Harris Walkway 2: Tarbert to Seilebost

Summary

The southern section of the Harris walkway (now part of the Hebridean Way) 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.

Grade

Bog Factor

Rating

Terrain

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

Getting there

Start

Car park near ferry terminal, Tarbert.

Public Transport

Bus from Seilebost back to Tarbert (or on to Leverburgh).

Start Grid Ref

NG154999

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 23.5km / 14.5 miles
Time: 6 - 7 hours
Ascent: 494m (Profile)

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Explorer 455 - South Harris

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Walk Description

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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 Hebridean Way markers throughout this walk. Look out for a marker that indicates where to bypass the enclosure around a shack, rejoining the route beyond, and passing 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; take the track briefly, then cross the footbridge off to the right, climbing before reaching the road.

Stage 2

Turn right to follow the A859 for just over a kilometre; take care with traffic. 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 modern 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 meeting a track - use this briefly then turn left off it to pass around the right hand boundary of a new house. The path then descends 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

Turn right at a singpost waymarker to follow a path, passing a derelict house and later reaching the remains of an old blackhouse. Keep along the waymarked route. The path is clearer now and passes through an old wall. Later it runs by a fence; cross this at a stile and continue on the left hand side keeping near to the fence, eventually meeting a road. Turn left along the road.

Stage 7

Turn left along the road and follow it to the T junction by the recycling bins - the Bays Centre with a seasonal 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) and Hebridean Way. 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. 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).

Route Profile

Where to stay

Outer Hebrides Hotels

Outer Hebrides B&B

Isle of Harris cottages

Outer Hebrides hostels

Glamping and Camping

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