The Hebridean Way: A Simple Hike Made Complicated

by Alan Cole · Published Friday, May 30th, 2025 · Updated Tuesday, May 27th, 2025

My Next Long-Distance Thru-Hike: The Hebridean Way

My next long-distance thru-hike is going to be the Hebridean Way, from Vatersay in the south of the Outer Hebrides to Stornoway in the north. As usual, I’ll be doing it a little differently—and despite it only being in Scotland, the logistics seem to be more complicated than they should be.

Getting There

Scotland is quite a way from here, and the Outer Hebrides aren’t the easiest of places to get to. Anna will be coming with me for the start, and we wanted to fly rather than take the boat. We’ve done the ferry before, but it’s a long crossing and can be quite rough. Plus, we wanted to try the flight into Barra that lands on the beach.

So, we’ll need a train from Borth to Birmingham, followed by a night in a hotel. Then it’s a flight from Birmingham to Glasgow, and another flight from Glasgow to Barra. Once on Barra, we’ll need a taxi from the beachside airport to Castlebay, and then a hostel for the night.

Phew! That’s trains, planes, automobiles, and two different types of accommodation—and I haven’t even started walking yet.

Vatersay and Barra

The following day I’ll be on the first bus out of Castlebay to Vatersay, ready to start walk across the islands of Vatersay and Barra. I’ll then catch a bus back. I’m not sure what Anna will do that day—either chill, or take a bus to the northern end of Barra and join me for the last few miles – that will quite likely depend on the weather.

Then, it’s another night in the hostel.

One added complication of flying is that my luggage will need to be checked in as hold luggage, because it contains my walking poles—which are also my tent poles—so it can’t go in the cabin. This means packing it inside a bag that’s more suitable for the hold. I’ll need that bag for the return flights too, but I don’t really want to carry it around all the time. So, one extra logistical task while we’re on Barra will be to pack that bag—and a change of clothes—into a parcel and post it to the campsite I plan to stay at on my last night on the islands.

The Uists, Eriskay, Benbecula, Grimsay and Berneray

The next stage of the journey will be across Eriskay, South Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, North Uist and Berneray—all of which are joined by causeways. But first, we’ll need to get a bus from Castlebay to Ardmhor to catch the ferry to Eriskay.

Once on Eriskay, there should be a hire car waiting for us, and we’ve booked a guesthouse for this section. I’ll get off the ferry and start walking north, Anna will collect the car, and we’ll meet at the end of the day. We’ll have a comfy guesthouse to return to each night.

This will essentially be the plan for the next few days: Anna will drop me off where I finished the previous day, I’ll walk however far I fancy, Anna might join me for part of it, and we’ll meet at the end. This part should be fairly straightforward.

Anna Heads Home, I Head North

On day 7, Anna will head home. She’ll drop me wherever I need to be, complete with my rucksack containing everything I need to survive in the wild for the next week or so. She’ll then return the hire car to Benbecula, catch a flight to Glasgow, and then take a train home (with no doubt a few changes along the way).

I, on the other hand, will continue north—finishing off the Uists and Berneray if needed—then catching a ferry to Harris. The next week or so should be relatively simple: wake up, have breakfast, pack up, and walk. Hopefully I’ll find places for lunch and snacks along the way, and I’ll set up camp wherever takes my fancy. The ultimate aim is Stornoway—the end of the Hebridean Way.

I’ve booked a bunkhouse/campsite for my final night on the islands, where (fingers crossed) the parcel I sent from Barra will be waiting for me, with a clean set of clothes and the bag I need for the flights home.

Home for Me Too

The final leg of my journey will then begin. I’ll need to get to the airport—either on foot, by bus, or by taxi, depending on availability and probably the weather. I have a flight from Stornoway to Glasgow, followed by a five-hour wait, and then another flight to Birmingham.

Unfortunately, this flight gets in after the last train home, so I’ll need to spend another night in a Birmingham hotel before catching the first train back to Borth the next morning. This final night in Birmingham wasn’t really part of the plan, so as soon as I get home, I’ll have to go straight to work.

With trains, planes, buses, taxis, hostels, guesthouses, campsites, and sending kit around the islands by post, what should be a straightforward 156 mile walk from A to B is turning into more of an undertaking than expected!