Outer Hebrides Tour – April 2026

We bought C204 BKE in July 2025 from a dealer on the south coast. She is a 1985 XJSC 3.6 manual. The manual spec was a must for me. We hadn’t seen the car in the flesh but plenty of photos and reassurances from the dealer. And the car had a recent MOT with no advisories, so we took the plunge.

What arrived was not quite what was described. Umpteen things did not work or needed attention/replacing. God knows why somebody took the risk of giving this car a clean MOT.

After several months of fettling and fitting new parts, we got the car ready for its impending trip to the Outer Hebrides to join our friends in their similar age Mercedes 380SL. Several ferries were booked to get to and from the Outer Hebrides and to get from island to island. Accommodation was booked. Just needed good weather now.

April 2026 came round and it was time to set off. We were blessed with a sunny, but cold start. The first ferry crossing was from Ullapool to Stornoway which is a big trip from North Yorkshire. We had only done short test runs in the car and we had no idea when the car had last done a long trip, if ever. So we decided to make the trip to Ullapool a 2 day trip.

Day 1

Our trip started as we made our way up past Glasgow and along the banks of Loch Lomond to a village called Arrochar. Never been before but we arrived at The Village Inn, overlooking Loch Long by late afternoon. The sun was shining and the beer garden looked over the loch, so the first beers of the trip were ordered.

The Village Inn, Arrochar

Overlooking Loch Long – the perfect first stop.

Day 2

The day dawned dry and sunny. I checked the oil and water and none had been used, despite the car having 123,000 miles and no evidence of an engine rebuild. We had a fabulous run up to Ullapool, with targa panels stowed in the boot. The car is beautiful to drive and everything appeared to be working as it should. So confidence was growing in the car already. The Royal Hotel in Ullapool was just fine and after a good breakfast we headed for the ferry terminal at the start of day 3.

The Royal Hotel, Ullapool

Ideal base before and after the Stornoway crossing.

Day 3

The ferry crossing was really good. Interesting scenery and islands to watch on the way and a calm sea. Dolphins provided some entertainment and we soon arrived in Stornoway.

We were too early to check into our accommodation so we drove on deserted roads up to the northerly point of the Isle of Lewis, called Port Ness and ate pizza at a small restaurant that had been recommended. Here we got our first glimpse of the fantastic beaches on the west coast of the Outer Hebrides.

Day 4

Our fourth day was a sightseeing day, rather than an A to B travelling day. We drove to the west coast of Lewis to see the Blackhouses – a hamlet made up of very old thatched cottages, now a museum. On to the stone circles and then on to a fantastic road that took us down to Harris. We later returned to Stornoway to eat superb seafood platters.

Day 5

This didn’t quite go to plan. After a starry and very cold night, the morning dawned with a thick blanket of sea fog. As expected, we got an update from Calmac saying our ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray was disrupted. We took the decision to head that way anyway to see what was happening, again via fantastic roads, perfect for the XJS. We walked on one of several beautiful beaches.

The next notification said the ferry had been delayed from 10am to 2pm which wasn’t too big a problem. We carried on towards Leverburgh and as we approached this outpost, we got the next notification that the ferry was cancelled for the rest of the day. This was a bigger problem. Happily there was a small brewery next to the ferry slipway so we managed a beer in the sun.

Urgent re-planning was required as our ferry was fully booked the next day and when we called Calmac, the earliest they could do was a week later! So back to Stornoway for a night in The Royal Hotel, then an early ferry the morning after back to Ullapool.

Day 6

The day dawned with a thick sea fog and we feared the ferry would be cancelled again. But, being a much bigger ferry, it must have the necessary kit fitted, as it was running on time. 5 minutes into the sailing and we left the fog behind. So back to Ullapool we sailed.

The plan was to drive from there, down to Oban to catch the ferry to the Isle of Barra, so we could get to our hotel which we had pre-booked. The downside was that we missed the central islands of Berneray, North and South Uist, Benbecula and Eriskay which was a real shame.

We disembarked in Ullapool and set off to Oban in beautiful sunshine. Confidence in the car was now very good and after a check, all fluids were as they should be. We then had the most fantastic drive with Glen Shiel being the highlight. We really aren’t used to so little traffic down in England.

We had managed to find a great hotel just outside Oban for the night by the name of Taychreggan Hotel, in a beautiful loch-side position.

Taychreggan Hotel, near Oban

A beautiful loch-side position.

Day 7

Our seventh day saw us on the ferry to Barra which is a 4 hour sailing. Calm waters and great vistas were enjoyed. We docked in Barra later in the day and took a drive around the island before checking into our hotel on the beach. If you like hustle and bustle, do not go to Barra!

Day 8

The day didn’t involve much driving as the island is so small. So we decided to go to Barra airport, not as grand as it sounds, and watch the plane land on the beach runway which was fun. Then we headed for one of the few golf courses on the isles. This is a golf course with an honesty box, no clubhouse but golf with superb views of beaches and the sea. Proper old school golf course!

Day 9

Back to the mainland and a great drive from Oban across to Callander, then down through the busy bits past Glasgow. We turned off the M74 onto some fantastic A roads in the Borders and had a lovely run to a small town called Thornhill and stayed for our last night before returning home.

Thoughts on the trip?

Well I was delighted with the car which surpassed all expectations. Not only in terms of reliability but as a grand tourer. The trip computer suggested that we averaged 27mpg which we were very happy with. The suspension is outstanding. The targa roof is perfect, being very quiet when the panels are on and not windy when they are off, but the rear folding hood is up. The route was excellent with some great roads and mostly traffic free. Great scenery, great seafood. In all we did 1300 miles and the car used no oil or water. The only 2 issues we had were a binding front brake calliper causing a very black wheel and one of the heater blowers started fouling the housing making it rather noisy.