Hebridean Islands Cycling Adventure Sept 1st – 11th 2026
- by Jackie Jarvis The Walking Business Coach
Day 1 – Starting from Oban
A good start... the sun came out!
After all the bad weather news and my usual “let’s manifest the sun” attitude, the universe amazingly delivered a lovely first afternoon in Oban.
After flying to Glasgow and then catching the train to Oban, the first step towards the Outer Hebrides had been made.
This is a trip I have wanted to do for many years. There had been a few false starts and quite a lot of wondering about how I could make it happen.
Now I have Mick in my life... it made it possible.
Onwards...
Oban is known as the “Gateway to the Isles”, and it certainly feels like one. Sitting on the west coast of Scotland, it is the main departure point for ferries heading out towards many of the Hebridean islands.
Tomorrow, we would leave the mainland behind and take the ferry across the sea to Barra, the most southerly of the inhabited Outer Hebrides.
The Hebridean Way itself is a long-distance route running for around 185 miles (297 km) through the Outer Hebrides, from Vatersay in the south to the Butt of Lewis in the north.
But we weren't simply going to cycle the official route.
We had decided to make a bigger adventure of it, starting in Oban, travelling by ferry to Barra, cycling across the islands and eventually reaching Stornoway before taking the ferry back to the Scottish mainland.
A mixture of cycling, ferries, weather, logistics, e-bikes, panniers and hopefully a bit of fun along the way.
What could possibly go wrong?
