Scottish western isles cycle touring

Hi All

Planned a scottish road bikes tour this ‘summer’ leaving on the 20th may for two weeks. Going with my girlfriend and really looking forward to it. just after some tips and advice from anyone who knows the area. Ive only done Skye already.

The route is as follows:

Arran,
Seal shore camping on the south end
Up the west cost of Arran out the top onto the mainland
Mainland up to Oban (hilly?)
Oban to South Uist
South Uist, North Uist
Newton Ferry
Harris
Lewis/Stornaway
Loop aroung the top back down to Tarbert
Skye
Mallaig

Train home

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=A841+to:A83+to:Soroba+Rd%2FA816+to:A865+to:57.6783,-7.21379+to:A859+to:A859+to:A858+to:A858+to:Dunvegan+Rd%2FA87+to:Armadale+-+Mallaig&geocode=FR4HUAMdHJex_w%3BFWYWTgMdHqmx_w%3BFSA9VAMduPqs_w%3BFW6-XAMdkoqs_w%3BFT4taQMdviGP_w%3BFdwZcAMdIu2R_ynJcrc9OA6NSDHxwozcGWgMEw%3BFUSacwMdvrmX_w%3BFYxDeAMdWhye_w%3BFfQzegMdDGib_w%3BFR3PdwMdFzia_w%3BFYgSbAMdClCh_w%3BFV7aZQMdfRWn_w&hl=en&mra=mi&mrsp=11&sz=9&via=5&sll=57.157099,-6.072693&sspn=1.148466,4.216003&ie=UTF8&z=9

Doing 20-50 miles a day with fairly lightweight camping gear and a few rest days

Any advice on:
good or not good wild camp spots
awful road surfaces to avoid? im on 23mm :s
Locations of corner shops?
how many days food to carry?
If anyone has local knowlege and memory map or similar a detailed check of our proposed route would be much appreciated.

Cheers all

i’m off to do a very similar route (tho not the arran bit) on thursday. i’ll let you know how i get on.

Mainland up to Oban (hilly?)

Don’t remember it being especially bad and I was on my mtb, knobbly tyres and all. Did it a couple of years ago though and bear in mind in my memory it was glorious sunshine:

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23rd September 2009[/url] by Michael (ffcnimmo)[/url], on Flickr

I went the long way round by Loch Awe to get to Oban, don’t know if the ‘main road’ is more or less hilly

I did this a few years ago
glasgow – Lochranza ,stayed youth hostel
to kennacraig then ferry to islay, stayed in port charlotte youth hostel
Back to port askaig and fery too colonsay, this only runs one day a week , stayed in a old hunters lodge that is run by the hotel
ferry clonsay to oban
ferry oban to mull then up to tobermorry , stayed in youth hostel,
tobermorry back to ferry to oban
ferry oban to barra, stayed in castlebay hostel
castle bay down to vatersay then up to howmore, stayed in the black house
howmore to bernaray stayed in blackhouse
bernarat to tarbet, stayed in horrible hostel
tarbet to stornaway stayed in hostel
ferry to ullapool, got bike bus to inverness, train home.
it was a brilliant holiday with the only exception being the hostel in tarbet. best to stop early and go to the hostel at rheningale.
there may be bits missing as I have a bit of a poor memory.
the black houses are old thatchhed crofts that are run as cheap hostels

There where enough shops along the way , normaly a co-op, so never felt he need to carry extra food.
Just remember parts of the westsern isles are shut on a sunday
Roads where fine

bump for the Lunchtime crowd 🙂

Recommend the dunes behind Luskentyre beach on Harris for wild camping (perhaps a bit further away than I did here, was a bit windy!):
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Dont know if you are cyling on the mainland once you get to Mallaig ( I do recommend cycling down through the Ardnamurchan area), but recommend Moidart for camping. There’s a no camping sign, but that’s to keep away the Giro Bayers.

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Arisaig has some decent spots, but it’s a bit more populated so wild camping is a bit more annoying.
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Loch Awe is ok to wild camp on if near Oban, avoid the side with the main road, again due to the park/camp/drink beer brigade. The other side is much quieter:
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The main road through Skye sucks, especially if you have to cycle from Uig all the way to Aardvasar for the ferry.

Harris>Lewis. Stornaway is a dump. Dont underestimate the hills between Tarbert and Stornaway either..some are a PITA and it seems to drag on forever.

For food, there’s enough pubs/shops around, although the food up there is bloody awful in pubs. Just the standard deep fried frozen meals (scampi/chips,fish/chips etc).

Enjoy it! Dead jealous. The islands are a stunning place to cycle.

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Doing similar in July. Glasgow to Arran, camp Lochranza, next day Oban and ferry to Barra, camp Barra. Next day ctycle to Lochmaddy, ferry to Uig on Skye, camp somewhere on Skye. Next day cycle to Lochcarron via Plockton, then Aulbea, then Ullapool, then finally to Durness.

Hills from Clonaig to Oban are OK, did last year with full pack. Worst hill are up Torridon and Wester Ross, but the scenery is spectacular.

South Harris is lovely, but Lewis and Stornoway not worth the effort, muct better getting in Torridon and Loch Maree.

Enough food places on way, and there are plenty of shops, but take at least one days rations, that way you know you will be fine if you have an emergency.

As for rough camping, its no bother, plenty of places. But a site now and then is good for a shower…. But a few places on the Western Isles have got public shoers.