I'd supposed to be doing the Highland Trail again this year but back problems threw a spanner in my training and made doing 550 miles with lots of hike a bike a no no. As compensation I decided to do an easy tour from Stonehaven west picking up a few of the Mounth roads that zig zag north / south through the eastern Grampian hills towards the Cairngorms. If you've done the coast to coast you'll have done a fair bit of this route but for some reason the 'official' coast to coast takes you on road from Glen Mark to Montrose instead of heading further east on more great tails to Stonehaven. I did a fair few of them on a trip in 2011 but the crap weather put the kybosh on my route so this week I hoped to bag the ones I missed. So I trained it to Stonehaven and after only a couple of miles of road I hit the dirt.
The start of the Elsick Mounth. For this trip I was in touring mode so had a fairly big load with everything on the bike to give my back an easy time.
At the top of the pass looking west - a nice trail all in all with single track through the woods bone dry after all the sun. Note weather...
Next up was the Cryne Course Road - this bit was a bit crap but being dry and downhill passed fairly quickly...
The Stock mounth was a no go as the first section was covered in wind blown trees and I couldn't be arsed with a death march on such a nice day. So I short cutted to the Builg Mounth via a new windfarm track
The summit of the Builg - Tussock central but short lived as you pick up a fast doubletrack descent to the Cairn o' Mounth road. From here its a short hop to Char Bothy where I'd planned to stop but as it was only 5pm I cracked on up the glen and Mount Battock (778m!)
The trail over the summit and down the first part of the ridge is a nice mix of turf and rock before you hit a network of smooth stalking tracks. I was feeling a bit bushed by this time so when I spied a nice grassy side glen after dropping off the ridge it was an easy choice to make camp.
The next morning the forecasted cloud and dreich turned out to be clear blue sky and not a breath of wind (or midges). Finally I was doing a trip at the end of May which didn't involve gale force winds, rain and snow. Plans were changed to hit as many trails as I could.
From my campsite this morning to my destination at Ballater was about 20k as the crow flies. My route was nearer 100....
The junction of the Fungle road and Firmounth - I'd be back here in a few hours. In 2011 this section was well rocky but its all been done up and is pretty smooth. The Fungle road is a gem with a mix of made and natural double and single track. There are plenty of options to do this as a circuit and its well worth it.
After a late brekky in Aboyne I headed up the Firmounth which I'd failed to do in 2011. I passed my camp spot of that year but this day, instead of lashing rain, I was struggling in the hot sun! Its a monster climb and you cross a big moor with two peaks to bag en-route. The descent to Glen Mark was a smooth blast. A bit of road bashing up Glen Mark and then I hit the gravel again, all easy going until the Queens well which was visited by Queen Vickky on her many perambulations hereabouts. Then it was onto another beast of a climb over the Mount Keen Mounth road. I got up pretty much all of this but decided to miss out the summit as I'd heard that the descent was a bit rubbish. Instead there is another trail which traverses the summit cone.
This is divine - nadgery rocks and narrow gravel followed by a wide boulder field...
This kind of stuff needs a deal of care on a rigid bike with bags on. I made reasonable progress down it with only one dab on a particularly large rock....
There followed a leisurely pedal down through the Forest of Glen Tannar with the mandatory stop at the Halfway hut for a snack:-
A fine wee hut which would be a squeeze to sleep in! I sat in the sun at Dinnet drinking coffee and eating ice cream reflecting on a perfect day on the bike - Sun, scenery and dry trails. Later whilst sat in the pub in Ballater it lashed down for about 30 mins but the sun was back out as I weaved my way back to the tent at last light.
Day 3 was a steady one heading up Glen Gairn on road and track to Loch Builg and then down to Tomintoul. It was pretty overcast but still dry. The Firestation Cafe provided food and drink as I contemplated my onward route. I'd had a few plans to head north from here and even have a razz round the Glenlivet trails but murky cloud in that direction persuaded me to head west to Aviemore by the usual Glen Brown / Dorback / Eigh Mhor / Ryvoan Cairngorms Loop route.
