North Euist to Harris via Berneray
Day 3. Distance 51k Elevation 273
Having left our snug bunkhouse the plan was to head to the ferry terminal and get across to Harris. To get to the ferry terminal the ride is relatively short at 34.5k,with ascent of 245m, with the headwind making for tough cycling in places, exacerbated by the open nature of the landscape.
North Euist is linked to Berneray by yet another causeway as part of the obvious investment in infrastructure and making life easy for both residents and tourists alike.
It was also being enjoyed by the abundance of kite surfers we saw and utilised by the endless wind turbines positioned along the way.
Ferrys to Harris run twice a day on a changing timetable based upon the tides, so worth checking carefully in advance. We arrived over an hour early and having not stopped for breakfast on the cycle over and given the ferry waiting room was just that, we headed beyond the terminal up the hill to the well signed lobster-pot cafe 500m away. The coffee was great and exactly what we needed, the carrot cake equally so…(for me). The weather was outstanding and therefore with the promise of great views we headed back to the ferry to board for the 1 hour trip to Harris.
The straights of Harris were beautifully clear and calm, totally atypical, – or so I’m told. I was very excited about arriving on Harris. Although joined to Lewis it is very separate in terms of identity, profile and people. It is said that the light on Harris is similar to that of Cornwall, hence the abundance of artists and beautiful paintings on display at most stopping points. The other significant thing about Harris as a cyclist is that it is hilly, very hilly in the interior and more so in the north than the south. The hills historically formed a barrier with Lewis to which it is attached. So much so that the two communities traveled to each other by sea rather than land in years gone by. Given the terrain the 1600 or so people who live on Harris tend to do so around the edges of the island. The interior was also used a a substitute for Jupiter in 2001 A Space Odyssey.
However above and beyond all this, Harris is famous for beaches. White sand the most beautiful coves and very unspoilt. The only looming downside are the number of spectacularly positioned houses that have been renovated (beautifully) and now form holiday let’s. Clearly the visitors add to the community but when do you determine the optimum number?
Cycling along the west of Harris is a serene experience although as all coastal routes it is challenging. We had tentatively thought we might get to the top of Harris, however the lure of attractive beaches, sand dunes and one campsite in particular meant we decided to stop around two thirds of the way up. Why wouldn’t you when this sight greets you?
This was a truly memorable evening, not only did we strike lucky in terms of our camp, but we also were less than 3k away from a sensational (more superlatives please) arts and community centre at Horgabost which offered floor to ceiling views, out over the sea to the horizon. The restaurant is clean and the food (scallops and sea bream) to outstanding and it was back downhill most of the way to the campsite.
We woke early but not as early as the surfers who were out in their thickest neoprene and heading to enjoy the waves. An upside of this site is that the facilities though small were excellent and given we had no food with us aside from coffee sachets and a few cliff bars, we were more than delighted to see a breakfast caravan parked up in a lay-by at the entrance to the site. A butty and coffee saw us on our way…
There and Back: 