[Closed] Scottish Highlands Cycle Touring - Routes/Advice please

My pal did the west coast in 2015 information here. http://www.rboab.com/

Acharacle has a good chippy - hopefully still operating
Ardtoe or Castle Tioram for some stealth camping...be responsible.

Kishorn Seafood Bar

North Coast 500 (NC500) is currently on a lot of folks radar. There have already been threads on here about it. Remember to do the "wee mad road of Inverpolly" though - the official NC500 route bypasses this buit. To fit in with a weeks riding you could shorten it by cutting south at Tongue, through Alltnaharra (great B&B) to Lairg, Rogart (Sleeperzzzz "B&B") and over the Struie to Alness.

Or take the train to Kyle and work your way up the coast.

There's some on-street parking at Bellfield Park (round the back). It's a quiet residential street and I often leave a car there overnight.

In general the Highlands are great for cycle touring. Roads are generally quiet (though the Inverness-Ullapool road will see peaks of traffic as ferries arrive/depart). Lots of singletrack roads further north and (as feedback from our hire customers is showing) drivers are mostly patient and courteous.

Don't forget to carry food with you. There are few cafes/restaurants/shops. It's always best to plan ahead.

Buy Nicolson Maps Road 1.

If you get more sorted on ideas, PM me and I'll see if I can provide some further info.

Thank you very much indeed chaps – that's great stuff. I'll study your posts in more depth when I get the chance later this week.

Also – thank you for your kind offer of help Scotroutes. I might just drop you a line if needed.

Any more forumite thoughts / advice welcome!

Cheers.

If you are starting in Inverness, over the hill from Dingwall to Bonar Bridge, then through Lairg and along Loch Shin to Laxford Bridge is a good route. The north coast is great cycling, and Strathy through Kinbrace to Helmsdale is a fine route south through some remote country.
If you have time to get out to the west cost, there's no end of good stuff. You can't go wrong, really.

If you do find yourself in Lairg, there's a good cafe/restaurant on the A836 Northbound.

There's another one on the A839 Eastbound, I think, but we didn't use that one.

(We've just come back from a month's touring in a campervan, can't wait to go back with a bike. It's all awesome.)

ncn7 is a fantastic touring route, with some nice rough stuff diversions, which are ok on a touring bike.

fly or train up to Inverness, ride back to Glasgow at a steady pace, and train home.

it goes through some cracking scenery.

The road from Kyle of Tongue through Altnaharra* to Invershin is one of the best days on a bike I've had. Weather and conditions certainly helped, but it was just great. It was springtime and I imagine on the right day in September it would be even better.

*The B&B in Altnaharra is worth a stay for the bonkers (in a nice way) lady running it.

jimmy, you're not aka 'jimmy NC500' by any chance ..? .. if so, I think we've both used the same bog at Durness.

Lots of good recommendations for ways to head North. I've lobbed together a route along to the West which could have alternative extras like the Applecross and the Bealach na Ba. The Great Glen bit would need a touring bike that doesn't mind forestry tracks.

[url= https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1bRl2Q9OfAqFciODrZZKEd0EcLNI ]Nice Tour[/url]

[IMG] [/IMG]

What kind of distance is that^^^

Looks like an amazing route..

281 miles for that one - not too bad for a relaxed week I reckon.

Thats a really nice rout IMO

Please don't cycle on the A82 - it's scary.

You can follow minor roads to the south of those lochs / Great Glen Way etc. The main road to Mallaig is unpleasant in places too.
(I last did it the other way - Brodick - Arran - Kintyre - Oban - Mull - Ardnamurchan - Glenuig - Mallaig - Fort Bill - Inverness).

Another idea - Inverness to Ullapool, up the west coast to Durness, Tongue and down back to Inverness through a gap in the hills somewhere. Some breathtakingly remote country.

the road from mallaig is gorgeous. you dont stay on the main road for long, you come off it at morar and follow tiny roads along the coast to a just before beasdale station. the bit from there to lochailort was a bit busier but very very quiet if you are used to town/city riding.

Aye, the route I've done there pretty much avoids the A82 completely using the Great Glen Way. If you only wanted to ride tarmac then keeping to the East of Loch Ness is a better option.

Ggw is mind numbingly boaring imo. Mainly riding through plantations.

We rode much of that route above on a recent tour.

Started at the Corran Ferry and rode the same way until Strathcarron, where we went over the Bealach and took in the Applecross peninsula. Stopped at Sheildaig and pretty much came back the same way except we cut out the peninsula and cycled to Kyle of Lochalsh where we went to Glenelg where we crossed to Skye. Also deviated at the end and headed to Glenfinnan and the south side of Loch eil.

