Hebridean Way Walking Route Section K: Scaladale to Balallan

About

Please note the advisory on this section.​​​​​​

Height Climbed: 415m / 1,363ft

Height Descended: 395m / 1,295ft

Terrain: 5.5 miles on good paths and tracks; 5 miles on wet paths or pathless moorland with waymarkers; 2.5 miles on roads.

Shortly after setting off from Scaladale you will come to a bridge that carries the main road across a small burn. This innocuous border marks the point where you move into Lewis, the 10th and final island of your epic journey along the length of the Outer Hebrides.

(Incidentally, if you’re wondering why Harris and Lewis are two separate islands when they are physically joined by 8 miles of land, the answer lies in the mountainous landscape you see all around you. Loch Seaforth and the North Harris hills formed a natural barrier between the two islands, separating them almost as effectively as if they were surrounded by the sea.)

After a few miles it is time to leave the main road and follow a good track through that rarest of things, a Hebridean forest. The Aline woodlands were an experimental forestry plantation established by the Forestry Commission in the 1970s. Nowadays they are managed by the local community for the benefit of walkers and cyclists.

At Aridh a Bhruaich the route heads out onto the moor for a detour along the west side of Loch Stranndabhat, one of Lewis’s most attractive freshwater lochs. The path is wet in places but easy to follow. On reaching Balallan you can either head into the village, where there are B&Bs and a small post office / shop, or follow an optional loop around Loch Cuthaig. The walking here is extremely wet, but the route does offer stunning views over the uninhabited peatlands to the north. PLEASE NOTE THE OPTIONAL LOOP AROUND LOCH CUTHAIG IS CLOSED AT THE MOMENT

The distances and timings above do not include any extra distance you may need to reach your accommodation for the night.