The Outer Hebridean Way
Our consecutive annual epic in 2023 takes us to the remote and wondrous Outer Hebrides for an 8-day Gaelic adventure, crossing six Hebridean islands via causeway linkages, ferries and boats.
Trip Summary
Early morning swims in the Atlantic and white shell sand, average 55 miles (mainly) flat days (with a few bumps on Harris) we start in Vatersay and arrive, 7 days later to the beautiful Butt of Ness on the Northernmost tip of Lewis.
We meet in Glasgow on Saturday 20th May, spending the evening getting to know each other and the city before heading on the 8am train to Oban where we take our ferry to Castlebay, Barra. Across the next 6 days we cycle north, from Barra to Eriskay, South Uist, North Uist, Benbercula, Harris and Lewis, travelling back from Stornoway to Ullapool and then across to Inverness. Trains from Inverness from 4pm Saturday 27th or stay with us an extra night and head on Sunday morning bright and early.
Route and riding
What's Nice?
Each island is different. Vatersay and Barra (joined by a beautiful winding causeway) are undulating picturesque and small islands, with white shell sands and emerald green water. We ferry to Eriskay and cycle from there through South Uist, North Uist to Benbecula, a stunning two-day ride that goes through barren, remote flatlands towards the northern, hilly landscape of Benbercula. From here we ferry to Harris, hitting the stunning beaches of Lluskentyre, Eoropie, Dalmore.. to name just a few.
Vibe
This is some nice riding along quiet lanes and roads as we wind northwards with the wind (hopefully) behind us. First three days are relatively flat with some hills up towards Harris. Some shorter days around 50 mile to allow for extra swim and chill time in the pretty villages on these remote islands.
Travel there and back
Get yourself to Glasgow for Saturday evening (20th May) and a train back to Inverness on Saturday 27th from 6pm or Sunday 9th. We'll take care of the rest!
Download our Outer Hebrides tour pack and find out more about the beautiful routes and stopovers, what to pack, how to get there, compare with other trips and more!
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Meet your Guides!
Shalyn Wilkins
Since joining her first Brake the Cycle trip, Shalyn has been hooked on adventuring by bike. Having now converted countless friends and family (and sometimes even strangers) to the joys of biking, Shalyn joins us to lead rides and share her infectious enthusiasm for exploring by bike, opportunistic yoga, sharing good food and camping under the stars. It's also quite possible that Shalyn holds the record for the most puncture-repairs in a calendar year - so we're glad to be in experienced hands.
These guys are the absolute best. Not just for the expertly planned routes, helpful bike advice, delicious food and incredible places we stayed in, but also for the amazing new group of friends I got to ride with. Memories to treasure.
I had so many doubts to my cycling abilities before embarking on an adventure with Brake the Cycle. I'm so, so glad I went for it - The crew and my fellow cyclists couldn't have been more supportive and I ended up having one of the most memorable 3 weeks of my life. I loved every aspect of the tour - the route, the food, the camping & accommodation, the team, the ethos, and all the wonderful new friends I've made.
Brake the Cycle was an incredible experience, a real adventure that provided too many highlights to recount. Visiting the different projects along the way meant that every day there were things to talk about and consider, the trip couldn't have gone smoother from arrival to departure.
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