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Hebridean Way North
Arrival day: Arrive in Tarbert
After a scenic ferry from Uig on the Isle of Skye or a flight landing in Stornoway, your trip begins at your accommodation in the village of Tarbert.
Hotel in Tarbert (breakfast)
After a scenic ferry from Uig on the Isle of Skye or a flight landing in Stornoway, your trip begins at your accommodation in the village of Tarbert.
Hotel in Tarbert (breakfast)
Stage 1: Leverburgh to Horgabost
Blue 2 (grade) 18.1km with 300m ascent, 300m descent
Take a taxi to Tarbert where the route begins. This first stage is one of the most varied on the Northern Island, with stunning views of the white beaches and turquoise seascapes of Northton, Scarista and Horgabost. A low-lying route, the challange of the day is the traverse over wet ground. End the day with a taxi to your accommodation in Tarbert
Hotel in Tarbert (breakfast)
Blue 2 (grade) 18.1km with 300m ascent, 300m descent
Take a taxi to Tarbert where the route begins. This first stage is one of the most varied on the Northern Island, with stunning views of the white beaches and turquoise seascapes of Northton, Scarista and Horgabost. A low-lying route, the challange of the day is the traverse over wet ground. End the day with a taxi to your accommodation in Tarbert
Hotel in Tarbert (breakfast)
Stage 2: Horgabost to Tarbert
Blue 3 (grade) 28.9km with 600m ascent, 600m descent
Taxi a taxi back to Horgabost to continue the route. Today's stage, although long, follows mostly good paths and quiet single-track roads. Soak up the final views of Horgabost, Sheileboist and Luskentyre beach and head East to the Bays of Harris along the 'Coffin Route' once used by islanders on the East coast to carry bodies for burial to the graveyards of the West. The day ends at Tarbert, the tiny capital of Harris.
Hotel in Tarbert (breakfast)
Blue 3 (grade) 28.9km with 600m ascent, 600m descent
Taxi a taxi back to Horgabost to continue the route. Today's stage, although long, follows mostly good paths and quiet single-track roads. Soak up the final views of Horgabost, Sheileboist and Luskentyre beach and head East to the Bays of Harris along the 'Coffin Route' once used by islanders on the East coast to carry bodies for burial to the graveyards of the West. The day ends at Tarbert, the tiny capital of Harris.
Hotel in Tarbert (breakfast)
Stage 3: Tarbert to Aline
Blue 3 (grade) 22.5km with 470m ascent, 450m descent
A shorter walk today, as the route heads North out of Tarbert alongside Lochannan Lacasdail. The walking is good, following mostly old roads and tracks. There's a section of wetter ground at the end of the day before the path descends to Scaladale on the edge of Loch Seaforth. Lastly climb the small hill Griamacleit (155m) for long views back to Harris. We take transport from Aline woodlands to Shieldinish.
Hotel in Shieldinish (breakfast)
Blue 3 (grade) 22.5km with 470m ascent, 450m descent
A shorter walk today, as the route heads North out of Tarbert alongside Lochannan Lacasdail. The walking is good, following mostly old roads and tracks. There's a section of wetter ground at the end of the day before the path descends to Scaladale on the edge of Loch Seaforth. Lastly climb the small hill Griamacleit (155m) for long views back to Harris. We take transport from Aline woodlands to Shieldinish.
Hotel in Shieldinish (breakfast)
Stage 4: Aline to Laxay
Blue 3 (grade) 19.4km with 270m ascent, 270m descent
Continue from the Aline woodlands to join the old road to Stornoway. At Airidh a Bhruaich the route heads out onto the moor. The path is wet in places but easy to follow. Later reach Balallan, one of the longest villages in Scotland. As accommodations are few and far between in this area, we take transportation back for a further night in Shieldinish.
Hotel in Shieldinish (breakfast)
Blue 3 (grade) 19.4km with 270m ascent, 270m descent
Continue from the Aline woodlands to join the old road to Stornoway. At Airidh a Bhruaich the route heads out onto the moor. The path is wet in places but easy to follow. Later reach Balallan, one of the longest villages in Scotland. As accommodations are few and far between in this area, we take transportation back for a further night in Shieldinish.
Hotel in Shieldinish (breakfast)
Stage 5: Laxay to Stornoway
Blue 4 (grade) 24.9km with 300m ascent, 320m descent
The final section of the Hebridean Way is a walk of two distinct parts. The first stretch crosses the moorlands of Lewis on a raised turf path with stunning views stretching from the mainland hills in the East to the island of Great Bernera off the west coast of Lewis. After reaching the small village of Achmore, the route changes and now follows single track roads to the outskirts of Stornoway and the delightful Lews Castle which marks the official end of your journey.
