5 day London Hebrides London Tour?

Every three weeks I get a five day weekend and I am thinking about
taking a tour of the Western Isles before the schools escape for the
summer, probably in June. Using the train to get there and taking my
folding birdy and CF city trailer.

So a vague itinerary is

Thurs eve train from London to Glasgow.
Friday train from Glasgow to Oban ferry to Castlebay on Barra.
Friday eve potter around Barra and Vattersay.
Saturday 55 miles to Southern part of North Uist.
Sunday 60 miles across North Uist to Harris (The Sound of Harris ferry
runs three times a day on Sunday) to Reinigeadal YH on Harris taking
the twiddly east coast road.
Monday 65 miles to Stornoway via Carlabhaigh on the north coast.
Tuesday ferry to Ullapool and ride to station at Garve or Dingwall,
max 45 miles, long train journey to London.

Are those kinds of distances achievable on the island roads with a
touring load? I'm thinking of BnBing it to save lugging the tent and
sleeping stuff.

The only really bad part of the plan is getting back to London at
11.30 at night with work in the morning. :-(

If it goes seriously pear shaped with regard to the weather or rate of
progress I can bail out at Lochmaddy or Tarbert and cross Skye from
Uig to get the train from Kyle to Glasgow.

Any thoughts or gotchas I havent realised?
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook writes:

Are those kinds of distances achievable on the island roads with a
touring load? I'm thinking of BnBing it to save lugging the tent and
sleeping stuff.

Any thoughts or gotchas I havent realised?

What made our trip slow at times was letting cars pass on single track
roads. Ferry time tables can cause delays as well.
One sort of gotcha is that I found the joy of cycling there was taking
side trips to beaches and bays, and taking the shortest route straight up
would miss that out. I think the wild camping we did made the trip more
special but finding the right spot takes time.

Roos

Roos Eisma wrote:

What made our trip slow at times was letting cars pass on single track
roads. Ferry time tables can cause delays as well.
One sort of gotcha is that I found the joy of cycling there was taking
side trips to beaches and bays, and taking the shortest route straight up
would miss that out. I think the wild camping we did made the trip more
special but finding the right spot takes time.

Another thing about the full camping loads was that when we did detour
to a nice beach we just happened to have stove, water etc. for a better
class of snack break.

In terms of covering the Hebrides we didn't do very well. In terms of
having a great time in a wonderful place I think we did okay...

Another option (and one we took) is back to Uig rather than Ullapool,
over Skye and ferry from Armadale to Mallaig where you've got another
train terminus to play with.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Phil Cook wrote:
Every three weeks I get a five day weekend and I am thinking about
taking a tour of the Western Isles before the schools escape for the
summer, probably in June. Using the train to get there and taking my
folding birdy and CF city trailer.

So a vague itinerary is

Thurs eve train from London to Glasgow.
Friday train from Glasgow to Oban ferry to Castlebay on Barra.
Friday eve potter around Barra and Vattersay......

Tuesday ferry to Ullapool and ride to station at Garve or Dingwall,
max 45 miles, long train journey to London.

Any thoughts or gotchas I havent realised?

Does the sleeper help your itinery, or have all the cheap births gone by now
? That might get you to Oban mid-morning on Friday, and allow a later
return from Inverness.

I assume you are aware that the Western Isle has a fairly large number of
traditional church followers, so not everything is open on a Sunday?
However, observance is in decline, so the number of places which are open is
higher than in the past; CalMac are considering putting on Sunday ferry
sailings to the mainland.


- Nigel


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

Peter Clinch wrote:

Roos Eisma wrote:

What made our trip slow at times was letting cars pass on single track
roads. Ferry time tables can cause delays as well.

I think I've got the ferries figured. The one that is crucial is the
Sound of Harris on Sunday but my day's planned miles that day split
nicely between North Uist and Harris so I should be able to make the
13.00 sailing.

One sort of gotcha is that I found the joy of cycling there was taking
side trips to beaches and bays, and taking the shortest route straight up
would miss that out. I think the wild camping we did made the trip more
special but finding the right spot takes time.

Another thing about the full camping loads was that when we did detour
to a nice beach we just happened to have stove, water etc. for a better
class of snack break.

The stove would be going in any case, you can't beat a good brew and I
might just fancy catching some mussels or razors...

In terms of covering the Hebrides we didn't do very well. In terms of
having a great time in a wonderful place I think we did okay...

Yeah. I just wonder how may pictures I'd take and how much time that
will add...

Another option (and one we took) is back to Uig rather than Ullapool,
over Skye and ferry from Armadale to Mallaig where you've got another
train terminus to play with.

The point of going to the North coast of Lewis is to look at the
blackhouse village at Na Gearrannan and once I have been there
Stornoway is the best way out especially since the ferry sails at
07.00

Once I'm back on the mainland all trains lead to Glasgow (eventually)
so the main ticket between there and London can be an Advance, which
is cheapest though tied to specific trains.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Nigel Cliffe wrote:

Phil Cook wrote:
Every three weeks I get a five day weekend and I am thinking about
taking a tour of the Western Isles before the schools escape for the
summer, probably in June. Using the train to get there and taking my
folding birdy and CF city trailer.

So a vague itinerary is

Thurs eve train from London to Glasgow.
Friday train from Glasgow to Oban ferry to Castlebay on Barra.
Friday eve potter around Barra and Vattersay......

