Hebridean Way
The Hebridean Way runs from Eoropie to Vatersay over 5 stages: 308 km and 1,430 m of climbing in the UK. Every stage has a map, elevation profile, road facts and a GPX file.
Route at a glance
- Distance
- 308 km
- Climbing
- 1,430 m
- Stages
- 5
- Countries
- 1
- Average stage
- 62 km
- Longest stage
- 83.5 km
- Most climbing
- 557 m
- Riding time
- ~22 h
- Surface
- Paved
- Bike
- Road bike
- Best months
- Jun to Aug
- GPX
- Every stage + whole tour
- Start
- Eoropie
- Finish
- Vatersay
Full route map
Itinerary: 5 stages
Average 62 km and 286 m a stage. Longest day: stage 1 (83.5 km). Most climbing: stage 2 (557 m). Shortest: stage 5 (20 km).
| Stage | Route | Country | Distance | Climbing | Surface | Difficulty | Time | GPX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eoropie to Balallan | UK | 83.5 km | 500 m | Paved | Moderate | 5 h 58 min | GPX |
| 2 | Balallan to Strond | UK | 72.1 km | 557 m | Paved | Moderate | 5 h 09 min | GPX |
| Transfer · Strond to Borve by ferry — not ridden, not counted in the distance | ||||||||
| 3 | Borve to Balivanich | UK | 59.2 km | 126 m | Paved | Moderate | 4 h 14 min | GPX |
| 4 | Balivanich to Ardmore | UK | 73.3 km | 129 m | Paved | Moderate | 5 h 14 min | GPX |
| Transfer · Ardmore ferry crossing — not ridden, not counted in the distance | ||||||||
| 5 | Ardmore to Vatersay | UK | 20 km | 118 m | Paved | Easy | 1 h 26 min | GPX |
How difficult is this tour?
308 km and 1,430 m of climbing over 5 stages: 62 km and 286 m a stage on average.
The longest day is stage 1, Eoropie to Balallan (83.5 km); the most climbing is on stage 2, Balallan to Strond (557 m); the shortest is stage 5, Ardmore to Vatersay (20 km).
At 62 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 50–90 km.
Riders can go faster or slower than the documented itinerary: the same 308 km is 6 riding days at 60 km a day, 4 riding days at 80 km a day and 4 riding days at 100 km a day.
Surface and traffic
Paved: 94% of the route is mapped as paved, 2% as unpaved and 5% has no surface data.
0 km (0%) is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane; 227 km (74%) is on main roads without one, and 80 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more.
The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 30 km, on stage 2.
Signed routes this tour follows
- Hebridean Way - stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Best time to ride
From ten years of weather at the stage towns, Jun to Aug are good for riding along the whole route.
Logistics
- Strond to Borve by ferry after stage 2 and Ardmore ferry crossing after stage 4 - not ridden, and not counted in the distance.
- 4 of 5 stage finishes have a hotel, guesthouse or campsite mapped within a short ride of the finish.
- The longest stretch without a café, shop or water on any stage is 30 km, on stage 2.
What it was actually like to ride
About this tour
The Hebridean Way runs over five stages across the Western Isles of Scotland, starting at Eoropie and finishing at Vatersay. You will cycle a total of 308 km with 1430 m of climbing on this route.
Stage 1 from Eoropie to Balallan covers 83.5 km with 500 m of elevation gain. It passes many places including Fivepenny, Callanish, and Laxay, and has a moderate climb of 2 km at 2% average gradient around 21 km in. The highest point on this stage is 96 m.
Stage 2 from Balallan to Strond is 72.1 km with 557 m of climbing. The biggest climb is 2.8 km long at 5.8% average gradient starting about 16.6 km in and reaching a height of 192 m. Two smaller climbs occur at 36 and 39 km. The highest point on this day is 194 m.
Stages 3 and 4 are flatter. Stage 3 from Borve to Balivanich is 59.2 km with only 126 m total ascent, and no named climbs. The highest elevation is 26 m. Stage 4 from Balivanich to Ardmore covers 73.3 km with 129 m climbing, including a 2.2 km climb at 2.2% gradient near 59 km, rising to 49 m high.
The final stage from Ardmore to Vatersay is 20 km with 118 m of elevation gain and a highest point of 51 m. There are 11 water or food stops on stage 1, 12 on stage 2, 6 on stage 3, 8 on stage 4, and 2 on the last stage. Temperatures and months ridden are not recorded.
Photos from the road
Stage 1 · Eoropie to Balallan 
Stage 2 · Balallan to Strond 
Stage 3 · Borve to Balivanich 
Stage 4 · Balivanich to Ardmore 
Stage 5 · Ardmore to Vatersay
Questions riders ask
How far is Eoropie to Vatersay by bike?
308 km along this route, in 5 stages averaging 62 km.
How long does it take to cycle from Eoropie to Vatersay?
Moving time is estimated at about 22 hours. At 60 km a day it is 6 days, 80 km a day it is 4 days and 100 km a day it is 4 days.
How much climbing is involved?
1,430 m in total. The most climbing in a day is 557 m on stage 2, Balallan to Strond.
How difficult is the route?
At 62 km a day on average, it suits riders used to back-to-back days of 50–90 km. The longest day is 83.5 km.
Is it suitable for a road bike?
94% of the route is mapped as paved and 2% as gravel or unpaved (5% has no surface data). Based on that: road bike.
Is there a GPX file?
Yes. Every stage has its own GPX download, and the whole tour is available as one GPX file with a track per stage.
What is the best time of year?
From ten years of weather at the stage towns, Jun to Aug are good for riding along the whole route.