Cycling Tour of the Hebrides

Cycling is an extremely popular sport and more and more people are discovering the pleasures of taking a cycling tour in preference to other types of vacation. Most choose to tour areas where the ground is rather flat and any hills are but gentle slopes while others prefer to visit areas which offer much more of a challenge. The Isle of Harris in the Western Isles (also known as the Outer Hebrides) of Scotland continues to increase in popularity for cycling tours and vacations and is well worth consideration if you are a competent and athletic cyclist.

The Western Isles (or Outer Hebrides) is a collection of over 200 islands situated off the west coast of Scotland in the U.K. Although, in the past, many of the islands were populated today only a small number sustain a population. The main islands are the Isle of Lewis in the north, which is joined to the Isle of Harris, and North & South Uist further south and a few other small islands such as Scalpay, Barra and Benbecula. It is possible to tour the main islands along a mix of single and double track roads crossing a number of bridges and causeways and at least one ferry.

You will find that South and North Uist are much flatter that the Isle of Harris. After visiting the beaches and other tourist attractions on Uist the Isle of Harris comes as something of a surprise. The beaches are just as, if not more, spectacular but the hills start off gentle but as you move further north they become far more challenging until you reach the mountains of North Harris. There is really only one steep assent and a steep descent in the range but it can be exhausting. Once you reach the Isle of Lewis the terrain flattens to open moorland and onto Stornoway, the main (and only) town of the Outer Hebrides. Further north the terrain once again becomes slightly more challenging.

Cycling in the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) necessitates the need to understand a few safety measures and considerations. It is of extreme importance that you fully understand how easy it is to get sunburnt on the islands, even on what appears to be a dull day the UV rays still manage to get through to cause their damage. Please take great care not to allow yourself to become too distracted by the incredible scenery and always pay attention to the road and other traffic. Rather than cause obstruction simply pull to one side, move away from the road and then spend as much time as you like taking in the wonderful views.

You may not have experienced single track roads before so remember that you should always pay special attention to safety while using them. Do not ride alongside each other and keep an eye both forwards and backwards for any traffic. To allow traffic to pass simply use the next passing place, you should pull into those on your left but if it is on the right you must pull over to the left and the traffic will drive around. Even on double track great care should be taken as many locals (and some visitors) can drive at rather fast speeds and, with the roads being so full of bends, there can be danger if you are not diligent.

The Outer Hebrides are a religious place with the southern parts (mainly South Uist) being mainly Catholic and the northern islands being Protestant. This leads to a number of differences with the most obvious being that in some parts of North Uist and nearly all of the Isle of Harris and Isle of Lewis, nearly everywhere is closed on Sundays. It is therefore incredibly important that you ensure that you will have everything you need over the weekend before Saturday evening.

Although there are now a few places that open on Sundays in Stornoway you should ensure that you arrive before then, especially if you are needing to visit the local bicycle shop for spares or repair (they also rent out bikes). Stornoway is only a small town and should be explored on foot, and, if you have time, make the effort to take a stroll in the Lews Castle grounds if the weather is nice.

If a full cycling tour of the Western Isles is beyond your capabilities but you enjoy cycling you may want to consider having a vacation on the Isle of Harris where you can cycle to some of the finest beaches with ease. There is plenty of superb accommodation available on Harris with plenty of B&B's, guest houses, self catering properties, a couple of hotels, hostels and places to camp.

Article Source: http://www.health-fitness-for-all.com

If visiting the Isle of Harris check out our listings of Isle of Harris self catering accommodation and bed and breakfast on the Isle of Harris

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