A route created by Bikepacking Scotland’s Markus Stitz in association with the Scottish Youth Hostel Association, the West Island Trail is a circular bikepacking route from Oban on mainland Scotland to several islands of the Inner Hebrides: Arran, Islay and Mull.

Quaint fishing villages, chains of whitewashed whisky distilleries, ancient Celtic carvings and wild, rugged moorlands await on this diverse and beautiful loop of the islands. A ferry trip always adds an element of adventure to a bikepacking expedition, and here you’ll have many to give your legs a break and enjoy an alternative view of the terrain you’ll be covering.

Totalling 207 miles (333 km), the route is circular and designed to be ridden over four days, overnighting at the Youth Hostels in Lochranza, Port Charlotte and Tobermory, with the start and finish point at Oban Youth Hostel. Whether you choose to use these for overnight stays or devise an alternative itinerary, such as including wild camping or a stay on Mull’s Tomsleibhe Bothy, is up to you.

Although accommodation might be fairly straightforward on this trail, you’ll need to bear the ferry times in mind to complete the trail in four days, particularly the Port Askaig to Oban crossing, which only runs twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. An early start should give you a better chance of reaching Port Askaig if you’re taking the Wednesday ferry. In total, you’ll take six ferry crossings: Claonaig to Lochranza, Lochranza to Claonaig, Kennacraig to Port Ellen, Port Askaig to Oban, Oban to Craignure and Craignure back to Oban. For full information on ferry times, visit: calmac.co.uk.

To complete the West Island Trail in four days, combine stages 2 and 3 to form the second day (Lochranza to Port Charlotte) and then stages 4, 5, and 6 to make the third day (Port Charlotte to Tobermory via Oban). You can also ride the route in five days by including an overnighter in Oban before the ferry to complete the last two days on Mull. To extend your trip even more, why not stay two nights at Lochranza and explore the Isle of Arran?

Although these stages linked by hostels might seem like an excellent choice for novice bikepackers, they are actually more suited to intermediate and experienced riders, as there are some technical parts of the trail and remote sections too. A GPS device for navigation is highly recommended, as well as a SPOT tracker for the most remote sections, including the mountain traverse on Islay.

There are considerable sections of road along the route, but you’ll need chunky tyres (ideally 40 mm width or more) for the rougher gravel roads and mountain trails, which means either a MTB or gravel bike will typically be best. Mountain bike shoes or flats are ideal as you might have to get off and push from time to time.

The West Island Trail promises to be a real adventure, combining wild and remote island landscapes with local hospitality, delicious delicacies, and many opportunities to pause along the way to learn about the fascinating natural and industrial history of these rugged islands.