B&B in Stornoway (breakfast)
Blue 4 (grade) 24.9km with 300m ascent, 320m descent
The final section of the Hebridean Way is a walk of two distinct parts. The first stretch crosses the moorlands of Lewis on a raised turf path with stunning views stretching from the mainland hills in the East to the island of Great Bernera off the west coast of Lewis. After reaching the small village of Achmore, the route changes and now follows single track roads to the outskirts of Stornoway and the delightful Lews Castle which marks the official end of your journey.
B&B in Stornoway (breakfast)
Departure Day: Depart from Stornoway
Enjoy your last breakfast in Stornoway before departing from the trip. Take the ferry to Ullapool and enjoy the views back to the islands and forward to the mainland. If time allows this is a good chance to explore the remote North West corner of Scotland, before taking the bus to Inverness for onward travel by train or bus.
Enjoy your last breakfast in Stornoway before departing from the trip. Take the ferry to Ullapool and enjoy the views back to the islands and forward to the mainland. If time allows this is a good chance to explore the remote North West corner of Scotland, before taking the bus to Inverness for onward travel by train or bus.
Options
Our main route of 5 stages allows you to complete the entire route without any unduly long days. The limited accommodation along the route means that we book some taxi transfers to get to and from the end points of the route to the hotels. This means that it's quiet easy to make the trip shorter or longer, by changing the taxi pick up points, and spending multiple nights in the same hotel. We advise on the main options below, but please do just get in touch for further options.
Make the trip shorter
The stages on our standard Hebridean Way are already quite long, however if you’re up for a quick dash across the islands, it's possible to combine the last 3 stages into 2 longer days, walking from Tarbert to Balallan and then from Balallan to Stornoway. This gives a very long stage of 36km between Tarbert and Balallan, so it’s harder to recommend, but please do contact us for more information.
Make the trip longer
For anyone looking to shorten the stages of the trek, we are more than happy to advise about splitting up the longer days, however this will mean using more transport. We suggest splitting up the long day between Horgabost and Tarbert where the route meets the road at Greosabhagh. Transport will then be taken for a further night in Tarbert.
Hike with a guide
Hike with confidence in the company of our fully qualified International Mountain Leaders (IMLs), with the navigation, accommodation and all arrangements taken care of. You're welcome to walk on any date within our season and we can adjust the hike to suit your needs. If your group would like a guide for your trip, please get in touch for more details.
2025 Prices
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Hebridean Way North 1 May to 18 Sept 2025 |
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| Classic | |||
| Self-guided | |||
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4 stages (5 nights) |
GBP 1,230 Singles 420 |
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|
5 stages (6 nights) |
GBP 1,320 Singles 490 Main Trip |
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|
6 stages (7 nights) |
GBP 1,420 Singles 560 |
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| Private guided | |||
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5 stages (6 nights) |
Price dependant on group size, please ask us | ||
| Extras | |||
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Baggage transfer |
One bag included per person | ||
Accommodation
Where we stay
Our accommodation schedule uses a mix of welcoming hotels, as close to the route as possible. Breakfast is included every morning and we book ensuite rooms where we can. Unlike in the rest of the UK, most villages don’t have a pub or a restaurant, so we make greater use of hotels (with restaurants) than on our other UK holidays.
This means we use 3 bases for the trip - Tarbert, Loch Erisort and Stornoway - and use taxis to reach these hotels from the route end points.
Hutty and Comfy
Due to the limited accommodation options for walkers on the Hebrides we don't offer any comfier or more basic itineraries. If you'd like to customise your accommodation in any way, please contact us and we’ll advise on the small ways we can alter your trip.
Single Room Supplement
If you would like to stay in single rooms rather than sharing a double, twin or triple room we add our single room supplement. This covers the additional cost of booking single occupancy rooms on a per person basis.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
Our accommodation schedule uses a mix of welcoming hotels, as close to the route as possible. Breakfast is included every morning and we book ensuite rooms where we can. Unlike in the rest of the UK, most villages don’t have a pub or a restaurant, so we make greater use of hotels (with restaurants) than on our other UK holidays.
This means we use 3 bases for the trip - Tarbert, Loch Erisort and Stornoway - and use taxis to reach these hotels from the route end points.
Hutty and Comfy
Due to the limited accommodation options for walkers on the Hebrides we don't offer any comfier or more basic itineraries. If you'd like to customise your accommodation in any way, please contact us and we’ll advise on the small ways we can alter your trip.
