Hebrides
Car and van hire is available at the airport through Stornoway Car Hire. See www.stornowaycarhire.co.uk for further information or telephone 01851 702658.
Taxis are available at the airport and the airport bus service runs at regular intervals throughout the day. Contact 01851 702256 for the latest timetables.
By bus
If you plan your itinerary well it is possible to visit the island and get around using public transport. Even if you bring your own car, you may still need to use a bus to get to the start of a linear walk. Different routes are operated by a range of operators and the service timetable changes during school holidays. The complete timetable is available online at www.cne-siar.gov.uk/travel and if you are planning to make use of them during your stay, it is probably better to print out a complete set and bring it with you. Many services begin or end at Stornoway bus station, which can be contacted at 01851 704327. Otherwise Stornoway Tourist Information Office (01851 703 088) or Harris Tourist Information Office (01859 502 011) can provide information during opening hours.
By cycle
It costs nothing to take a cycle on the ferry and it makes an ideal way to get around, especially if you are camping or hostelling. Alternatively, cycles can be hired at Alex Dan’s Cycle Centre (01851 704 025) and Bike Hebrides (07775 943 355) in Stornoway, and at Harris Cycle Hire (01859 520 319) and Harris Outdoor Adventure (07788 425 157) in Leverburgh.
Where to stay
Both Lewis and Harris offer a range of hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and hostels, so there is something to suit most pockets. If you prefer self-catering accommodation there are numerous holiday homes in all parts of the islands and this may be a more economical option for larger parties.
The cheapest option is a tent and this also gives the flexibility to move around. Although the right to roam means you can camp anywhere in Scotland, if you want amenities such as toilets and showers the only choices are the sites at Stornoway and North Shawbost in Lewis and Liceasto in Harris. During the summer months mobile homes tend to congregate behind the beaches at Riof in Lewis and Hogabost in Harris where there are public toilets. The odd tent is unlikely to cause problems but expect to pay a fee as the sites are on communal grazing land. Otherwise there is a tap near the school at Seilbost, but no toilet facilities, and as you are in a fairly populated part of the islands it may be difficult to find the solitude required for ‘rough’ camping!
The Gatliff Hostel at Rhenigeadal (Walk 7)
Accommodation is in short supply and in the peak season even campsites can get full, so it is advisable to make a reservation before you arrive on the islands. Whatever your needs, a good place to start looking for accommodation is on the Visit the Outer Hebrides website www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk.
Safety considerations
Much of Harris and Lewis is remote and in a normal day you will encounter few fellow walkers. You are very much on your own. There is a local mountain rescue team but even if you are able to raise the alarm it is likely to be some time before assistance arrives. Therefore preventative measures and good risk assessment are vital. In addition to normal good mountain craft, the tips below may help.
Unless you are entirely confident in your navigation skills, think twice before venturing into the higher hills alone. Going as a pair is better, but being a party of three or more is preferable so that one person can remain with any casualty while the other raises help.
Check the weather forecast before you set out. As the Outer Hebrides are essentially a small landmass in a large maritime environment, it pays to check shipping forecasts and coastal waters forecasts as they will give you the outlook for wind speeds and visibility. These can be heard on BBC Radio 4 at 198 kHz on long wave at 0048, 0520, 1201 and 1754, accessed through the BBC Weather pages on the Web or obtained from the local tourist information offices in Tarbert and Stornoway. If you do you will lessen the risk of getting caught out in a gale or having to test your navigation skills in the mist. The wind deserves respect in the Western Isles. In January 2005 the islands experienced the worst gales for 50 years with a lorry driver in Lewis reporting a sheep being blown across his windscreen! Sadly a family of five was killed during the same storm when their car was blown off the South Ford causeway that links Benbecula and South Uist. If in doubt, put the walk off until the next day and find something else to do!
A whistle, watch, torch, survival shelter, first-aid kit and emergency food rations are all essential when venturing into high or remote terrain.
With a scale of 1:25,000 the Ordnance Survey Explorer series gives much more information than the 1:50,000 Landranger series and will make it easier to navigate this potentially difficult terrain. Purists will be happy to navigate with a map and compass, but having a hand-held GPS (global positioning system) will be an added safeguard and will certainly help you move more confidently, and therefore faster, over the often bleak moorland. Whatever you chose, it pays to be diligent, frequently checking your exact location and looking backwards so as to familiarise yourself with what may become a much-needed exit route.
Being exposed to wind and sun, the effects of which are intensified by the surrounding sea, it is always worthwhile during the summer months to include lip balm, sun hat and a high-factor suncream in your pack. Since the weather can change rapidly, and what starts out as a warm sunny day can quickly deteriorate into an unpleasant squall, it is always worth carrying a warm hat and gloves at any time of year.
Although some of the mobile phone networks give remarkably good reception in parts of the Outer Hebrides, it would be foolhardy to rely on a mobile to raise a distress call in the mountains. It is far better to leave your itinerary and estimated time of return with someone before you set out into the hills – remembering to let them know of your safe return lest they alert the support services.
Aurora borealis – the northern lights – are sometimes visible after violent bursts of solar activity
Midges
The peat bogs of Lewis and Harris provide the ideal breeding ground for a midge, Culicoides impunctatus, which despite being less than 2mm long has the infinite capacity to deter people from visiting the Hebrides. The midges swarm in the early morning and evening from May through to September and, once bitten, most people come out in red itchy blotches. The odd bite is tolerable, but being feasted on by a swarm results in a mass of irritable and inflamed lumps and bumps that will take a few days to disappear. Prevention is better than cure and there is a choice of repellents ranging from natural substances such as citronella through to chemically-based creams, sprays
