Cycling UK Forum

Planning the commion trip up the Outer Hebridies. Leave from Oban come back to Ullapool. Thing is the cars have to be some where. We could park at Oban and cycle back. Nice but would add maybe 3 days at our sight seeing rates. There is a bike bus from Ullapool that would help a bit but not the whole way. Train seems a pain, especially as I reckon that a group of us would get on together and we would end up days apart.
Just wondering what people have done.

Bike carriage helped Tim to keep service going in some years and bus runs return trip to Durness. If only a few bikes they go inside the bus, so he need notice to run with the trailer - used to have capacity for 1 tandem

Remember that a default clause in bus contract on Western Isles requires most supported services to carry cycles, generally all except school and commuter times.

West Coast Motors carry bikes on some routes - notably the one connecting 3 ferry piers on Argyll peninsula

Scottish Citylink carry bikes if you pack them flat and bag them up (CTC bike sack) as does Megabus, if space is available along with Stagecoach Highland / Bluebird on services operated by coaches - but don't be stupid about where you get on or off - cycle to main stopping points where you won't be doing this at the roadside on a busy road. Reports of up to 10 bikes on 50 seat coach when kids go to BMX and MTB trails. One nice summer only route is 501/502 (and connection on same coach from Aberdeen) Ballater to Aberfeldy/Perth on alternate days via the Spital of Glenshee - offering some scary/thrilling downhill riding from the summit - expect to exceed 40mph.

Oban trains are Class 156 - officially space for 6 bikes - with good packing you'll fit in a few more and a parallel coach route option.

Saturday Inverness-Edinburgh trains have 1 trip diagrammed for 3 x 2-coach Class 158 trains - officially 4 spaces per 2 coaches but you'll fit in 6-7 in each 2 coach unit, weekdays same train with 2 x 2 and normal services are 1 x 3-coach Class 170 (4 bikes but 6+ usually no problem).

Just have to resurrect this thread to say how great the bike bus is.

We returned from the Outer Hebs via Ullapool and took the D&E coaches bike bus to Inverness on Tuesday.

This was the first item we have used this service so can't comment on the previous operator but this one worked seamlessly. Booked the spaces by phone the day before. Big-ish minibus turned up with trailer for our two bikes and 3 others with bikes. Had to take the panniers off but the driver does all the work attaching bikes to the trailer so the £5 charge per bike is pretty reasonable.

Highly recommended. Shame there aren't more around the country.

Planning a tour of N scotland this summer. Return to inverness from ullapool using Tim dearman bus was part of the plan . On checking TD website have found that Tim Dearman retired this April so no bus for bikes. Not keen on the ullapool- inverness road Be grateful for ideas/advice

The Tim Dearman bike bus operates on Sundays in July and August.

Another idea for riding the Outer Hebrides is to leave your vehicle at Uig on Syke where there is lots of parking space, take the ferry over to Lochmaddy and then bung your bikes on a southboard bus. They all take bikes (at the driver's disgression) but are generally very helpful and last time I did this the bus had bikes in the boot and all across the back seat.

Couple of years ago, we could only got down to Dalabrog in South Uist on the bus, stayed at a B&B there and then took a day ride on a Sunday around Barra and back without the panniers which was a joy. When we got to the Butt of Lewis two days later, again we threw the bikes on a bus and went back via a change at Stornoway to Tarbert in Harris to get the ferry back to Uig. This is certainly the easiest way to ride the 'Barra to Butt' if that is your only goal and can easily be made into a longer tour by riding all the dead ends along the way (it's where the really awesome bits are) or leaving the car on the mainland and riding across Skye.

There seems to be an increasing number of cyclists riding in the Western Isles and Barra to the Butt is becoming something of an iconic routes - met a lovely crowd from Japan on Harris last year who had bought over their own very beautiful bikes and dressed up in tweeds for the ocassion. But if everyone starts using the buses the Western Isles Council are going have to start putting racks on them, which to my mind is not a bad thing.

Finally I've just had a paeon on biking in the Hebs published in the new edition of The Ride Journal, but you can read it gratis here https://acrosstheminch.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/cycling-in-the-hebrides/ I love the place so damn much, I'm in the process of moving there.

There is a bike bus that goes from Ullapool to Inverness. You can then get the train home from Inverness. Not sure which bus company it is but I am sure Mr Google will know.

This is it http://www.timdearmancoaches.co.uk/durness.htm

I cycled down the west coast in 2009. Along the way I spotted a bike bus, small single decker, it passed me once in each direction most days, I used to get a wave from the driver. It *MAY* have been one of the Stagecoach group but I won't swear to it and I'm not sure how far south it went, certainly at least to Gairloch and possibly beyond. Maybe Google is in order.

Ive done it before public transport is the only option you could get back to Oban from Ullapool use the Tim Dearman bike bus then train from inverness via Glasgow to Oban it will take 2 days. You the ferry about lunch time from Stornoway I think the bus is in ullapool an hour or so later but check the time table. The bus might get you to Inverness in time to get the last train to Glasgow but arrives late after 11 too late to travel on.