We had originally envisaged something similar to the above but felt that the roads after Kinlochewe to get back weren't really worth it.

adding a "tick" so I can find this again...

Bookmark thread. 🙂

Yep, tick here too.

Good call on the Glenelg ferry there YoKaiser, the food at the Glenelg Inn is pretty darn good too 🙂

A variation is from Strontian up over the hill to Loch Shiel. Then an excellent track (700x32s plenty) along the loch to Glenfinnan to join to Fort William - Mallaig Road. Glenfinnan has a decent hotel and thre is an almost flat tarmac estate road 3 miles north to Corryhully - the bothy with the electric light and kettle - if that's preferred to camping for the night.

Liking Jose McT's route- have done all of that at various times and would reckon that it will work very well indeed. And there are some food options along the way too, not as 'empty' as the far NW. Yes, you'll need chunky-ish tyres for some Great Glen Way parts but over a week, you're in no great rush.

Yup, the track up Loch Shiel is a beautiful ride - wasn't sure if I was making it too mountain bikey for the OP, so took it along the quiet coast road to the East. Would recommend staying in the Ariundle bunkhouse in Strontian too - the evening meals were lovely last time I passed that way.

TheBrick - Member
Ggw is mind numbingly boaring imo. Mainly riding through plantations

You didn't take the High Level route then?

Is the hight route new?

It was about 6 - 7 years ago I did it, I don't remember a high / low route but if there was an option I would have chosen the high route. I did like the last third / quarter but I just remember the middle being very dull.

It's only been open a couple of years. It's hard work but takes you above the treeline for some great views. Although not built as an MTB route, it's like someone with a biking background had a role in the construction as there are some subtle "features" too.

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2015/08/cycling-great-glen-way.html

Considering these tracks and the "mtb-lite" high route, how suitable are they for a tandem with 1.95" road tyres on?

sat planning a scotland trip whilst convalescing.
i was thinking about a 10 day trip round the NC500 or just getting a train to the furthest north i can, then spending 10 days sauntering south in a roundabout way.

[quote=nbt ]Considering these tracks and the "mtb-lite" high route, how suitable are they for a tandem with 1.95" road tyres on?
Not

[quote=ton ]sat planning a scotland trip whilst convalescing.
i was thinking about a 10 day trip round the NC500 or just getting a train to the furthest north i can, then spending 10 days sauntering south in a roundabout way.
JOGLE?

JOGLE?

possibility i suppose. you fancy it?

Hey guys, OP here. Thanks for all the fantastic suggestions and info.

I've still not had time to properly plan, but a cursory glance at the very handy route josemctavish put together makes me wonder what it would be like to head back up the A86 / A9 instead of the A82. I'll definitely use this as some form of basis.

What are the A86 / A9 roads via Aviemore like in comparison? Any quieter/slower... or are there still plenty of Colin McRae wannabes?

The B9152 cuts out a lot of the A9 so looks like a better bet and incidentally a [url= https://www.google.co.uk/maps/ @57.1576691,-3.8782893,3a,75y,3.13h,79.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suyvZGQ2-WVQo1T1u2-_ODg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]lovely looking road[/url]...

Cheers

You'll not be wanting the A9. NCN7 would be my preference from Newtonmore so you're looking for the B970. It also passes Inshriach cake shop.....

Cake you say?! 😀

Yep.

And if you follow NCN7 north you'll come to Tomatin. Take a left immediately after crossing the Findhorn then there's a great wee road from Garbole over to the B851 and B861 to Inverness

[quote=ton ]

JOGLE?

Sold! 8)

Mmm, Inschriach tea rooms. Almost worth the trip up on it's own. Best. Cake. Ever.

Tomatin

Good whisky.

Re: ggw the high route does look like a good improvement. I don't remember views like those posted

Definitely inschriach cake!

The B9152 cuts out a lot of the A9 so looks like a better bet

It's a nice road to cycle. Very low traffic.

My choice for Fort William to Inverness would be B8004, GGW to Laggan, A82 to Aberchalder, canal towpath to Fort Augustus, B862 to Inverness. Great views from the top of the B862.

The B862 (south to north) is a big climb for the first 3 miles or so followed by miles of long gradual downhills. The pic below is at the viewpoint at the top of the climb, looking nth towards Inverness.
[img] [/img]

My choice for Fort William to Inverness would be B8004, GGW to Laggan, A82 to Aberchalder, canal towpath to Fort Augustus, B862 to Inverness. Great views from the top of the B862.

Ta for update. New/improved since the last time I was there. And better than the A82.

Just catching up with this thread, thanks folks. This is shaping up to be an epic trip.

Main question right now...just how MTB is the Great Glen Way?

Bike wise, I'm using a Croix De Fer (CX) with rear panniers... I'm a seasoned MTBer and don't mind some rough stuff.

