Cowal, Kintyre and home

"Indulge yourself" was my Mum's parting shot on the phone on Friday evening. What she meant was to use cafes, pubs and *gasp* hotels on my forthcoming tour, rather than my usual co-op and a sheet of nylon style. My issue was a need to visit Mum and Dad, who is back in hospital, and the weather, which was set fine for three days before going down the tubes again. In fact the West of Scotland looked like it was going to be wall to wall sunshine. So Mum's advice was interpreted into letting my mile munching head thoroughly off the leash and blaze through a 5 day route in 2 days, then cycle home. 

A couple of short cuts would help, starting with training it to Gourock, then the boat to Dunoon  - 

The view ahead, still a bit gloomy although there were hints of sun. In fact my day had started in damp, drizzly mist so this was looking much more promising. I departed the boat at Dunoon and hunted out a food source - Morrisons! After a feed on the now much more pleasant sea front (it was looking a bit tired when I was here in 1991) I pedaled off along the shore heading north.

This is Holy Loch, famously used by the yanks as a submarine base in the cold war. When I passed through in 1991 it was a very strange place with lots of (short) submariners wandering around the place and lots of large American automobiles and Harleys in the car parks. They pulled out not long after and left the place to it's own devices. I was pleased to see quite a bit of regeneration of the sea front has been done and it all looks much cheerier. First proper ride on the Stormchaser!

The cloud had progressively lifted as I headed west so the hints of sunshine on the Arrochar Alps were a welcome sight.

Rather than just cut west over to Tighnabruich, the plan was to throw in a loop up Loch Eck and over the Cowal way. I'd ridden the Loch Eck track in about 1993 and the route over from Glen Branter to Glen Ruel looked a corker. I asked a chap out for a walk for directions to the start of the Loch Eck track as I couldn't make out the line on the GPS. He noted that it might still be closed due to landslips. This rang a vague bell from reading Andy Williamson's trip out here earlier in the year but I figured it would be fine.

Various signs proclaimed 'Road Closed due to landslips and fallen trees' without giving any specifics, which is annoying as what I really wanted was some objective intel on what I would actually be facing. When you have done the BB300, anything is possible. So I ignored the signs and bashed on. As it happened all the fallen trees had all been cleared but two landslip areas remained. 

OK, a landslip right enough, but a forwarder had been over them however (and there were lots of tyre tracks) so I carried on regardless. This is not a reason to close a route... Beyond the two slips I was aware of the forwarder tracks and a vehicle track so I figured all would be well thereafter. It was and progress was good up the loch and onto the Cowal Way in Glen Branter.

Only to meet this! The (large) culvert had been totally washed out leaving a 20 foot drop into a rocky gorge. No way was I crossing this but just then an older couple appeared on the far bank. they had done a long loop up the neighbouring glen to that point and were having to back track. Instead I nosed down a path downstream to a crossing point, noting a bloke walking his dog on the far side. Pushing up through the woods was a bit of a struggle thanks to fallen trees and boggy bits (sound familiar?) then disaster struck. The bike struck a tree route and stopped dead, I stumbled and bounced off the aero bar arm rest. Ouch, one very sore rib. Undeterred I got back on track and ground up a huge climb, on near perfect gravel.

The descent was taken with care given my previous incident and the lower bit was a proper farm track which was pretty rough. Backroads took me down the glen to the next bit of hero gravel, after a considerable climb:

A chap in a truck appeared and stated he was about to do some shooting down from the track. I was sticking to the main drag so no worries but the amount of deer that crossed my path suggested he would have easy pickings.

I became aware that this was taking some time and I needed to get the 6.30 boat from Portavadie to get across to Kintyre, or crucially Tarbert and its Co-op, or else starve... I'd started up this track at just after 5 so was a mite concerned when I checked my watch on finally hitting the Otter Ferry road and noting it was 18.10. As usual I had a vague notion there was still a few miles to go but in the event it was nearly all downhill and fast going.

Phew, made it, with 5 minutes to spare (note weather, I believe the south has been deluged over the weekend!)

A leisurely ferry trip followed as the sun sank. Tarbert was busy and the chippy shut. There seemed to be some kind of do going on, on the far pier which included a bar and a burger caravan but instead I opted for the Co-op, as per. Food on the (chilly) sea front then off away from the madding crowd and into the peace and tranquility of the woods. I'd thought to do a coastal bivvy but it was actually pretty breezy so woods it was, but a great spot - level, dry and with enough breeze to keep the bugs at bay. A fine evening followed....

I was up fairly sharp and pedaling before 8.

