camping tour with kids in outer hebredies

[GraemeG]

Hi thinking of a summer cycle tour with boys of 12 and 11 years in the outer hebredies. Would like to wild camp interspersed with b&b to get washed. any tips? what are the best areas? is wild camping OK? do you think getting b&b rooms will be a problem, wasn't going to book in advance.
any experiences gratefully recieved.

 

[snorri]

A tour from end to end, Barra to the Butt of Lewis, would take a bit of planning, ferries being involved at each end and some in the middle. The population is quite sparse, there are few B&Bs per square, so I would advise booking in advance. Wild camping is OK, there are also hostels/bunk houses. Choosing the best route in South Harris can only be a personal choice between the wide open sandy beaches of the west and the twisting scenic rocky route on the east. In the event of poor weather in the Western Isles there are few alternatives to just braving it out.
Some general info. here
http://www.visit-the-hebrides.co.uk/local-attractions.html

 

[Spinney]

Make sure you go south to north, not vice versa (Barra to Butt of Lewis, as snorri said). You're more likely to have the wind behind you.

And there will be wind...
And if there isn't wind, there'll be midges!

But go for it! Great scenery. Just remember that in most of the islands, NOTHING is open on a Sunday. (Except for the churches, presumably, but we didn't investigate them).

 

[Ticktockmy]

Back in 2009 I did a cycle in the Outer Hebrides, here is my blog of it, might give you some ideas to help.
http://gkyuk.multiply.com/photos/album/4/Outer_Hebridges_Cycle_Tour_June_16th_to_24th_June_2009

 

[Crackle]

Hi thinking of a summer cycle tour with boys of 12 and 11 years in the outer hebredies. Would like to wild camp interspersed with b&b to get washed. any tips? what are the best areas? is wild camping OK? do you think getting b&b rooms will be a problem, wasn't going to book in advance.
any experiences gratefully recieved.

You have many options and not just the Outer Hebrides. I did a mini tour this summer with my two, both a little older. We didn't have the kit for camping and if we had I might not have camped for our first tour, especially in midge country. Instead, we used Hostels, which worked much better and allowed us to keep the load quite light. If it's any help, I did write it up on here, might help you plan yours even though it's not the Outer Hebrides.


http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/family-mini-tour-arran-islay.80208/

 

[Bromptonaut]

Proper campsites are few and far between. On the West Side of Harris there's a site operating most years at Horgabost but occasionally it goes missing - something to do with the grazings committee. There's a slightly more commercial operation on the road by the East at Lickisto. Possibly more and a bunkhouse in the Plocrapool area too.

The SYHA at Stockinish still shown on some maps is long gone. There's an excellent bunkhouse at Leverburgh though, Am Bothan. Also a place called Rockview in Tarbert which tends to get very busy. B&B is generally excellent throughout the isles. Booking in advance is a good idea but the tourist offices at the ferry terminals will help out. There are good bunkhouses in Stornoway too Heb Hostel had excellent reports from my daughter.

There are long, ultimately dead end, roads to the remote communities of Huisnis on the west side of North Harris and Timsgarry and beyond on Lewis. Probably outside the scope of your expedition but there's wonderful camping on the machair by Uig beach, near where the chessmen were found.

The bit of road on Lewis you should try and include is the Pentland Road which runs east to west over the centre of the island. Start from Stornoway and combine with visiting the stones at Calanis. On some maps it looks like a old drove track but in fact it's metalled for it's whole length. Bit difficult to find the Stornoway end, from Marybank watch for signs to Benadrove tip and then go left down the side of the Citroen garage.

 

[oldwheels]

Go for it. Wind is a feature but could be either N to S or S to N. Unpredictable. Bad weather can be really bad with rain and colder than you may be used to so be prepared to go for roofed accommodation.Wild camping is generally not a problem.The native population is usually pretty tolerant and friendly especially if you have children with you.The Sabbath thing is generally exaggerated and in the Southern Isles should not be a problem and some shops are open at least part of the day. Lewis and Harris is stricter but with a bit of discretion for local sensibilities again should not be a problem.In good weather have good sunscreen and midges can be a problem mostly in the evenings.I have been confined to my tent sometimes but headnets are needed if you want to be outside as well as long trousers and sleeves.There are longish distances between shops sometimes so carry at least one day's supply of spare food. Water runs everywhere mostly and I have no qualms about drinking it(check what is visible upstream) but if you are not used to drinking it you may get the "runs" for a couple of days. The colour is pretty dark but this is due to peat. Most houses will give you tap water if you ask politely.I have never used the hostels but they generally get a good report from those who do.Bike shops are confined to Stornoway I think.There are reputed to be others tho' I have never found them open so carry any consumable spares.In emergency the buses are pretty good at squeezing a bike in.

 

[GraemeG]

thanks all to your info and advice. the wild camping is the attractive bit for me, i envisage some great sites for us.
ready to face the weather...what comes is what comes. really interested to know if finding b&b or hostels ad hoc is an issue as we will turn to these at times, most likely weather determined. I am hoping the midges won't be too bad as long as there is a breeze.