The top of Glen Brown before the climb to Dorback Lodge.
At Tomintoul I texted my pals to say I was inbound and Iona suggested a meet up in the cafe at Boat of Garten. In the event I was going to be early so as per I stopped for a pint in the Glenmore cafe and then followed a recently discovered route over the Sluggan pass to Boat, followed by coffee in the sun with Iona and then a leisurely pedal back along the speyside way to Aviemore.
Monday and Tuesday night were spent in Aviemore with an afternoon spent riding the woods around Boat of Garten, Carrbridge and Burnside.
The plan was to spend a couple of days heading down to Tyndrum to catch up with a few of the Highland Trail finishers and then an easy pedal home from there. Wednesday morning dawned rather murky but by the time I'd left Aviemore it was already clearing. My route was as per what I'd done the previous year and took me due south west with a monster tailwind. From Ruthven Barracks the old military road provides and easy pedal and a much nicer route than NCN 7
From Phones lodge there is good route over to Dalwhinnie, again better than NCN 7 albeit with a bit of a bump...
In the cafe at Dalwhinnie (sat in the sun!) I checked out the progress of the HTR and noted everyone seemed to be going like the clappers with many finishing this day and the next. The plan was revised. My route took me down past Loch Ericht and over the Bealach Dhu to Ben Alder Cottage, thereafter over to Glen Lyon via another large climb, then out passed the res and over to the West Highland Way - i.e. the reverse of the new Highland Trail route. Instead of bivvying or bothying, I'd do it in a oner.
Going down by Loch Ericht was absolutely stunning
On the first section of singletrack - Ben Alder from the north
On the Bealach Dubh looking towards Ossian. You'd never have guessed 40 odd riders had passed this way a few days previously...
I hit Loch Rannoch at about 6.15pm and just kept going, the weather was so good...
Above Loch Rannoch looking back to Ben Alder from the South.
Over the Lairig Gallabhaich the distance started to tell but the mega tailwind made Glen Lyon a breeze. I hit the WHW at 8pm and made Tyndrum at 8.30, 11 hours and 100 miles after leaving Aviemore. There followed a pleasant evening of drinking and chatting with folk who had finished the HTR and seeing a few more folk in. Next morning was more of the same followed by a gentle pedal home on roads and cycleways. 6 days of great trails, great weather and tailwinds...
On NCN 7 near Lochearnhead - for me always known as the bridge that didn't fit...
Every October the Clachaig inn, Glencoe holds its annual beer and music festival, the 'Octoberfest'. Me and various friends have been going to this pub off and on for many years; usually on motorbikes, either on the way elsewhere up north or just to sample the many ales it has on offer. In fact its the place where I first got drunk at the tender age of 16. We've been to Octoberfest a few times, generally staying in the bunkhouse just down from the pub. For various reasons we'd missed a couple of years and I'd not actually been to the Clachaig at all since 2012. So this year me and four friends decided to re-start our tradition of attendance, this time staying in a luxury caravan at the bunkhouse.
I'd included some kind of cycling in the proceedings in previous years in order to get an appetite for the many ales we always manage to drink. This year I had a notion to drive part way up and ride the rest of the way by some suitable route. I figured starting at Lagan just west of the A9 would allow me to do a large-ish route over the Corrieairyack, down the Great Glen Way, then the West Highland Way. I've done a lot of bike riding this year and this seemed a good way to round off the year before the winter kicked in and I'd be limited to day rides.
A further justification for this route was to check out the newly opened Great Glen Cycleway between Fort Augustus and Fort William. During this years Highland Trail campaign I'd noted signs of the old railway line being worked on and research afterward indicated that there was a project underway to create a cycleway the whole way from Inverness to Fort Bill; due for completion that summer. Part of this would be on the same line as the Great Glen Way and some of it would be new. I'd mentioned this to Alan Goldsmith in an email exchange over the day one route and he'd asked if I could recce it and get a gpx that he could include in the HT route.