Consdider

1. Cycling back to Oban via the great glen and Fort William.
2. Leaving the car in Glasgow and using the train to Oban and from Inverness.
3. Return cycling via Uig on Skye to Fort William or Mull Oban
4. Cycle back down to Barra or Lochboisdale and get the ferry back to Oban
5. Bike hire is available from at least 1 of the bike shops in the western Isles. They are delivered to one end of the islands and returned at the other I think you can hire panniers as well. just drive to Oban do the ride get buses and ferries back to the start but I think that will take 2 days as well.

I think option 2 is the best long term parking is available at the airport at a cost. Drive up the day before you start park get accommodation in Glasgow and get the morning train to Oban it connects with the ferry tthe station is close to the ferry terminal. You could get the train from Garve but its only worth it if you are going to cycle there and getting a reservation for the bike will be difficult the Dearman bus will probably be closer to your requirements

You need to book your bike on both rail routes the Oban train is easier but the Inverness train gets busy with people doing Lejog book that early. Get an early train from Inverness that gets you in to Glasgow at a reasonable time to get back to the car or allows you to travel onto Oban.

I think the only easy way to do it is public transport all the way. Train to Oban then take another day and ride to Garve or Inverness for the train home. Or get the bus to Inverness (April - Sept).

http://www.timdearmancoaches.co.uk/durness.htm

Starting from a car at Oban the alt would be to get a ferry from North Uist or Harris to Uig on Skye. Then go down through Skye, ferry to Mallaig, down towards Ardnamurchan, ferry to Mull, ferry to Oban. This depends on time available of course.

We did the public transport option last year. Glasgow - Inv rail tickets can be had for £10 in advance. Oban Glasgow tickets are something like £25.

The Garve - Ullapool road had suprisingly little traffic in early Sept. Mrs Irc on her first tour had no problems with it. The worst part of the tour, traffic wise, was the first hour going south from Stornaway in the rush hour. A narrow busy road with impatient drivers.

Hi
The ferry to Barra from Oban leaves mid afternoon and arrives in Barra in the evening. You cannot leave Barra until the following day taking the first or second ferry. There is an option of an early ferry to Lochboisdale from oban it gets you cycling a day earlier if you can travel up on Friday From Barra you could get to Stornoway in 2 days but its better to take 3 or 4.

Logistics can be difficult es[pecially getting back but I would think accommodation at least would be ok at that time of year but if you are using Hotels or B & Bs you would still be better to book to be sure as soon as possible as you will not have a lot of flexibility with dates.

From Stornoway there are 2 or 3 ferries to Ullapool per day. Wednesdays and Fridays have 3 the first ferry out is very early this would get you in around 9 or 10 depending on how many ferries there are on. From Ullapool its a 60 mile cycle to Inverness.

It is possible to get the afternoon ferry and get to Inverness the same day but not the late 1900 hrs sailings on Wednesdays and Fridays. There is a daily bus with a bike trailer which leaves Ullapool after the ferry arrives for Inverness. From there it might be possible to catch the last train to Glasgow or Edinburgh but check the times I am not sure about this.

A warning about trains from Inverness if you are taking a bike on them you need to book ahead and as early as possible especially if you do not have any flexibility on time or date. There are only 2 spaces per train and it can be busy with people returning from Lejog.

In summary I think it would be possible to do it in 6 days from Oban 1 day to get to Barra 3 days to get to Stornoway and a day to get to Inverness then a day to get home. Have you thought about flights from Inverness that might get you home quicker, one way car hire might also be a possibility.

Another possibility is to hire bikes in the Islands you can pick them up in Barra and drop them off in Stornoway I think you can Hire them fromthe bike shops in Stornoway or Howmore in South Uist (the only 2 on the Islands). From Stornoway you could even fly back to Glasgow if you have enough cash.

Its a great trip if you do it I am sure youl go back for more some time.

Is that 6 days in total for the whole trip? If so, it will take a full day to get from Glasgow to Castlebay and another full day to get from Ullapool to Glasgow. You need to look at where you can get accommodation in order to establish how many miles you will do on the remaining four days. You also need to factor in ferry times between Barra & South Uist and Berneray & Leverburgh.

If you get an Island hopscoth number 8 ticket at the start, this gives you all the tickets for your journey
The bike bus stops at the end of August but I think they may still take an odd bike on the ordinary bus if requested.

I meant to say to stock up with food on Saturday as shops are generally closed on Sunday. The Indian restaurant in Stornoway is open on Sunday.
The independent hostel at Leverburgh gets lots of recommendations. I've never stayed there because I like Berneray hostel.

