I slept well but the rain started around midnight and the high winds around 3pm. And the winds were strong. Similar to camping on a windswept mountaintop. Strong enough to break poles to any flimsy or badly pitched tent. The wind pulled a couple of my tentpegs. I could not sleep much past 4am so I slowly packed up and started cycling into the 30mph wind and rain to reach the 7am ferry to island of Uist.
The ferry was bumpy but all of it was short. I soon started cycling again through exhillirating landscape with a tailwind most of the way.
I'm not gonna lie. The cycling was tough. It was cold, wet, windy and when the roads turned into the wind it was outright brutal. The wind gusts were in the 40mph range. In fact, what I thought I would cover in 2+ days I ended up covering in one long day. I reached the south end of Isle of Harris in Leverburg and cycled a few more miles north to Horgabost Campsite.
Day 4 Stats: 91.46 mi, 2916 ft elevation gain
The next day started rather sunny albeit still windy. I was hopeful but soon as I started cycling the misting returned. I found out that the isle of Harris has mountains soon enough after I climbed first two and got hail on both of them. The cycling was again spectacular. Just an awesome bicycle ride for anyone who loves cycling.
But the weather was merciless too and soon turned to the same shenanigans as yesterday. With the aid of mostly tailwind and the lack of campgrounds along the way I reluctantly reached the end of the trail at the lighthouse at Butt of Lewis. This is not really how I planned things. I thought to reach the end of the Hebridian Way would take me approximately 5-6 days yet I completed it in 2 days if You don't count the initial day late afternoon to reach the southern tier.
Two young folks in a camper were the only visitors to butt of Lewis lighthouse at the time and they took my photograph. They also dug out a bottle of whisky and we had a toast to the completion of the trail. 1 mile from the lighthouse was a small field for camper vans and the owner asked me if I wanted to spend the night in their caravan. I was cold and tired and the offer was most welcome.
Day 5 stats - Distance 88.14 mi,
Elev Gain 5,462 ft