From Barra to the Butt: A new Heb Way Record

Earlier in the year (in June), whilst the sun still shined continuously and there was not a drop of rain to be seen, I had a week of glorious cycle touring in Scotland.  After Cape Wrath, I figured I needed to rein in my usual touring plans (120mile/day, for consecutive days), and opt for something a bit more gentle on the legs!  I was really keen to come and ride the Hebridean Way, and decided to make it into a circuit, linking in Mull and Skye, plus other parts of the mainland.

From the Butt of Lewis...

... to Vatersay, in glorious sunshine.  June 2018.

I had an exciting week, riding and island-hopping on the CalMac ferries, finishing my week with 3 days of riding down the outer hebrides.  I was incredibly fortunate with the weather, and sat on golden beaches in the west coast of the islands, you'd be forgiven for thinking I was somewhere more tropical!

The Berneray Ferry in sunshine.  June 2018

At the end of the trip I had an idea about riding the Heb Way in a day, but managed to dismiss this.  I had read about Mark Beaumont riding it in 24 hours to publicise the route's launch.  As usually happens, once the seed is sewn in my head, it's just a matter of time before my silly ideas come to fruition!

A return trip to Scotland for a friend's wedding gave me the perfect excuse to return to the Outer Hebrides and have a shot at setting a new record for riding the Heb Way.

The Heb Way Cycle Route

The route, launched in 2016, is way-marked National Cycle Network Route (NCR) 780.  It consists of 185 miles, covers 10 islands, 6 causeways and 2 ferry crossings.  The roads on the Outer Hebrides are incredibly quiet, and you can see why cyclists are drawn here; you can see why I wanted to come back.

Photo from Visit Outer Hebrides

The route, normally ridden from Vatersay to the Butt of Lewis, is mostly flat for the first half, before you hit the hills of Harris.  It hugs the west coast of the islands for large parts of the ride, and the scenery is just spectacular.  It seems cliched to say that, but really, it is just so stunning!

Mark Beaumont rode the route in 24hrs in 2016, when it was launched, to help publicise it.  His trip sounded really exciting, including flying in to Barra, (where the plane lands on a beach!!) visiting local school children, and catching speed boats between the islands.  My return trip would not be so exciting.

The Heb Way; a Fastest Known Time

In order to set a fastest known time, a fair bit of planning was required!  Linking 3 sections of riding up with 2 ferries; making sure I was in the right place at the right time, took a bit of logistical juggling.  My original plan felt apart due to tidal timetables.  But a rethink and date adjustment meant it looked like it might be possible.

The stages:
1) Vatersay and Barra; 21 km
2) Sound of Barra ferry; 40 mins
3) Eriskay, South Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, North Uist, Berneray; 122km
4) Sound of Harris ferry; 1 hour
5) Harris and Lewis; 154km.

The biggest challenge was working out how to link ferries so that I arrived at Berneray with enough time to catch the ferry, but not too much that I was sat waiting too long.  In the end, the ferries I chose gave me 5hr20 in which to cycle the middle leg.  It is possible to link ferries that reduce this time, and therefore reduce the total ride time.

Re-fueling on the Sound of Barra ferry.  Hot chocolate and pancakes.

I also had a big debate about riding supported v.s unsupported.  Whilst I felt being unsupported was more suitable to the nature of the challenge, I ended up riding on a Sunday, so this added an extra challenge, with most shops and facilities being closed.  In the end I decided to ride supported, as my husband was going to be driving the car from Barra to Stornaway anyway so that we could catch the ferry back the next morning and get home in time for work.  In the foul weather, I definitely didn't regret this decision!

My Heb Way Record Ride

As the day approached, a weather front moved in that meant there was a strong wind (25mph) coming in from the south.  Unfortunately there was also rain forecast for most of the day.  I was already committed now though, so we caught the ferry over to Barra anyway!  We headed down to Vatersay, and camped next to the community centre, ready for an early start in the morning.  Of course I tossed and turned all night, sleeping terribly!  When the alarm went off at 5am, it was almost a relief to get up, even if I was still tired.  I ate some breakfast, packed away our stuff and get myself ready to go.  Dawn was just starting to appear as I started, at 05.49am.

Dawn approaches on Vatersay.  The start of the Heb Way.  05.49am.

With a high-vis and bike lights on, I headed off of Vatersay, over my first causeway of the day, and up a short but sharp climb (11.1%) on to Barra.  I whizzed around Barra in no-time, reaching the ferry at Ardhmor in 46 mins.  I then had a 20 minute wait to board the ferry.

