastle.com/glenbrittle/campsite/

https://www.theoysterman.co.uk/

Good hostel here http://flodigarry-hostel.scot/
 
Austin's reply is utterly outstanding....where is the applause smilie ?


I can't speak for midgies but I'm fairly sure the Western Isles is a pretty windy place, trying to pitch a tent at Fidden Farm on Mull in the wind was a challenge.

Some of the beeches on Harris/Lewis rival anywhere is the world just lacking the temperatures of more exotic places. As Arsey says, Husinish beech is magnificent as is the one at Kneep on Lewis...see pics below.

I make no apologies for the amount of pics, the Western Isles is up there in the top three trips I've done of all time.


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Pic 1 - Fidden Farm campsite view, Mull
Pic 2 - Luskentyre beech, Harris
Pic 3 - Causeway back from Eriskay
Pic 4 - Kneep beech, Lewis
Pic 5 - Top of the Quirang on Skye
Pic 6 - Road to Hushinish, though heading back the way, Harris
Pic 7/8 - Hushinish beech.

My only bad comment would be about South Uist, dull, flat and boring, absolutely raced through there, ideally wouldn't go back, the rest, as good as anywhere is the weather is good.
 
So glad that Smithmas asked for some advice regarding this trip.
Excellent replies, photos, looks stunning. Now, where's that Skin so soft !!
 
Thanks Guys for all of the replies, some really great information and amazing photos!

Appetite really up for it now and August cannot come soon enough!

Cheers :beerjug:
 
EVERYTHING is closed on sundays. Local tradition and good on them for it. :thumb2
Not even allowed to hang your washing out.
Stunning places to visit. :thumb2 Been going out there for years.
 
We are heading to Mull, Barra, the Uists and Skye this weekend.

Vatersay is simply stunning if you take the road as far as it goes.

The Borve campsite on Barra is in a stunning location.

40 minutes on a ferry takes you from Barra to Eriskay - there is a public shower at the ferry terminal.

From Eriskay there are causeways that link to South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist. Then a ferry to either Skye or Harris and Lewis.

Harris and Lewis in particular close on Sundays.

I think that you would need to book all ferries and accommodation well in advance.
 
For midges - Smidge. Excellent stuff.
Skin-so-soft only seems to work for some folk.
 
My experience is skin so soft stops most of them biting you but not so much from bothering you. It’s nice stuff. Smidge similar but you do also some seem to get bothered less. It’s not that unpleasant. Deet deters them and stops them biting when they land on you as well. It’s foul damaging stuff though. It works better on Mozzies than on midges is my experience so really effective at low strengths in Scandinavia, Alaska etc. 50% Deet needed in Scotland.

Best option is Skin so soft AND Smidge with Deet in reserve in case you end up wild camping on the west coast on a damp windless woodland fringe where nothing is going to stop some of the bastards getting through your defence. Make your tent has a midge mesh door with very fine mesh.
 
Deet works ,, well but is truly Orrible stuff , I had a spill of the 100% stuff and it “ ate” a hole in my tank bag :rolleyes:
I now carry it outside on a wee tub thing strapped to the bars
 
Deet works ,, well but is truly Orrible stuff , I had a spill of the 100% stuff and it “ ate” a hole in my tank bag :rolleyes:
I now carry it outside on a wee tub thing strapped to the bars

Don't let DEET come near ANYTHING that is plastic!!!!
 
EVERYTHING is closed on sundays. Local tradition and good on them for it. :thumb2
Not even allowed to hang your washing out.
Stunning places to visit. :thumb2 Been going out there for years.

You are allowed to hang your washing out, but it may encourage a visit from the local church mafia, such a jolly bunch (they're probably still praying for us).
When we were there, there was hell on about the ferry running on a Sunday, a year or two after returning to civilisation, I read that the first Sunday ferry had happened as well as the first gay marriage on the same day, the thought of Satan being amongst them did raise a smile.
 


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