When returning from the Butt of Lewis to Stornoway, I prefer to use the more remote Pentland road rather than the A857.

bogmyrtle wrote:How long do you have? What sort of mileage are you comfortable with? It is possible to get from one end to the other reasonably quickly but personally I think it is worth taking it slowly in order to enjoy the beauty and remoteness. The majority of the Uists are flat but the wind can make it challenging. The weather has been particularly poor lately and ferries have occasionally not been able to sail because of the wind. Generally it is better to go south to north as you are proposing but there is no guarantee that the wind won't be blowing the other way.
The Gatliff Trust hostels are great, Laxdale Bunkhouse and Heb hostel in Stornoway are also good.
It is a good idea to stock up with food on a Saturday when in Harris and Lewis as open shops are thin on the ground.
Are you proposing a circular tour? If not, have you thought about transport at both ends? There is a bike bus which runs from Ullapool to Inverness which is useful for connecting with trains (http://www.timdearmancoaches.co.uk/).

bogmyrtle, I have around 6 days to play with. Unfortunately my annual leave is booked for the last week in September otherwise I would have rather gone sooner.
I am no stranger to the bike. I am happy with 75 miles a day, more at a push. I plan to get the train to Oban from Glasgow so its all about the Islands I just dont really know where to start or how to link everything up.

I understand what your saying regarding taking some time to enjoy the scenery. I hope to do just that and not just sprint up the Isles! Again, I appreciate your points regarding the weather but Im hoping for the best! Cheers for the pointers for accommodation, as I said earlier I am a total touring novice so any advice is very gratefully received. I plan to stay in a hostel at Ullapool before cycling to Inverness for the train back to Glasgow.

Tahnks for the

How long do you have? What sort of mileage are you comfortable with? It is possible to get from one end to the other reasonably quickly but personally I think it is worth taking it slowly in order to enjoy the beauty and remoteness. The majority of the Uists are flat but the wind can make it challenging. The weather has been particularly poor lately and ferries have occasionally not been able to sail because of the wind. Generally it is better to go south to north as you are proposing but there is no guarantee that the wind won't be blowing the other way.
The Gatliff Trust hostels are great, Laxdale Bunkhouse and Heb hostel in Stornoway are also good.
It is a good idea to stock up with food on a Saturday when in Harris and Lewis as open shops are thin on the ground.
Are you proposing a circular tour? If not, have you thought about transport at both ends? There is a bike bus which runs from Ullapool to Inverness which is useful for connecting with trains (http://www.timdearmancoaches.co.uk/).

Hi please read below a letter I sent to Citylink following a very unpleasant experience with them in Ullapool. I still have not heard back from Citylink apart from an initial response saying that the investigation will take up to 28 days. Well its been well over that now and despite a polite reminder to ask them to respond, I still have not heard anything:

Dear sir or madam,
On Friday 30/4/10 I had a ticket to board the 961 bus from Ullapool to Inverness. The bus was waiting on the pier. Due to me having a folding bike I was not able to immediately proceed to the bus with the foot passengers as Calmac only allow cyclists to disembark after the main deck is cleared.
The bus was still accepting passengers and its front nearside luggage compartment was open. There were several bags but plenty of room as the bus was only about one third full. As I was attempting to place my bag into the bus the bus pulled away without any warning and set off for the main road. The rear corner of the bus swung round and knocked into me and my bag. Despite me shouting the bus drove off with the luggage compartment open. A man who I believe was employed by citylink heard me and chased the bus managing to stop it shortly after it had turned onto the main road. I was then able to place my bag on the bus and board the bus. The bus driver stated he had not realised but offered no apology.

I cannot believe that any bus driver is allowed to set off after stopping without checking that the bus is secure and that it is safe to proceed. I did not see the bus driver get off the bus at any point. The episode was very dangerous as I could have been injured as the bus swung into me. It is highly likely that some of the luggage also would have fallen through the open door. Finally there was a distinct lack of concern for what had happened afterwards and no hint of an apolgy.

Apart from the fact that the driver showed a complete disregard for safety and duty of care to his passengers' property and the public by pulling away so dangerously, I find the terms of carraige misleading and this leads me to believe that the drivers are under a very tight schedule to leave. The ticket states that passengers must be ready to board the bus at least 10 minutes before departure but this is impossible as the ferry does not arrive until five minutes before departure. There is obviously very little time to get to and board the bus and I think there is potential to compromise saftey in order to leave on time. It also leaves cyclists disadvantaged by having to leave the boat later than foot passengers.

Due to the seriousness of this incident I expect to receive some kind of reply and explanation as to what happened as soon as possible. However I would also be grateful for your clarification of the confusing policy of timing in preparing to board considering the timetables of Calmac. I was assured by the lady at the Citylink office at the Stornoway terminal not to worry as the bus would wait for me. Unfortunately I cannot take seriously that sort of reassurance any more.
Furthermore, due to my experience on Friday, I will not consider using Citylink or any Stagecoach owned bus again unless I feel you have adequately addressed my complaint and concerns. I belong to the Cyclists Touring Club and will be relaying my experience on their members' blog which is widely read and leave the readers to make their own conclusions about considering travelling with you.

I look forward to hearing your response in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Graeme Moore.

Does anyone have any ideas about how I can take this forward? Is there an ombudsman who I can contact about this? Thanks for any comments.