Daylight approaching, as I cross the causeway from Vatersay to Barra.

The 7am ferry across the Sound of Barra is a request ferry only on a Sunday.  Despite ringing CalMac twice, I was slightly worried it wouldn't run.  It was a relief when it was waiting for us; we were it's only passengers!

I rolled off the ferry at Eriskay, and passing my favourite beach, I was quickly on my way north.  The wind was certainly on my side, helping the miles click by very easily!  Turning east or west (as the route does when it wiggles around Benbecula and North Uist), the wind stopped being my friend.  Riding along with a strong cross-wind gusting and trying it's hardest to push me off was certainly tiring work, and my shoulders were aching by the time I reached Berneray.  Unfortunately it wasn't just the wind I had to content with, the rain also came out to play after about 50km of riding.  I arrived at the ferry feeling cold, wet and a bit defeated, but still had 150km to go!

Waiting for the ferry at Berneray.  Soaking wet, cold, but still smiling!

Despite feeling defeated, this section had taken me an hour less than expected, so i had plenty of time to get changed into drier clothes, get warm, and eat plenty of food.

I had been anxious about the ferry across the Sound of Harris.  I know the crossing is difficult to navigate, and as a result often doesn't sail due to poor visibility.  I worried and worried that my attempt would be aborted due to ferries.  It was a relief to see it sail into view, and an even bigger relief to get off at the other side, and know that my attempt was now just relient on me, rather than CalMac also.

Armed with my heavy-duty mountaineering waterproof, I set off north again, heading for the Harris hills.  My legs pounded up them, quicker than expected, and I pushed north, as the miles continued to tick by.  Turing west across Lewis, riding over the moor between Leubost and Callanish, I hit rock bottom.  The wind was definitely not being my friend, it was still raining, and frankly I was tired and had had enough!  I met Tom again at Carloway, and stopped for a few minutes to eat more food (Scottish tablet and caffeinated sweets), before somehow finding some new strength, and managing to speed up again for the remaining 50km.

Challenging weather in the Outer Hebrides.

With about 20km to go, it finally stopped raining and the sun came out!  Heading towards the lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis, the evening sky to my left glowed magnificantly and the sun approached the sea.  Seeing the lighthouse on the horizon with about 10km to go was a massive boost.  I pedalled in to the Butt of Lewis with a big smile on my face, and had the pleasure of meeting Jan and Karin (from Heb Shuttle) who had come out to take photos and meet me.

Arriving at the Butt in sunshine.  8.07pm.

Yes!!  A new FKT on the Heb Way!  14 hrs 18 minutes.

Big hugs from Karin and Jan, of Heb Shuttle

14 hrs and 18 minutes after starting, I reached the Butt of Lewis!  It was definitely a tough challenge, made worse by the wind and rain.  But it was a big relief to make it to the end, not have any logistical problems along the way, and finish more than 90 minutes faster than I had predicted!

The Heb Shuttle & The Heb Way Record

When planning to set a record on the Heb Way, I contacted the Heb Shuttle to see if they would be interested in being the holders of the record; fortunately for me they said yes!  In future there will be a section on their website about the record, and people will be able to submit their fastest known times to them.  It was wonderful to meet them both; they are incredibly passionate about the Heb Way and the Outer Hebrides, having moved to Lewis 20 years ago from Holland.  After my attempt they gave me a lift back into Stornaway.  I would not hesitate to use them again for any future bike trips to the Outer Hebrides.

Record Details

My GPS file can be viewed on strava here.  Note the time of 10hr36 is just my moving time, and my total time is 14 hr 18 minutes.

Strava map from here

Timing details:
Start 05.49am
Stage 1 Vatersay to Barra; 21km, 47 minutes.
Stage 2 Eriskay to Berneray; 122km, 4hr 5 minutes
Stage 3 Harris to Butt of Lewis; 154km, 6hr 5 minutes
Finish 08.07pm

It is definitely possible to get a quicker time, even without cycling faster, by catching different ferries; the record is there for the taking now!  It's worth saying I am not the fastest cyclist out there by any standard; I'm just quite stubborn!  I look forward to people getting out there and riding faster!

Lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis

Record Rules

1) No electric bikes (obviously...)
2) You must catch scheduled ferries, not speed boats (this levels the playing field, and means it is not limited by personal finance)
3) It can be supported or unsupported; you must specify which.
4) No drafting of other cyclists.