So I booked the Friday off work on the strength of a good weather forecast and left the house early doors to get an easy run up the A9 to Dalwhinnie and thence Lagan. The weather was cool and cloudy but with hints of the nice day to come. Better yet was a stiff North-Easterly breeze which would provide a tailwind for the whole route. After Lagan village the tarmac runs out at Melgarve Bothy which I had a brief nosy at before hitting the dirt.
On the first part of the climb I eyed up a large machine busy restoring the access track used to install the Beauly-Denny power line further up the hill. When this track was being put in they used Wades road as the initial access for plant and as a result did the whole route up to a good standard which finally seems to be standing the test of time. Previous excursions over the Corrieairyack had been a struggle due to the large boulder field and huge washouts masquerading as the track surface. Now its pretty smooth with only some monster water-bars interrupting the flow.
Hmm, the last time I was on this was during the Highland Trail. I seemed to be repeating lots of the route on my various bike trips this year. Not intentionally as such, I guess its just a function of it covering so much ground across Scotland. Any reasonable length of route in the Highlands is therefore bound to meet it. In fact the last time I was up here on the Krampus was on my ill-fated Highland Trail attempt in 2014. That day, despite my legs being totally wrecked, I'd got up the whole climb thanks mainly due to a 20/34 granny gear. Today I was on my 1x10 which was only a 30/42 granny but in the event I still got up - all thanks to my excellent form and fresh legs.
The top, still a bit grey but breaks in the cloud all around.
Looking west towards Strath Cannich, Kintail and Torridon
Being a Friday in October I had the place to myself. I hammered the descent and made sure I rode the bottom of the hydro scheme track instead of the 'official' wades road. The local landowner seems to get very annoyed at people doing this which is why I do it. Access rights of course as well as the fact that I buy my electricity from Scottish Hydro and they put the track in so in fact I'm riding on my track! The sun finally appeared right on cue as I rolled into Fort Augustus so I grabbed lots of pies and cakes from the shop and sat in the sun having a leisurely brunch. A passing tourist expressed gasps of amazement at the Kramps 3" wide tyres. Funny really these seem narrow to me nowadays....
So with a nice following breeze (for a very nice change along here), off I went down the Great Glen Cycleway. This actually has quite a checkered history. A previous incarnation pre-dates the Great Glen Way (which is touted primarily as a walking route although you can bike it) and followed some pretty steep trails thrown at the ground with little thought for durability or rideability. It also finished at Drumnadrochit and thereafter you either had to turn back or continue on the not too pleasant A82. After a few years it was showing signs of serious neglect, got little use and was therefore abandoned.... Some years later much funding was gained through Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and Highland Council to develop the Great Glen Way as an easy long distance walking route. This used most of what had been the old cycling route - the Caledonian Canal tow path , various forest tracks and sections of either the old General Wade Road or disused railway line which goes through here but also built several new sections, in particular along the length of Loch Ness above the A82. Then this year the Council started to re-develop the cycle route. This uses the quiet roads on the south side of Loch Ness, the easier bits of the Great Glen Way and a long length of disused railway alongside loch Oich. Confused?
Whatever it was an easy pedal in warm sunshine with great views down the glen. Right enough the section alongside Loch Oich was all on the old railway line. This has been closed since the 50's and mostly impassable. I'd ridden along here in 2014 as part of a tour and one section was a mass of tree routes which made for incredibly hard going. Wades road and the HT route parallels the railway line for much of this so on my 2015 ride we'd been duty bound to follow the proper route along wades road which, as per the rest of the HT route was very wet. Then the cycleway was incomplete but the roots were no more! Now its a great route with a smooth dust surface. You pass through a couple of rock cuttings and a tunnel and its pan flat the whole way. I guess the only problem is that Wades road will likely not get used any more and therefore become totally overgrown. After Loch Oich your on a nice single track section which had only been re-surfaced, not widened. Then it was up into the forestry beside Loch Lochy, views of Annoch Mor and Ben Nevis building to the south.
