Frequently Asked Questions - Adventure
To find out more about Culture, Fishing, Golf, Walking, Cycling, Outdoor, Film, Roots (genealogy) and Wildlife in the Hebrides, run your cursor over the logo menu at the top of this page to link in to nine websites dedicated to each! You'll find specific FAQs for each topic within each of the web sites.
What is the weather like in the Hebrides?
What is the nightlife like in the Hebrides?
Where can I go surfing / kayaking / sailing etc?
Where can I hire equipment?
Where can I get lessons?
What about the water temperature and weather?
What about safety?
Where can I go climbing and hill walking?
What is the Hebridean Challenge and how can I enter?
How can I get to St Kilda and other offshore islands?
Where can I camp if I’m in the hills or on the beach?
What is the weather like in the Hebrides?
The North Atlantic Drift keeps the water temperatures around our islands relatively high. This year-round current which originates in the Caribbean gives us relatively mild temperatures which means it very rarely goes below freezing in the winter and that we don’t experience the uncomfortable heat of some inland locations in the summer. Cool sea breezes and clear blue skies characterise our summers and although the winters are mild you can occasionally experience some of the wildest and stormiest gales around. Find out more in our Weather section.
What is the nightlife like in the Hebrides?
Stornoway, being the Hebrides’ largest town, has the main concentration of pubs, clubs and restaurants. However, there are really good pubs and restaurants all over the islands and village halls and community centres hold regular themed evenings, from traditional Salt Herring nights, to Italian and Indian nights, and all are welcome; ceilidhs are to be found all over the islands all year round. Visitors will be surprised to find how lively it gets at the weekends here and during the summer it can be positively buzzing!
Where can I go surfing / kayaking / sailing etc?
The Outer Hebrides coastline is a perfect labyrinth of coves, bays and offshore islands, the ultimate adventure playground. Good surfing beaches are most prevalent on the Isle of Lewis, due to beach formation and swell direction (outdoorhebrides.com/sports/surfing/where/) Kayaking can be done on all the Hebridean islands and there are companies on every island chain who specialise in instructing and leading expeditions (outdoorhebrides.com/sports/kayaking/). Sailing is very popular on both the Minch side and the Atlantic west coast. There are some tricky passages to negotiate in places, so if you are travelling in your own boat, seek advice from the coastguard or the sailing club. There are a number of local operators who organise cruises and expeditions around the islands. (outdoorhebrides.com/sports/sailing/)
Where can I hire equipment?
Most operators provide you with all the equipment you will need to undertake your activity. This usually includes things like wetsuits, boards, paddles, kayaks, etc and transport between locations. There is an outfitting company called ’58 Degrees North’ in the islands that hires out all sorts of gear from kayaks to waterproofs and tents to roof racks (www.58degreesnorth.co.uk)
Where can I get lessons?
There are adventure operators in the Hebrides with top class expertise who can teach at all levels. Depending on which activity you are interested in, these operators are usually quite flexible and will tailor the day to suit you. To find out about contact details for operators go to the pick an activity dropdown menu on the homepage and click on the sport you are interested in.
What about the water temperature and weather?
The sea is warm: in summer sea temperature averages out at 13°C, in winter it gets no lower than 9°C.This is due to the fact that the Hebrides lies right in the path of the North Atlantic Drift which brings warm sea currents from the Caribbean, all year round. Perfect for water sports: the Californians at last year's Hebridean International Surfing Competition said the water was just as warm as at home!
A warm winter destination: (by UK standards!) despite being 1300 kilometres north of London, our mean minimum temperatures are about the same. Snow or sleet falls on no more than 30 days per year and rarely lies: the ocean surrounding us warms the air and our mean minimum temperature in winter is well above freezing. Find out more in our Weather section (outdoorhebrides.com/weather/)
What about safety?
Any adventure entails a certain amount of risk. To see guidelines to help make sure that you have a safe time as well as a fun time please click here (outdoorhebrides.com/safe/) If you are in any trouble or would just like to check about tides, weather forecast and shipping news then please contact Stornoway Coastguard (www.barvasmoor.freeserve.co.uk).
Where can I go climbing and hill walking?
The hilliest area of the islands is North Harris, which also has some excellent crags for climbing, but there are smaller hills and fantastic sea cliffs on all of the Hebridean islands. There is a company called ‘Sgor’ which specialises in proving climbing tuition and equipment. For more information click here: (outdoorhebrides.com/sports/climbing/).
What is the Hebridean Challenge and how can I enter?
The Hebridean Challenge is a four-day adventure race, which takes place every summer in the Hebrides. Teams from all over the world battle it out by kayaking, running, cycling and swimming from the Barra to the Butt of Lewis. This event is widely regarded as the toughest adventure sports race in Europe. To find out more about the event and how to enter go to www.hebrideanchallenge.com.
How can I get to St Kilda and other offshore islands?
Seeing the Hebrides from the sea gives you a whole new perspective on our beautiful islands, and whether you would like a luxury cruise ship, a small charter vessel, a day cruise, or a live at sea cruise, there are options for you. If you would like to see a list of operators who run sea trips around the Hebrides please see outdoorhebrides.com/holidays/.
Where can I camp if I’m in the hills or on the beach?
In most cases it is fine to camp on wild areas or common grazing but it is always advised to ask locally first. We work closely with Scottish Natural Heritage and they advise us on things like wild camping. The basic advice is to follow the Country Code (see www.ramblers.org.uk/info/factsheets/intro.html#Code If you would like further advice please contact the local SNH office before you set off, as they'll be able to advise on places to avoid so that you don't disturb breeding patterns. Their telephone number is 01851 705258.
|
