Thinking about an off road session up there for a week. Worth the effort? Any top routes ?

No really much MTB – more small road touring

Harris has some ok riding but nowhere near mainland (NW Highland) levels of quantity and quality. Not enough for a week of just riding though. As TJ said the road touring is very nice

The Mrs & I are going to South Uist again in June, I’m not even taking a bike. It’s good for what Ton did, IE going from one end to the other then on to somewhere else, but I reckon that’s about it.

The Rhenigidale loop is a nice ride, but like others said, not enough to keep you going for a week.

Not much in the way of tracks and trails to explore then? Not really looking for Gnarr just great scenery and some exploring.

Some tracks, some better than others, some dead ends, some loops, but not a huge amount for the ground area. Some of the tracks marked on the OS maps don’t really exist on the ground, some do. There’s some really pretty places, but some are a hell of a slog to get to.

There are a few sections of peat road but these tend to end abruptly in the middle of a moor.

There’s a marked trail on Harris.

There are sections of the Hebridean Trail on North Uist that would be nice for a bit of riding. Access it from the back of the Langais Hotel.

And there are endless beaches. You do have a fatbike, right?

Done the Rheinigedale Loop as well as one that looped around Clisham but you can’t avoid using the main road over from Tarbert towards Stornoway with that one.

Ah, the beaches.

My darling wife has decreed we go to Harris this summer (last year I chose, and I chose the Forest of Dean).

I’m trying to convince her that a stopover in Peebles would be sensible….

I prefer North Uist to Harris but both are superb places to be.

Harris is drop dead gorgeous: Choose between the stunning beaches and machair of the west coast of South Harris and the Golden Road of the east (tortured moon landscape of rock, heather and sea). Sea Eagles fishing outside the Coop in An t-Ob. Fresh langoustines off the boat if you time it right (save the poor critters a long drive to Madrid!).
Learn to dive of surf maybe?
You could ride in to Sron Ulladale (the biggest overhanging cliff in Britain)from near the Abhainn Suidhe estate and return the same way.

Wer’e going back to http://eightaskernish.scot/

Wer’e also doing a cruise but I’m looking more forward to Uist.

I’m not taking a bike on either.

Harris: I take either a gravel/cx bike or a fatbike for the beaches and bogs. There’s very few loops, so an mtb can be a pain as you’ll have a fair bit of road work unless you’re happy to do out and backs.

I’ve found it’s rarely dry enough to do much more than the well known stuff, so expect hike-a-bike if you want to get to interesting places.

The narrow roads down the East side, eg Golden Road are worthwhile in their own right. Quiet, twisting, up and down, there’s a surprise round every corner. Last time I was over I noticed that there’s more signposts showing tracks to explore, but generally there will be bog, so tussock hopping bike portage fun can be expected. (Carry a compass. If the mist comes down visibility can be a very short distance.)

Hope that’s not putting you off. Harris is a great place to take a bike, just don’t expect it to be like anywhere else – you’ll mix all sorts of riding in one outing.

BTW if you do the Rhenigidale track, dip off to the side and have a look at Molinginish. Lovely wee spot, but don’t be tempted to follow the cliff edge track as a shortcut with the bike.

To whet your appetite. (Scotroutes will recognise these spots 🙂 )