The Outer Hebrides way July 2025

After my Pennine way trip in 2022, i wanted to try a challenge with slightly less distance each day. This one was 20-25 miles each day not 30miles like before. The elevation was also slightly lower. Truly a trip of the lifetime. Landing on the beach was standout amazing. NB I don’t get commission on anything!!!!

Overview of the Outer Hebrides way

• Length: ~167 miles (walking) / ~185 miles (cycling)

The trip overs multiple islands (you can get across most by road bridge except for two ferries) the ferry shelters are not heated and the boats are efficient but also cold!!:

    1. Vatersay

    2. Barra

    3. Eriskay

    4. South Uist

5. North Uist

    6. Benbecula

    7. Grimsay

    8. North Uist

    9. Berneray

    10. Harris

    11. Lewis

 Major Settlements

• Castlebay (Barra)

• Lochboisdale (South Uist)

• Balivanich (Benbecula)

• Lochmaddy (North Uist)

• Tarbert (Harris)

• Stornoway (Lewis)

• Highest point overall: ~620 m (Ben More)

Famous Landmarks

• Luskentyre Sands (Harris)

• Barra Airport beach runway

• Callanish Standing Stones (Lewis)

• Butt of Lewis Lighthouse (northernmost point)

Things you should definitely do;

The coast of Uist is uninhabited and home to a load of wildlife. We took a couple of boat trips here which were unbelievable despite the horrible cold.

Lady Anne Wildlife Cruises, North Uist, Wildlife Boat Trips.

Missing link here.

Hotels

Room Selection | Craigard Hotel

Our first hotel was the craigard hotel. The owner was amazing. He basically told us the islands are so small everyone relies on everyone else and gave us his mobile number. My heart melted immediately and we felt 100% welcome on the  island.  The bar was full of locals and everyone was friendly. Food also testy and wholesome

Polochar inn

Beautifully set on the coast itself. You can sit outside the pub and watch the sea. Its gorgeous. Home - Polochar Inn my first days run was from barra and I could see the inn over the road bridge and it was lovely to run right up to my home for the evening.

The Lochboisdale Hotel this was our third stay. All day eating and lovely rooms. They had a drying room. Having been wet and cold all day I wanted to curl up in there it was toasty and lovely and all my stuff got dried out.

We ate while travelling through Benbecula at Charlies bistro. Charlie's Bistro with accommodation, Isle of Benbecula | Facebook apologies to anyone like me who doesn’t have facebook. The food was DELICIOUS fresh seafood and they plied us with the local gin (our favourite was the grapefruit)

Harris Hotel - Isle of Harris OMG this was a proper town. There is a distillery, we didn’t go but we wish we had booked it. The harris hotel has the most amazing old fashioned bar with good camaraderie – the service was good – we went out for dinner as we were so astonished to find options so I cant comment on the foods.

Then we stayed in two air bnbs. One in the middle of nowhere between Tarbert and Stornoway and then one in Stornoway itself.

In Stornoway – there is a ton of choice and loads of restaurants so take your pick.

 Learnings

1.      If the weather is really bad, you might need to run in the centre not on the coastal path as the wind is crazy.

2.      The path they have made is a new path and I think locals felt that there could have been slightly different ones that would have made better walking. Ask when you arrive.

3.      The people are the most friendly. We met such amazing people.

4.      There are not a lot of petrol stations. And there are sometimes limits on what you can buy. You definitely need to forward plan where and when you will buy. Then you get to Stornoway there are two!!!

5.      Take a historical tour in Stornoway. Our guide was amazing.

6.      The ferry terminals are not heated and there are no services there. Plan ahead.

7.      One day my hip flexor on one side was trashed as I was running into the wind all day. Strengthen them up.

8.      Buy food when you see a shop. They are few and far between.

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The prize at the end

A plane for 10

Damn cold ferries

beautiful beaches

maybe the coldest summer ever

stunning hills

the end (post shower)