Family holiday in a van staying in campsites up the outer Hebrides in August and taking the puffin fatty . Looking on here for other threads don't seem to be many routes talked of other than rheningdale postie route but any recommendations would be great for a little adventure escape ?
Thanks all !
All the way up the west side of the uists. almost continual beaches
there is little off road riding in the hebridies
If you have a fatbike then the beaches are amazing. From KIlbride in South Uist you can easily make a looong ride North - as far as the missile range if you think you have it in you to get there and back. It's one long beach interspersed with rocky outcrops. Look out for seals. Last time I was there I had two of them swimming in parallel to me, stopping whenever I did in order to pop their heads up and check me out.
From Balranald in N Uist you can ride round the marked RSPB coastal walk but also head onto the west beach and join up a couple more there too.
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Aha scotroutes ! You're the king of info for Scotland - thanks !
More pictures please!
Ok. Some more recent photos.
A couple of the beaches at Balranald.
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Bivvy night.
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A tidal pool we swam in.
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Had to have one sunset shot.
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We did it about 9 years ago now on fat bikes, parked van on Skye, ferry across then worked our way down from North Uist down to Barra. Rode and bivvi'ed on the beaches every night.
Was one of the best trips i've done, lovely scenery, great people, ate too well and the little CalMac ferries between the islands are fantastic.
Just make sure as you're riding across the bay at Barra that if there is a guy waiving at you furiously, to get clear the beach, as it's also the runway!
I was with Scud on that trip and can confirm that it was a brilliant trip!
And I was with Boltonjon and Scud and confirm it was ace!
there is little off road riding in the hebridies
I'd like to suggest the OS 1:25k Harris maps, lovely Stuff everywhere.
Despite all the advice and all I know, I'm still tempted to try the walkers version of the Hebridean Way by (fat)bike.
If you get the chance and the tides are right, N. Uist over to Vallay and have a look around Erskine Beveridge's old house.
The Hebrides are great for a fatbike.
Check out my film from a few years back:
On Lewis, I took my fatty from Garry Beach at Tolastadh to Ness on the east side.
Would I recommend it? Probably not.
Path Starts off great. Then sheep tracks along the cliffs - eeek. Then peat bog slog, incredible though what you can get through on a fat bike.
Up near Butt of Lewis the dunes at Eoropie are ace fun to play in.
Fatbike is fun especially for beaches.
If you're going on the various tracks, a bike that you can shoulder would be ideal.
There's lots of bits that are really walks, but it's worth having the bike because there are long bits where you'll be glad you have a bike.
I'm torn between bike choice every time I go to Harris, whether to take a lightweight 29er singlespeed for easy portages, or a fatbike.
The perfect bike would be an ultralight fatty.
Some really nice pics video and advice - thanks all - just need to see what escape time i can plan in !