Single Room Supplement
If you would like to stay in single rooms rather than sharing a double, twin or triple room we add our single room supplement. This covers the additional cost of booking single occupancy rooms on a per person basis.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
Route
The Hebridean Way is a relatively new walk, launched in 2017. Our Hebridean Way North trip covers the sections of the route on Harris and Lewis. You will be staying in the comfiest accommodation as close to the route as possible, but some taxis will be needed to get to and from your next hotel or B&B.
The Terrain
The Hebridean Way terrain comprises wild sections of moorland, narrow hillside paths, farm tracks, and roads. The Hebridean Way North includes long sections over moorland and amongst small lochs. The ground underfoot can be very wet and sturdy waterproof boots are essential. Peat provides a challenge for maintaining paths across the wet ground, as rocks can sink into the soil. Raised turf paths have been built to show the way and keep feet dry. Old military roads, often running close to today's roads, provide good paths underfoot and are used where possible, but there is still a lot of road walking on the route.
Is it for me?
The Hebridean Way North is a manageable trek for fit walkers who are happy to walk for between roughly 5 and 8 hours per day along a long-distance trail. Some of the days are a little longer than one might normally plan for due the location of accommodation. However, the easy flat sections often let the miles pass quicker than expected. The Hebridean Way will suit walkers who are looking for a little isolation in a wild location. Shops, cafes and restaurants are few and far between, so planning where to buy food is more important than on other treks.
Difficulty
The challenge of the Hebridean Way comes not in high mountain days but in the general remoteness and wild atmosphere of the Western Isles. The settlements are scarce and there are few refreshments stops or points of shelter on many stages. There is no climbing or scrambling, and very few sections of steep rocky paths. With little ascent and descent, the sometimes quite long distances are the key thing to consider, with the longest day in our normal schedule being 29km.
Hebridean Way Walking Guide - more about the trail
The making of our Hebridean Way - photos from our research trips
How to get there
Your holiday starts in the small village of Leverburgh and ends in Stornoway on Lewis, the main town of the Outer Hebrides. The quickest way to arrive and depart is to fly directly to and from Stornoway airport. The ferries also work well. You can take the ferry from Uig on Isle of Skye to Talbert, and then catch a bus or taxi onto Leverburgh. For your return, you can go from Stornoway to Ullapool.
Travel to and from the trip is not included in the holiday price. We take care to give the most useful notes possible about all the travel options. We supply these both on booking and in your info pack, and we offer personalised tips at any point. The aim is that our trekkers arrange their travel by the simplest and most scenic means as suits their plan.
Included
- Bespoke accommodation itinerary - tailored to suit your particular requirements
- Baggage transfers
- Breakfast every morning
- Taxis to and from your accommodaiton when needed
- Detailed Routecards HBW8-12 of the Exploratory system, printed on waterproof paper
- The 3 topographical maps needed
- Downloadable GPX Tracks covering the route
- Expert advice and local information
- A comprehensive 'Season Update' following our pre-season recce
- Full support during your trip from the Alpine Exploratory team (8am until 8pm in the UK)
Not included
- Travel to and from your trip
- Local transport whilst on the trip unless specified
- Travel insurance
- Lunches, snacks, drinks and evening meals
Baggage transfer
Baggage transfer is included on our Hebridean Way trek to each night's accommodation. In the morning, simply leave your bag with your host or at reception. We then take it to your next accommodation while you walk.
Got questions about the Hebridean Way North?
Feel free to ask us any questions you have about any aspects of your planning and preparations! Lucy, Steph, Nicky, Rob, Evie, Ben and Amy will reply with expert advice. We spend a lot of time walking our routes and more broadly exploring ski and hiking trails around the world so do feel free to ask anything at all.
 
Enquiry Form
|
If you prefer, please feel welcome to email or call us. Thanks!
| Contact Alpine Exploratory | |
| info@alpineexploratory.com | |
| Phone | +44 (0)131 214 1144 |
| Our times |
9am to 5pm UK time Monday to Friday |
| Australia | 02 8319 2266 |
| Canada | 416-548-4819 |
| New Zealand | 04 889 4515 |
| USA | 646-757-1102 |
Open to the world
Since Alpine Exploratory started in 2005 we have loved getting to know our clients from around the world. Along with the UK, our best-represented countries are the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Please use our national-rate numbers for a cheaper call to contact our office in Edinburgh.
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Alpine Exploratory is a system of knowledge on the best mountain trekking in our areas, giving clients superb holidays based on this exploration.
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