The Outer Hebrides | Na h-Eileanan Siar

I first visited the Outer Hebrides in 2019 during a car camping trip to Harris and Lewis, and I instantly fell in love with island life. Over the years, I’ve visited several Scottish islands, but I always wanted to return to the Outer Hebrides and explore the southern islands too. The Hebridean Way offers an incredible route for both walkers and cyclists, taking in 10 islands, 6 causeways, and 2 ferries. It’s probably the best way to experience everything the islands have to offer.

As I’d already been to Harris and Lewis, I didn’t follow the official route exactly, and ended up skipping the ride to the Butt of Lewis. Instead, I cut across from Carloway to Stornoway on the last day of the cycle.

When cycling in Scotland, timing is everything — you’re trying to balance good weather with the absence of midges. Mid-May seemed like the perfect window, and I clearly wasn’t alone: around 25 cyclists boarded the ferry at Oban, many of whom I’d bump into again throughout the trip!

The islands offer a kind of peace I rarely find for myself on the mainland. Of course, it’s a holiday — you’re away from work and not glued to your phone 24/7 — but quiet moments on the beach brought a different kind of mental clarity. I was blessed with incredible weather, only one day of heavy headwind, and just an hour of rain over the whole week — practically unheard of!

Everyone should visit the Outer Hebrides. Its people are warm and inviting, and the sights, food, and local craft shops offer an itinerary that would take months to complete if you wanted to stop everywhere. I’ll certainly be back again!