Harris Walkway 2: Tarbert to Seilebost

The southern section of the Harris walkway follows a variety of old paths and sections of minor roads past the tiny bays, wide seas and barren moors of the Bays district before following an old coffin route over a low bealach to reach the machair at Seilebost, overlooking Luskentyre sands.

Terrain

Waymarked moorland paths, tracks and minor roads. Some sections are indistinct and very boggy.

Public Transport

Bus from Seilebost back to Tarbert (or Leverburgh).

Start

Car park near ferry terminal, Tarbert. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Preceeding section: Tarbert to Seilebost. Leave Tarbert from the main car park near the ferry terminal, passing to the left of the Harris Tweed shop to reach the main road. Turn left here, signed for Roghadal (Rodel). After heading around 100m up the steep hill on the main road, go through a gate on the right onto a footpath. This climbs and gives a good view back over Tarbert before swinging to the right; keep following the blue-banded marker posts throughout this walk. The path passes to the left of a derelict house and through a gate onto a track. Continue along the track, soon passing another house. Just before the track reaches the main road at yet another house turn right onto a path, across very boggy ground at first. The path soon reaches a bungalow; don't follow the track to the main road here, instead keeping ahead on a grassy path past the front of the bungalow.

Stage 2

The A859 is followed for just over a kilometre, so take care. At Ceann Dibig look out for the marker that indicates where the route turns left, over a cattle grid towards a whitewashed house. Before reaching the house fork left onto an old grassy track right down by the shore. Look out for otters on this next stretch, as this is their ideal habitat. The faint track heads through a gate and eventually leads to two roadless houses, used as holiday homes. Pass behind these; the route soon becomes a path and is boggy in places. After passing below a crag the path climbs away from the coast and reaches a bench with a superb view.

Stage 3

The path continues, passing just to the left of a tiny lochan and then reaches a newly built house. Pass to the right of the house alongside its boundary fence to a gate. Go through this and straight across the turning area, through another gate to the left of the bungalow opposite. Alongside the bungalow look out for the posts, aiming half left downhill to reach a bridge over a tumbling burn. The old path then climbs briefly before descending to meet the road at the jetty in Miabhaig. Turn left along the road, which is usually fairly quiet. This winding route is known as the Golden Road due to the great cost of its construction in the 1930s. Follow it for 3.5km, passing through the tiny village of Drinisiadar (Drinishader) which has a small shop and a hostel.

Stage 4

After passing a phone box, look out for the path leaving the road to the right, at the north end of Loch Plocrapoil; it heads through a wicket gate. The next section of old path is clear to follow; it passes through a gap in a fence and, further on, over a wooden footbridge. After another gate it climbs gently to pass a bench with a view back over the loch. Continue to another gate, pass through and then turn right alongside the fence, with a small loch on your right. After yet another gate the path climbs gently and then descends to meet a minor road. Turn right along this for 2km, winding through a lunar landscape of lochans and broken rocks to reach Ghreosabhagh (Grosebay). At the road junction here, turn left.

Stage 5

Immediately after the bend take the pedestrian gate just after the track on the right and head gently uphill and through a farm gate into a field that is sometimes very muddy. Keep heading in the same direction to reach a farm gate in a fence after which the path improves soon going through another smaller gate. The build up ancient path now weaves around lochans and across the rocky undulating landscape, further on there are good coastal views. When the route nears a fence it bears right to run alongside the fence uphill until it goes through a gate on the left and heads downhill towards some houses at Stockinish.

Stage 6

Part way down, just before a fence, turn right at a waymarker to follow a less clear path which keeps to the right of the fence and then keeps ahead in the same direction, passing a derelict house and soon reaching the remains of an old blackhouse. Don't go through the gate here but keep straight ahead uphill next to the burn. The path is clearer now and passes through an old wall and then a gate before reaching the corner of a fence. Climb the fence as the Walkway continues on the left hand side keeping near to the fence at first before bearing left downhill towards the Bays Cafe and wind turbine below. Before a fence the route aims to the right soon going through a gate and continuing near the fence to reach the road.

Stage 7

Turn left along the road and follow it to the T junction by the recycling bins - the Bays cafe is just to the left here. From the recycling bins the route turns right up an old stretch of road, signed as a footpath to Luskentyre (West Side). The broken road passes a picnic table and then ends at a sheep fold. Take the path through the gate alongside the left edge of the sheepfold; it then continues ahead by a fence. Eventually another path is reached at a t-junction; turn left here. Cross a footbridge and continue ahead, ignoring a stile over the fence on the left. The path continues by the fence before descending with a zig-zag to cross a stile and reach a white house. Cross a bridge and turn right alongside the garage. The next section of the walk follows an old coffin route by which the dead from the Bays district would be carried for burial on the west side of Harris.

Stage 8

The path is clear at first, and crosses a stile at one point as it passes above Loch Creabhat. Further on the going deteriorates, becoming very wet underfoot in places; the way is indistinct but still marked with the blue posts. The flat top of the Bealach Eorabhat will be reached with some relief as the going immediately improves and becomes dry underfoot. A bench provides a fine spot to rest and enjoy the first distant view of the stunning Luskentyre Sands in the distance. The path soon becomes a track, running downhill past Loch a'Bhealaich and eventually reaching a t-junction with an old disused section of road near Loch Carran. Turn left and follow the old road until it reaches the A859 in Seilebost. This is the end of the Harris walkway; the road is served by bus for a return to Tarbert (or to head on to Leverburgh).

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