Rather than do the coast road I disappeared back into the woods on a fine route which cuts a large corner off and offers more perfect gravel riding. The 'Wild about Argyll' route takes you over the windfarm which is a huge climb on a rough track. This is far nicer.

A nice one, grass growing up the centre!

Jura in the distance - sunny but hazy, I'm not complaining though...

Rather than do the Knapdale route I'd done before I stuck to the road and then turned off to Ardrishaig on the Sustrans route. This was a mix of nice gravel single track and forest roads, but with some horrible climbs for no gain thrown in....

Finally it dropped me into Ardrishaig and the blessedly flat Crinan Canal towpath. Three work colleagues have been poached to Scottish Canals over the last couple of years and they have all reported the same - no money for maintenance and some big bills outstanding on this canal, which is why it's currently shut for boats....

I chilled on Lochgilphead seafront eyeing up another couple of bikepackers with horribly overloaded bikes - hopefully they weren't doing the WAA route.... Then the Co-op for onward food and off we go. I was aiming for Killin (Co-op), some 85 miles off, so I cracked on. First up was loch Awe after more forest roads. I'd scoped this route out on the map but hadn't quite appreciated the humongous climb up a ridge under the new power lines.

Nice view at least, over Lochgilp and my route so far. The track was a bit of a dog leg but missed out some more road riding. It spat me out on an amusingly decrepit back road complete with grass growing up the middle and cows.

Finally I hit the the Loch Awe road - a long but easy pedal, fortunately without the usual lochside road ups and downs. Annoyingly, the rib had got progressively sorer as the day progressed. It was fine, as long as I didn't breathe too hard!

Ben Cruachan, pump storage scheme dam just visible centre pic. I reached the main road eventually but there was quite a bit of traffic on it, so took a punt on a section of Wades road which according to the map would lop a corner off and dump me into Dalmally direct. Which it did, after a k of vague and over-grown boggy trail. Not gravel-tastic...

Dalmally provided a final coffee and a snack and then off again, up Glen Orchy. I was pleased as I'd had a notion it was getting on a bit but actually only 4pm as I departed Dalmally. I'd also done all of the off road stuff I'd planned and avoided any cop outs. I could have used the main road of course - 20 odd miles to Killin - but it was mobbed with Sunday evening traffic. No thanks. Instead I was on the scenic route, with many trials and tribulations to come!

Yonks ago, there used to be a path up the west side of Glen Orchy promoted as a bike route. The only time I did it, it was already disappearing into the undergrowth and soon after it was forgotten about. Now there is a super smooth forest road that is far nicer to ride on than the actual road and takes you right to the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. 

Except it was shut for forestry work. For flips sake this was doing my nut in. Bugger it, it's Sunday evening, no-one will be working. Almost right, they were knocking off and ignored me as they abandoned all the machinery and drove off in various pick up trucks. This is annoying - once upon a time there would just have been signs up warning of forestry work. Now they seem to shut tracks as a matter of course, irrespective of if the works actually impinge upon it, which these didn't, they were just using the track as a timber haul road. The A82 wasn't shut to allow the timber wagons to pass...

Anyway, enough of all this, onward. To this point there had been a stiff easterly breeze which had helped me along for the most part. However I knew that at some point it would be in my face and I figured Glen Orchy would be the start of it. Except it felt more like a breeze was helping me along. No complaints though! In the photo above you may spot cloud spilling over the hills. As I headed back east, I was expecting to leave the sun behind so seeing this I figured the perma-cloud wasn't far away. But in the event, the blue sky continued.

It's always a bit weird doing this route (WHW from BoO to Auch Farm, then up the Glen to Loch Lyon) when not doing the Highland Trail and I was on a similar mission so riding as quick as the trail (and my rib) allowed. That said I was having a very good time. I knew I would reach Killin in time for the Co-op, the riding was ace and all was well with the world - one of those moments you have to grab and appreciate. Pity about the sore rib! There are famously a few burn crossings on this route, some of which can be a bit deep and pretty rough. The Stormy aced the lot but enough water got splashed up to give me damp shoes. My feet chilled instantly.... Ignoring this I bashed on as I wanted to get over the Pubil climb before it got dark. Again I had feared a horrible headwind along here but it was of little hinderance, in fact the wind had dropped to a mere whisper of a breeze. The dam head was reached eventually and dusk was starting to fall as I ground up what is now quite familiar terrain round the huge potholes. I topped out to see cloud blowing in from the glen and cloud overhead to the east.

Cloud incoming, Ben Lui just rising above it. 