Worth sticking the cross tyres back on, or do you reckon I could ride 95%+ of the way with wide road slicks and a bit of walking if necessary? All the photos make it look pretty smooth.

Croix de Fer will fly along the GGW. Perfect bike for it. With panniers, you may well be pushing up a couple of the climbs, but there's nothing too rough. I wouldn't choose completely slick tyres but you don't need full-on knobbly tyres either, something in between would be spot on.

Conti CrossSpeed 35's (which were standard on a lot of CDF specs) would be ideal

2nd that

Ah. I've got a 2013 spec Croix, which had a rather lumpy conti cyclocross tread.

Anyhows... those Conti CrossSpeeds look just the ticket. In the bag! Ta 🙂

ScoobysM8 - Member
Croix de Fer will fly along the GGW. Perfect bike for it. With panniers, you may well be pushing up a couple of the climbs, but there's nothing too rough...

You definitely don't need anything fancy on the GGW. Rode it on a singlespeed 20" wheel bike with skinny tyres.

[url= https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5575/14825766039_eac536a229_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5575/14825766039_eac536a229_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Is the hight route new?

It turns the GGW from a fairly utilitarian route into something worth doing on merit.

Right folks, I've finally had some time to get down to some decent reading and planning.

All of this advice has been stellar – thanks so much.

I'm going to more or less follow the [url= https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1bRl2Q9OfAqFciODrZZKEd0EcLNI ]excellent route map kindly suggested[/url]; the West Coast route provides plenty of detours or short cuts depending upon mood.

The Loch Shiel detour is a definitely possibility, a bit of dirt track will be a welcome break from the road. The Great Glen Way appeals as a nice easy means of motoring back to Inverness in the semi wilderness.

So, looks pretty much perfect. Last minute suggestions and detours still very much welcome.

Will post any photos and let you know how I find it.

Cheers! 🙂

You seem to have veered off the Great Glen Way at points. Here's a GPX file of the Great Glen Way (High Level) [url= http://www.scotroutes.com/Routes/MTB/GGW_HL.gpx ](Right click...Save as)[/url]

It's also a waste to be passing the Bealach na Ba and not doing Applecross 🙂

scotroutes - Member
...It's also a waste to be passing the Bealach na Ba and not doing Applecross

It's well worth doing the loop - over the bealach to Applecross, along the coast to Shieldaig and back. There's a good cafe at the bottom so you can finish your ride with tea and cake. 🙂

[url= https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/422/19644307695_97e6a7fa3f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/422/19644307695_97e6a7fa3f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

This thread is putting me in a mind to get the big apples on my old inbred and think about some autumnal touring locally 🙂

Just bookmarking. Not been up there for a couple of years.

Aye, def worth adding in an Applecross loop. One part I know I'd love to add in is hanging a south turn at Stromeferry to Dornie. Take the singletrack road out of Dornie above Loch Duich and head up the stunning Mam Ratagan for some amazing views. Then enjoy the descent down through Glenelg. The ferry crossing will be cheap £5? but to add what you've just witnessed onto the tour, it'll be one of the best fivers you've spent.

BTW The best part of the Highlands for bike tours is north of the GGW.

Hmm.

You seem to have veered off the Great Glen Way at points. Here's a GPX file of the Great Glen Way (High Level) (Right click...Save as)

It's also a waste to be passing the Bealach na Ba and not doing Applecross

Ah. Downloaded. Ta! Although, I'll be going old school with maps, with GPS backup on my phone. Is the high route clearly marked on trail?

I'll be making every effort to get over to Applecross 🙂

The Mam Ratagan road leaves the A87 at Shiel Bridge, not Dornie. Take it over to Glenelg (palindromic name place / twinned with a crater on Mars) then the ferry to Skye. Given your planned route it would fit in better Eastbound. Check it's operating though - it's still seasonal.

Aye, def worth adding in an Applecross loop. One part I know I'd love to add in is hanging a south turn at Stromeferry to Dornie. Take the singletrack road out of Dornie above Loch Duich and head up the stunning Mam Ratagan for some amazing views. Then enjoy the descent down through Glenelg. The ferry crossing will be cheap £5? but to add what you've just witnessed onto the tour, it'll be one of the best fivers you've spent.

Sounds fantastic! Struggling to visualise this on the map though 🙁

Any chance you could lend a brother a hand when you have 5?

😕

The Mam Ratagan road leaves the A87 at Shiel Bridge, not Dornie. Take it over to Glenelg (palindromic name place / twinned with a crater on Mars) then the ferry to Skye. Given your planned route it would fit in better Eastbound. Check it's operating though - it's still seasonal.

This would explain some of my troubles perhaps? 😆