The Outer Hebrides, also variously called the Western Isles, or the Long Island, consist of a narrow chain of islands 209km long, lying around 64km off the northwest coast of the Scottish mainland. Much of the interior of these islands is bleak and barren, with mile after mile of peat bog bejewelled with tiny lochans and rocky hills. There are also some superb coastal cliffs, and the finest beaches in Britain, with wild mountain tops rising from the shore. Remote crofting communities are scattered around, and with 5000-year-old archaeological remains in their midst, a visit to these islands is a truly unique and magical experience.
The northern part of the Outer Hebrides is made up of Harris and Lewis. People tend to think of them as two separate islands, whereas in fact they are all one land mass. In past times it was easier for people to travel from Lewis to Harris, or visa versa, by boat, rather than trudging across the harsh landscape, so many local people simply thought of Harris and Lewis as being separate.
This walk is in the mountains of west Lewis, one of the wildest areas of this beautiful land.
A walk suitable for experienced backpackers. The route takes you through some very wild and remote terrain, far from help, and although the mountains traversed are never too high, they are nevertheless incredibly rocky. There is a low-level alternative for those who would like an easier walk.
The route leads into the mountains from near the Sands of Uig. Great mountains crowd around on all sides as you walk up a wonderfully wild glen, then you leave the track and make for the heights of Mealaisbhal. A series of rocky hills is then traversed before dropping down on the south side of the range into the wilderness at the head of Loch Tamnabhaigh. A wild camp is taken on the little peninsula of Rubha Garbh. The following day gives a superb coastal walk around to Mealasta, then on around the point of Aird Feinis and back to the starting point.
Tourist Information
There is a good tourist information centre on Cromwell Street in Stornoway, tel 01851 703088. The Outer Hebrides Tourist Board also has a useful website www.visithebrides.com.
Transport
There are two ways of getting to the Outer Hebrides.
Air You can fly to Stornoway from Inverness, Edinburgh or Glasgow. For details of British Airways flights, tel 0345 222 111, or visit their website at www.british-airways.com. British Midland also flies from Edinburgh to Stornoway, tel 0870 60 70 555, or visit their website at www.flybmi.com. From Inverness you can also fly with Highland Airways to Stornoway, tel 0845 450 2245, or visit their website at www.highlandairways.co.uk.
Ferry You can get to Stornoway from Ullapool, or to Tarbert on Harris from Uig on Skye with Caledonian MacBrayne, tel 08705 650000. You can also check timetables and book online at www.calmac.co.uk.
Transport on Lewis A car is essential to get to the start of this walk. You can hire one in Stornoway with Lewis Car Rentals on www.lewis-car-rental.co.uk, tel 01851 703760, or Mackinnon Self Drive on www.mackinnonselfdrive.co.uk, tel 01851 702984.
Accommodation and Supplies
There are a few guest houses in the Callanish area on Lewis. Try Leumadair, tel 01851 621706, e-mail [email protected]. Further north at Galson is the superb Galson Farm Guest House, tel 01851 850492, www.galsonfarm.co.uk.
They also have a comfortable bunkhouse at Galson!
You can buy all the supplies you need in Stornoway, but there are no shops along the route.
Overnight Options
No option but to camp – but what a location to camp in! Pick a wild site somewhere on the Rubha Garbh peninsula at the mouth of Loch Tamnabhaigh.
Escape Routes
To the west lies the narrow, dead-end road running from Uig to Mealasta, while to the east the glen has a good Land-Rover track running north to Uig. (Note Following this Land-Rover track southwards just leads even further into the wilderness.)
Day 1
From the small lay-by walk back along the road to the track near the gravel pit. Turn right onto this track and follow it down to the crossing of Abhainn Stocaill. The track takes you around a big bend to the left, then back right as the views open up before you.
The line of hills on the far side of the glen leads the eye right up to its head. The hills here are some of the rockiest in the Outer Hebrides. Keep a lookout for golden eagles – this is an important territory for them, and it is not unusual to see a pair hunting along the ridges.
Continue to the rise of a knoll then head west across a boggy moor to the east side of Loch Brinneabhal. Red-throated divers regularly nest here, and it is also a good location for dunlin and golden plover on the moorland, and common sandpipers by the shore.
Callanish stone circle on Lewis
Walk around to the south side of the loch from where a rocky slope leads onto the north ridge of Brinneabhal. The top of this low hill at 213m is a good place to view Uig Sands to the north. Leave the top by heading southwest along a vague ridge, passing just north of a little lochan. Continue southwestwards beneath the steep, craggy northern slopes of Mealaisbhal until you reach the gentler northwestern slopes.
Here turn to the southeast up bouldery slopes, then eastwards to a small knoll on the ridge known as Mula Mac Sgiathain. From the knoll a good rocky scramble leads directly southwards to the summit of Mealaisbhal at 574m. (A slightly easier alternative lies to the left, up grassy slopes to a col, then right along the ridge to the top.) A pile of huge boulders marks the highest point.
Thirty-three kilometres west of Lewis the Flannan Isles can be seen on a fine day from the top of Mealaisbhal. There are three small clusters of islands in the group, the main one having two islands, Eilean Mor (Big Island) and Eilean Tighe (Islands of the House).
Head southeast from the summit down a ridge of boulders and grass leading to a col with two lochans at 293m. Again you must skirt under crags to gain easier slopes leading to your next summit, Cracabhal. Head southwestwards to Loch Clibh Cracabhal, then pick up the west ridge leading to the summit of this fine hill at 514m.
The view to the Sands of Uig from Mealaisbhal
Descend to the south to a col, then head east down into the head of the glen draining Loch a’ Chama. Here you pick up the Land-Rover track that you started out along earlier in the day. Turn right and follow this down the glen, heading southwards for the sea at Loch Cheann Chuisil.
As the track drops down to sea level, bear in mind that you’ll need to cross over the river to