Last of the sun, note water pipe which is part of the vast hydro-electric infrastructure that criss-crosses this whole area.

I was a might careful descending the wrecked road to Glen Lochay but the bike fairly flew along the glen road in the last of the light. Overhead was now solid cloud and it was cold but the Killin Co-op was nearly in sight! Better yet there was a chip van!! So I grabbed sausage and chips, a hot chocolate and snacks and beers for later from the Co-op and sat out under the shop awning feeding my face and reflecting on what I'd just done. To crown it all, I knew of a fab bivvy spot just up the cycleway. This is just off the end of the forest track where the tarmac path starts to take you up the last of the climb to Glen Ogle. So it was with a huge grin as I departed Killin in the dark, no sign of anyone on the steady climb up the cycleway. I reached my spot, pitched up and relaxed after 118 miles of top class bike riding, stunning weather and scenery.

As usual I woke to the dawn chorus but nodded off again. I woke a few more times as trucks went by on the nearby A84 and when I eventually decided to get up it was 9am!

Just up the climb you come across this - 30 years after it happened. Me and a mate did a bike ride round here a few days after the crash - the RAF were there collecting all the wreckage - a lot of very small and mangled bits.... When we built the cycleway, the contractor pointed out the actual impact site, all quite sad.

Much greyness in Glen Ogle. I had an expensive breakfast in the Strathyre 'Broch' cafe then tootled home by my standard and oft used route. Total distance 233 miles! My rib is now very sore....

PS - the Stormy was a hoot. 47mm tyres provided just enough bunge to enable easy riding over the rougher bits but flew on the hard stuff (terravail rutlands...) It also handles as sweet as, just a pity I managed to smack a rib on the bloody aero bars!

Moray Meanderings

The "Moray Triangle" is now so well known that someone should publish the route on bikepacking.com. I'll not bother as the GPX from this week's ride round this route resembles a dropped plate of spaghetti...

I didn't actually mean to do it. Inspired by Jimmy's and Sean's escapades on the Badger Divide, I hatched a plan to pedal along to Callander and then do the Badger route up to Schneckie, cut east on a route following various tracks and trails (roughly the Pictish trail route) then head south by some suitable means. However the weather looked horrible for the Saturday evening and Sunday and as I've done pretty much all of the BD route this seemed a bit pointless. Up east looked drier and my new gravel bolide was duly contemplated for such an undertaking. But I've kind of done that and whilst it is very pleasant, I was fancying something a bit more interesting, riding wise. So I duly rode round the procrastination loop a few times before taking the radical step of going onto the Scotrail website and seeing where I could get to on the Saturday. Answer? Up the Inverness line. Aviemore seemed a good bet so I coughed up and did a map re-appraisal.

The train journey went OK after a leisurely pedal down to Inverkeithing. Up to Perth took an eternity as it stops at every station and I had to wait 40 minutes for the schneckie train. This was rammed so a bit of creativity was needed to wedge the Jones in amongst a bunch of carbon gravel bikes with minimalist bags on. I found a seat next to the train drunk who was cheery enough although he did cause a certain amount of carriage embarrassment when his girlfriend phoned and he answered on speakerphone allowing us all to hear about his domestic problems...

Departing the train at Aviemore was a relief for about 1 minute. The entire town was rammed with extremely large motorbikes and their extremely large owners. Oh gawd it was 'Thunder in the Glens' the Harley Owners Group rally that takes place every year up here. I'd my heart set on a pint in the Bridge Inn but it was queued out the door. There was a terrible band playing 'rock' dross and there were far too many people strutting around wearing leather waist coats. Grumbling mightily and resisting the temptation to shout "you are all *******" I got out of there fast. Then I berated myself for such negative thoughts as this lot were no worse than us lot in a way and people being into stuff, whatever that stuff may be, is a Good Thing. I prefer the minimalism of my Triumph, however. Then I recalled my last encounter with this rally which was in August 2014 when I pitched up on my successful Cairngorms loop Ride, in fact my first successful ITT. 10 years ago to the day!

The chippy at Dalfaber is a good 'un and Hog free so I grabbed a fish supper and sat under the next door Co-op awning scoffing it whilst a few sprinkles came through. The forecast for up here was also not that great but after grabbing a few supplies at the Co-op and getting going properly, the sun did shine.