Tuesday ferry to Ullapool and ride to station at Garve or Dingwall,
max 45 miles, long train journey to London.

Any thoughts or gotchas I havent realised?

Does the sleeper help your itinery, or have all the cheap births gone by now
? That might get you to Oban mid-morning on Friday, and allow a later
return from Inverness.

Work starts too early on Wednesday to enable the sleeper to be an
option. So it's going to be the last train of the day from Glasgow to
London. Getting to Barra is limited by the ferry timetable so taking
all day to get there by train and ship from Glasgow is a given. At
least with the looooong days I'll have plenty of time to potter when I
get there, weather permitting of course.

I assume you are aware that the Western Isle has a fairly large number of
traditional church followers, so not everything is open on a Sunday?

I can be self sufficient in food, even if I don't take a tent the wee
camping stove will go along. As it happens one of the places I want
to go to is St. Clements Church at Rodel so that day being a Sunday
kind of fits in nicely. :-)

However, observance is in decline, so the number of places which are open is
higher than in the past; CalMac are considering putting on Sunday ferry
sailings to the mainland.

It's only the Uig-Harris and Stornoway-Ullapool services that keep the
sabbath now.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

On 19 May, 14:33, Phil Cook wrote:

I think I've got the ferries figured. The one that is crucial is the
Sound of Harris on Sunday

Be aware that this is also the ferry most vulnerable to cancellations.
The Sound is only just deep enough for the vessel, and if various
combinations of wind and tide reduce the depth below normal then the
sailings have to be cancelled. This can lead to all the accomodation
in An-tob and on Bernary getting filled up by stranded people.

My wife & I were caught last year. Locals told us this happens once or
twice a month.

If you should get stuck anywhere, remember that most of the island
buses will carry full-size cycles.
One driver cheerfully invited us to lift ours in through the emergency
exit and put them on the rear seats.

On 19/05/2009 14:33, Phil Cook wrote:
Peter Clinch wrote:

Another option (and one we took) is back to Uig rather than Ullapool,
over Skye and ferry from Armadale to Mallaig where you've got another
train terminus to play with.

The point of going to the North coast of Lewis is to look at the
blackhouse village at Na Gearrannan and once I have been there
Stornoway is the best way out especially since the ferry sails at
07.00

Once I'm back on the mainland all trains lead to Glasgow (eventually)
so the main ticket between there and London can be an Advance, which
is cheapest though tied to specific trains.

If you're going from Inverness (or from Kyle / Ullapool etc) to London
its probably quicker/easier/cheaper to go via Edinburgh instead of
Glasgow. There is one direct train per day, the 0755 NXEC.

If you go via Glasgow you would have to walk/cycle between Queen Street
and Glasgow Central (it's not very far, just a bit extra hassle maybe).

--
Craig Wallace
http://craig.neogeo.org.uk
http://www.neogeo.org.uk

Phil Cook wrote:
Nigel Cliffe wrote:

Phil Cook wrote:
Every three weeks I get a five day weekend and I am thinking about
taking a tour of the Western Isles before the schools escape for the
summer, probably in June. Using the train to get there and taking my
folding birdy and CF city trailer.

So a vague itinerary is

Thurs eve train from London to Glasgow.
Friday train from Glasgow to Oban ferry to Castlebay on Barra.
Friday eve potter around Barra and Vattersay......
Tuesday ferry to Ullapool and ride to station at Garve or Dingwall,
max 45 miles, long train journey to London.

Any thoughts or gotchas I havent realised?
Does the sleeper help your itinery, or have all the cheap births gone by now
? That might get you to Oban mid-morning on Friday, and allow a later
return from Inverness.

Work starts too early on Wednesday to enable the sleeper to be an
option. So it's going to be the last train of the day from Glasgow to
London. Getting to Barra is limited by the ferry timetable so taking
all day to get there by train and ship from Glasgow is a given. At
least with the looooong days I'll have plenty of time to potter when I
get there, weather permitting of course.

I assume you are aware that the Western Isle has a fairly large number of
traditional church followers, so not everything is open on a Sunday?

I can be self sufficient in food, even if I don't take a tent the wee
camping stove will go along. As it happens one of the places I want
to go to is St. Clements Church at Rodel so that day being a Sunday
kind of fits in nicely. :-)

However, observance is in decline, so the number of places which are open is
higher than in the past; CalMac are considering putting on Sunday ferry
sailings to the mainland.

It's only the Uig-Harris and Stornoway-Ullapool services that keep the
sabbath now.
Nobody has mentioned the wind, and I assume everyone knows of the
"Island Hopper" tickets.
As not very fit cyclists we had planned a trip this year, and we'd been
told by others that strong winds can stall your progress. We'd thought
of options using the ferries to help us run with the wind.
Visitors from Germany and a conference now fill the slot!
"Down the Danube" last year was almost too easy.
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/79/article7.html


Jim

"J. Chisholm" wrote in message
...

Nobody has mentioned the wind, and I assume everyone knows of the "Island
Hopper" tickets.
As not very fit cyclists we had planned a trip this year, and we'd been
told by others that strong winds can stall your progress. We'd thought of
options using the ferries to help us run with the wind.

Phil's doing it the right way to get the wind behind him - otherwise I'd
have mentioned it.