Coastride UK Tour Scotland West Coast and Outer Hebrides

These are the original daily routes that I put together for the Coastride UK tour. They will vary slightly from the actual rides with difficult weather conditions being a major factor for re routing during the tour. Please use these routes for your own tour if they work for you.The west coast of Scotland and the Outer Hebrides present their own unique set of challenges for a tour rider and I cannot stess too strongly the importance of being totally prepared to ride up there. Every local has a story of rescuing badly prepared cyclists who roll up thinking it's an easy ride around the Highlands who end up being taken out in an ambulance. No amount of bravado will save you from the weather and hills if you get caught out.One of the big issues is lack of accommodation. The days of rolling into town and finding a room for the night are long gone and booking weeks or months ahead is now a must. Campsites and wild camping is still an option but the west coast hills will find you out if you're not fit enough to carry the required kit. With the midges perfectly evolved to destroy the moral of any adventurer, using a tarp or bivvy bag is not an option. Take a tent with a fine midge screen, you'll need it.I decided not to ride the section between Oban and Ullapool which contains Applecross, Mallaig, Skye and the big west coast Lochs as I've spent time there on canoe expeditions and know the area well. Instead I took the ferry from Oban to Castlebay on Barra then rode up to Stornoway before heading back across to Ullapool. In hindsight I should have stayed on each island of the Hebrides for a couple of days to fully explore. The summer weather I experienced there was brutal and I spent the whole time in full winter riding kit. Be prepared and if you're taking small bike packing bags to save weight think seriously about what you're leaving out. Everything and I mean everything shuts in the Hebrides on Sunday so buy what you need on Saturday.I planned for 45-65 mile (70-100km) per day based on my wish of finishing in towns with multiple options for accommodation and I decided not to camp on this tour. Above Ullapool I dropped that down to 25-45 miles as the roads are stunning and the terrain demanding.I planned these rides on Komoot and OS maps and I ride with a Hammerhead Karoo following the route and an old Samsung phone in a waterproof case running OS maps. However carefully I looked at the original route at home at some point every day I would question Komoots choice of routing and would need to make on the spot changes.