On the trail at last, NCN 7 north, the relief of leaving all behind boiling off me like steam. I built this route in 1998 and it's survived the test of time. Part of the same scheme was improving a track over the hill from Boat of Garten to Carrbridge. This has now been abandoned by Sustrans as the NCN, alas. Instead you have to use the not that quiet B road. Last year, Transport Scotland consulted on sorting this route out but nothing has materialised on the ground yet. I suspect the consultants fees for prepping the options and doing the consultation will have been several times what it cost to do up the track over the hill.... 

Right, enough of all that, l'm on holiday! And a new trail!! This was via the wee road east then north from Carrbridge and up into the hills north of the A938. I'd tried to do this track a few years ago from the north but couldn't find it on the GPS as it wasn't shown on my 2010 version of the maps. Of course I conveniently forgot this fact today, until I was heading into the wilderness and trying to fathom turns. According to the GPS I was in the middle of a blank nothingness. Fortunately, and for the first time, my OS app on the phone worked and I was able to work out where to go.

A good 'un!

This eventually spat me out on the Lochindorb road and thence onto the Dava way. Now I'd figured on dossing in the wee hut about halfway along the route and as it was after 8, I was ready for a bivvy. So I cruised along with the help of a stiff breeze and plenty of sunshine on high. I passed an old brick built hut with its window out and a fair bit of muck on the floor, and figured this would be plan B. I got to the Halfway hut a few minutes later only to discover someone else in residence! Bugger. He was cheery enough and even offered to shuffle over to let me in but it's really only a one person hut (the sign on the wall notes "This is not a bothy!") Now what. It would probably rain in the night so a shed would be handy. Plus I was done for the day and didn't fancy yet another mad thrash trying to find a decent bivvy spot before it got dark. Right then, back to the alternate shed.

This is scuzzy - the window is out and the floor covered in muck. That said, although the door was open, there was no evidence of the sheep having been in, or the usual smell of it having been used as a toilet. I swept as much of the dirt up as possible with a bit of heather, wondered if I should just pitch the tarp up next to it, then got my gear out and sat out in the cool breeze having a beer and contemplating my journey to this point. As the sun set, coolness drove me inside and into my bag. Whisky helped me pass the hour to bed time and a sound sleep followed.

The far more salubrious halfway hut. Actually a nice little interpretation center with info about the history of the rail line and area.

The next morning dawned with clear blue skies. After a quick pack up I departed in search of nice trails and breakfast. The Dava way took me into the woods around the mighty river Findhorn where I picked up the fab riverside trail. This was empty at the early hour and I duly hooned it big style down to the Logie Steading cafe for breakfast, my head louping after too much whisky the night before. A large amount of food and tea followed, then.... more ace riverside trails. I rode back up the road a ways and crossed the river in search of more singletrack on the west bank. It's all a hoot and well worth spending some time here.

Some of the trails are quite precipitous!

The Findhorn is pretty spectacular as rivers go with a lot of its course in this monster gorge. I'd love to see it in spate!

Not a bivvy spot as it was locked - actually one of several well used fishing huts. The porch offers some shelter however!

I exited the trails to check out Darnaway forest and another possible shed, which turned out to be a water tank.... It's raised up above the ground so you could kip under it, in a pinch. There then followed an excess of road riding on NCN 1 to Nairn and a fine harbourside cafe. An American chap was asking after my bike so we chatted about various outdoor adventures and I gave him some shouts about stuff to do hereabouts.

The sea.

So off we go on the Moray Coastal Trail. After a bit of faffing through the dunes I picked up an easy trail into Culbin forest. There is a ton of single track in here so I tried to bag as much as I could. On emerging onto the beach I noted a large amount of grey cloud incoming. After the sunny start, it had steadily clouded over so this looked like rain on the way, contrary to any weather forecast I had seen to that point. Hey ho....

Sure enough, a wee while later the drizzle started. I'd originally planned to bash along the trail past Roselisle forest and Burghead, maybe getting to Lossie woods for a bivvy. But the trail between Hopeman and Lossie is a bit slow going through the dunes and I'd rather do this in nice weather. I'd an inkling it would dry up later so I figured that the best way to manage the rain was to stick to woods and ride pretty much every track I could find and remember from previous visits.

This edifice is smack in the middle of the forest. It's not marked on any maps but offers a fine view of the Moray Firth, the Northern Hills and the rain.

The somewhat monochrome view, thanks to the gloomy weather. It is one of the appeals of the coastline hereabouts - around you it's all woodland and rich farmland, but the distant panorama of high hills reminds you that you are in the heart of the Highlands.

