Hebridean ferries - advance booking required?

[Vindaloo]

Currently planning out my routes for next week in Scotland and interested in going to Uist and Lewis. CalMac do a ticket that more or less suits me to link up Mallaig, Skye, Uist, Lewis, Ullapool.

I don't want to find I can't do it because I've not made an advance booking but at the same time I'm still in two minds about what I'll do.

For those that know / have done similar - how likely would it be for me to find sailings fully booked on the day? (Two of us and the bike).

I know there's no certain answer but am I likely to have problems with just turning up for the sailings?

[Gas_Up_Lets_Go]

I've used the CalMac hopscotch tickets a few times, they are pretty flexible with changing ferries if you want earlier/later ferry, as long as there is space.

If the ferries are booked up, you might still get on if the loading guys are happy to take you. With the exception possibly of the Uist/Barra to Ullapool boat (I don't know the timetables), the others pretty much run a constant service.

We took the Mallaig-Skye-Harris-Uist-Barra-Oban route last year, lovely part of the world, even if the Oban boat was the roughest crossing I've ever been on...

Barra, for all you can ride around it in 20 minutes, was out favorite. Harris & Lewis was nice, Uist, well... you can keep that!

[Tim Cullis]

Did your route in reverse a week or so back. Some boats seemed to have limited bike tie downs so I'd suggest you call the ferry company.

Harris is magnificent, we stayed at No 5 Drinishader, see http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Revi ... tland.html

Make sure you do the most beautiful 15 miles in the UK by visiting Hushinish.

[GeeBee]

I did this very route about this time last year and I booked it in advance which gave me peace of mind, In actual fact the connections forced me to blast through the islands without taking much in - so keep that in mind - you can end up being a slave to the timetable. And there are too many great sights to stop and stare at.

When I turned up there was always plenty of room and the bikes are always waved up front to board first - I'm sure they'd squeeze you on. On the last evening ferry from Eriskay to Barra it was just me and a lorry on the slipway!

Take your camera and I hope the sun shines for you.

[Vindaloo]

Thanks guys. It's the time tabling that's cooking my head. I'm looking at a couple of options:

Skye - Uist arriving 19:45, overnight in Uist, next morning to Harris, a few hours (~7) there before back to Skye or on to Ullapool

or

Skye - Harris/Lewis, return: would have me on Lewis from 15:40 through to 16:40 the next day.

Option 1 let's me see more places for less time (includes a night in Uist wild camping)

Option 2 gives lots of time for Harris/Lewis also overnight in the tent. Of course if the weather is bad maybe a full 24 hrs on Lewis will leave me wanting to move on sooner without that option.

Hmm. Swaying like a pendulum between these, which is why I'm not ready to book.

Suppose there's never enough time to do it all ...

[tetley]

I'm up there next weekend, crossing from Uig to Lochmaddy on Fri am, then Bernaray Leverborgh Fri pm, Stornaway to Ullapool on Saturday.

Agree with Tim, Hunisish is special, great spot for camping. Also check out Vatersay.

Busiest ferry is Stornaway Ullapool so I would book that one. Our ferries are £72 for all three.

Enjoy

C

[Mul001]

I'd recommend booking the home trip if you decide to come back via Tarbert (Harris) as we missed getting on the just-turn-up-and-hope one coz it was full. If you're time limited ferry chasing will always be in the back of your mind anyway ?

Beautiful though, you'll enjoy. Uists are nice Berneray Leverburgh ferry is mad. It does 90 left and right turns to avoid the rocks which you can see and get scarily close to.

Calmac Hopscotch is great too.

If you're going to the Uists it'd be rude not to do Eriskay over the Causeway of "whisky galore" fame and the camping on the beach is peach.

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I'd love to go back. Enjoy. hope that helps.

cheers

Mul.

[davem]

Hi Ian

I've done the Hebrides a couple of times on the bike. I think you will be fine to just turn up at this time of year on a bike. Last time I wild camped on Vatersay, but that involves another ferry from Eriskay. It does feel like you're on the edge of the world down there. But doing the whole length of the islands is a good trip.

Vatersay


As Tim has indicated, the west coast of Harris has some fantastic beaches. I've camped at Horgabost a couple of times - its stunning.

Horgabost


Have a good trip whatever you decide to do.

[AustinW]

If you dont book find out what the earliest check in time is (probably about 3 hours before sailing) and get their about then. Almost sure to be space for a bike unless its peak school holidays. I did Oban-Barra-Uists-Harris/Lewis-Ullapool last year without booking any ferry in advance. Wild camping on the beach is a great option as are various hostels for about a tenner a night if its wet and wild. Google Gatliff trust for some hostel details

[Tim Cullis]

It's not so much whether there's space to cram on a bike, but whether there's the tie-downs. We couldn't get on one of the ferries as Calmac said there was no more capacity *for bikes*.