 

[Bodhbh]

thanks all to your info and advice. the wild camping is the attractive bit for me, i envisage some great sites for us.
ready to face the weather...what comes is what comes. really interested to know if finding b&b or hostels ad hoc is an issue as we will turn to these at times, most likely weather determined. I am hoping the midges won't be too bad as long as there is a breeze.

Me and a mate went in May a couple of years back. From memory we did have trouble getting B&Bs ad hoc in both Tarbert and Stornoway (there's a campsite in Stornoway, Tarbert we just wild camped outside town above the bay and watched the ferries come in, the swimming pool charged us a quid or 2 to use the showers).

Hostels we just about squeezed in, but they were full. Most however let people pitch outside and use the facilities. In anycase the wild camping is amazing.

I don't know if the wind is always a big feature, but it was pretty brutal when we were there, luckily at our tail as we headed North. With panniers acting as sails you could do about 15mph without peddaling across flat Uist, messing about sprinting you could get the bikes up to 30mph. After we reached the Butt of Lewis we had to turn back into it. We splent 45mins of slogging away at 5-6mph, then thought bugger it, went to the pub and took the next bus to back to Stornoway. We'd been spoilt too long. Needless to say with the wind, we had zero problem with midges.

 

[furball]

Accommodation is hard to come by in Stornoway in July when the Hebridean Celtic Festival is on (11th-14th July next year). The festival is an excellent end to a cycle tour.

 

[Paladin - York]

Hi thinking of a summer cycle tour with boys of 12 and 11 years in the outer hebredies. Would like to wild camp interspersed with b&b to get washed. any tips? what are the best areas? is wild camping OK? do you think getting b&b rooms will be a problem, wasn't going to book in advance.
any experiences gratefully recieved.

Hi GraemeG

Have done a few rides in the Outer Isles (eg avatar) and will probably do some more although I have never camped. However, I do refer to the http://www.scottishcampingguide.com to keep up to date.
Repeat trips have been made to Harris, Hushinish Point, Scarp, Luskentyre, Nisabost, Horgabost (camp site there), Seilebost, Scarasta & North Uist, Sollas and the strands, Balranald Nature Reserve..........the list goes on and on and on.....

If you've never been there before I have a few pix on http://psychlopetualmotion.blogspot.com listed under Blog Archive "Garve to Oban via the Outer Isles".

Hope this helps.

 

[Brommyboy]

Ask the locality of public toilets - camping is usually permitted near those, and it is handy to have water & other facilities on hand, also shelter if very gales suddenly arise! On Sundays in Harris & Lewis everything shuts, except one or two hotels which will be available for meals.

 

[PaulSB]

My tour Glasgo, Arran, Oban, Outer Hebrides Barra to Stornoway, finishing in Inverness is the best I've ridden in the UK. The OH are simply wonderful, stunning.

I stayed in B&Bs and hostels. The one I would advise pre-booking is Barra. The ferry arrives quite late in the evening which is not a good time to start looking for a place. Also be aware even in main season during the week getting a meal after 9.00pm (when the ferry arrives) is near impossible - eat on the ferry.

For the ferries there is no need to plan as cyclists are classed as foot passengers so you just turn up. In season planning is needed if you have a car.

Hostels are quite plentiful and you can camp in the grounds. When I toured the OH out of season it was easy to get a bed. Last summer we went by car and I was a bit irritated to notice a lot of car drivers using the hostels - seemed to be against the spirit of things. Need to arrive early in season probably by 2-3pm

I've been to the OH twice and not seen a single midge, bloody flies though!!!!!

 

[Amanda P]

You might find some inspiration and info here. Barra is great, and it's the one hostel that is well worth booking, since as Paul SB says, the ferry from Oban arrives quite late - and even later if the crossing is a bit lumpy.

The Gatliff trust hostels are all good, and well worth staying in just for their own sake. (Too bad that the Garenin one is closed now).

there's wonderful camping on the machair by Uig beach,

I'll second that. Worth the detour, in my opinion: the beach there is just fantastic. And you could spend a day or two exploring the beaches, Mangersta and tidal islets there.

 

[P.H]

I've been twice, mainly because the first time we tried to cram too much in and had to skip a fair bit, there's still plenty I haven't seen and a third trip is in the planning. Unless you have a lot of time, consider only doing some of the islands bu doing them better. The West and East roads of Harris are both worth doing, it'd be a shame to have to choose. The out and back roads to Uig, Hushinish and Rhenigidale are all great riding. Those three alone would be a good weeks tour, a day riding between and a day exploring each area. It's just the way I'd do it...
I'd agree with most of what's already been said, a couple of things to add; The Gatliff Hostels are great, for a couple of quid you can also turn up and use the facilities even if you're not staying, though the one on Berneray is worth staying at for it's magical location. Not very well publicised, you can take bikes on most of the islands buses, handy if you want to get somewhere and the weather is against you. There's a fairly new place to stay in South Uist, a couple of miles from the Lochboisdale ferry terminal; http://www.uistbunkhouse.co.uk/
Advertised as a bunkhouse, out private room was hotel quality at hostel prices and nice people running it.
I'm sure you'll have a great time, here's a few photos;
http://www.derbyctc.org.uk/pictures/oht/