More wanderings took me to the far eastern edge of the Forest. I can see the pub from here! This is the end of a track that used to go onto the beach, erosion has done it's work so there is a now a 20 foot drop. If you ever cruise along the beach to this point, beware of the tide as it comes in mighty quick. A few years ago we nearly got caught out by this, heading for this track. We had to back track sharpish to find a spot to get off the beach!

This lot seemed to be making an awful meal of rigging their boat. A block on the map revealed itself as a well secured boat shed which would not be a bivvy spot as even if you could get in, the chances are you'd end up floating....

Despite it coming and going, the rain never really got that heavy and when I finally exited the forest, the horizon did indeed look to be clearing. I cruised along more back roads that NCN 1 follows, past Benromach Distillery and out along the River Findhorn once more to Findhorn itself. I'm told the Findhorn Foundation is in financial difficulties so maybe the hippy camp will have to up sticks and depart. There was no real evidence of this on the ground though and a few more luxury 'eco' homes seemed to have appeared. On approach, the rain did actually get quite heavy, despite the horizon now being all clear. So of course I had to go to the pub to sit it out. In fact I ended up eating here (£21 for an average burger and chips and a pint) whilst contemplating my onward moves and digs.

Right, I'll head to Burghead, grab some evening snacks and a beer or three from the Co-op and then head back into the woods for a bivvy. This worked incredibly well, as I bagged as much of the fab singletrack as I could remember, scoped out a spot, grabbed beers, headed back and got settled in.

All clear on the trail approaching Roseisle Forest.

Whilst sat on the loo earlier that day, I noted a tick crawling across my leg. It must have got caught up in my shorts or something as it didn't look like it had sank its teeth into me. I was somewhat wary of more in my woodland retreat but the only insects I noted were devils coachman beetles, which are rather large and tend to curl their abdomens up, scorpion like, which is a bit alarming. Anyway, a very pleasant evening ensued, followed by a sound sleep.

I was up and away early, back to the Co-op in Burghead for breakfast. Oh joy of joys, they had a hot food counter with bacon and sausages - one of each in a roll please! Better still, I say out on the sea front eating this, contemplating a fine sunny morning.

So off we go. To Hopeman, the coastal trail is a cycleway but beyond here it gets more interesting. A bit of heaving up some steps leads you to a lovely gravel singletrack which twists and turns its way long the top of the low cliffs.

The trail, and more fab views north, with the ever present sea a fine backdrop. Then it got much better (after getting a bit worse) A few k short of Lossiemouth. The nice path dumps you onto the beach and the high tide route is a somewhat overgrown and vague line through the dunes. I'd struggled with this section the last time I did this route, got lost and ended up in the adjacent golf course. Today the tide was well out, so I hit the beach and cruised easily along the sand, all the way to Lossie. 

On the beach

Hard to tell what this was - A Minke whale, I suspect. I'm glad I approached it upwind as after taking this pic and riding off, the smell was appalling...

At Lossie, I indulged in more cafe culture having a nice and expensive cappuccino on the harbourside, sat out in the sun, the sun!

This is a new bridge put in a few years ago to replace the old wooden footbridge across the bay. If you can't ride the beach, you have to ride out of the town on the road and get into Lossie forest further along. Today I rolled off the bridge, onto the sand and fairly flew along the beach, finally leaving it as the tide was coming in and the shingle a bit hard going. 

A short push up over the shingle bar got me onto a rough trail along the edge of the forest.

Gun emplacements are dotted along the coast, along with miles of tank stoppers. Looks like a certain amount of anarchy goes on here, given the graffiti, fire sites and much evidence of use by motocross bikes. They would make a good bivvy spot, but probably not on a weekend...

Finally I emerged at Kingston, did a nice trail to Garmouth and then joined NCN 1 at the fine old railway bridge. From here it was all on the Speyside way up to my friends place at Blacksboat. I should have scoped out a route through Ordiqueish and Ben Aigen forests but ended up just following the SSW.

Oh dear, looks like the Spey is changing it's path. hopefully the route can be moved inland a bit.

Another great old railway bridge. This is actually the main Inverness to Aberdeen line.

Looking back down the Spey to Fochabers and Garmouth.

After spending two days helping my mate Rob stapling tyvek to his new steading roof, I bottled a ride home as the weather was looking a bit damp. I've done this a few times now so saw no need to do it in the rain. Instead I had an easy pedal to Aviemore by various means and then trained it down to Gleneagles, finishing with a very damp passage of the Ochills.

Total distance was 220 miles. The 'triangle' is defo worth doing and you can throw in a few variations to add interest. So a good trip for my August Bivvy. September next but Dad is having another crisis so not sure how it will pan out...