The last time I'd been on the final section of towpath (now also re-surfaced and billiard table smooth) it had been 9.30pm, I'd been going for 16 hours and it was pishing down. Today it was warm, sunny and I was cruising effortlessly. At Fort William I sat in the afternoon sun eating more pie and cake contemplating my onward route. The easy way would be to just horse it down the A82 to Corran and thence the cycleway to Glencoe village. The A82 is not particularly nice on this section so definitely worth a miss. That left the West Highland Way, last done in more torrential rain and an ungodly 6 am on my last day of the HT. Today it was warm, dry and I was feeling super strong so left without a thought. I couldn't be bothered with the WHW out of Glen Nevis however so short-cutted up Wades road (tarmac) before picking the WHW and HT route near the road end.
The climb up the Lairig Mor seemed to take no time and soon enough I was clattering down the rough descent into Kinlochleven as dusk fell. Then it was case of following the bumpy twisty B863 out to Glencoe village and up to the caravan, some 80 miles and eight and a half hours after leaving the car. My pals were already ensconced and champing at the bit to go to the pub!
This we did and had a fine night drinking many ales and eating food whilst listening to the usual folk band. Walking back from the pub it was raining. This was forecast for most of the night but was due to be off by the next morning.
We woke to a steady drizzle, somewhat late thanks to the previous nights festivities. After a leisurely breakfast we all headed out. They (Dawn, Ron, Jim and Kim) were out to bag some waterfalls above Kinlochleven. I was also heading there but I had bigger fish to fry - the Chiarain Path. As I passed through the woods above Glencoe village the sky brightened and the sun came out on the road to KLL. Thence it was 'that' climb up past the water pipes (again!) but at the penstock, instead of turning off up the WHW, I kept on a ways before dropping onto the lid of the aqueduct. This is a 3m square concrete box through which water flows from the Blackwater reservoir to feed the power station at Kinlochleven, formerly the Aluminium smelter. Its nigh on level (well it climbs at about 1:100) and fast. The only dodgy bits are where it crosses gorges on viaducts of various lengths. There are no handrails of course so these can be a little unnerving if you don't have a head for heights.
Finally reaching the dam I picked my way across the vast area of rock that used to be a raging river before it was dammed. Now its barely a trickle and with a bit of nose following its easy to pick a route across. In fact this area gets used for the Scottish Six Days Trial for a number of sections so there are wee trails everywhere. At the far side of the dam you follow another pipeline (a round one this time) which links the Blackwater Res to Loch an Eilde Mor. All part of the same hydro scheme. After only a couple of hundred meters you turn away from this and start one of the UK's gnarliest descents - the Chiarain Path.
Its typical of the breed and quite eroded due to being used by the SSDT so rough as in places with some steep sections and plenty of drops. I'd last rode this on my Orange 5 in 2011, also on an October Fest weekend. I'd blasted down it in about 30 minutes and was left feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the experience. This marked the end of my full suspension biking career in the event. So here I was on a rigid steel bike eagerly anticipating the battering I was about to receive. Now as it happens I had an action cam (a Garmin virb) attached to my bars and I hoped to get some good footage of the descent. Off I went clattering across everything in my path. I rode pretty much all that I remembered having ridden previously excepting one particularly precipitous drop. I felt I was making good progress and the 29+ was going through everything. The clock told a different story as it took nearly twice as long.
That said this included a rather epic burn crossing. As I'd ridden along the aqueduct, I'd noted a few of the side burns on the opposite side of the glen looking somewhat tumultuous due to the previous nights rain. One in particular looked to be a raging torrent. Sure enough when I arrived it was fierce. My riding this year has been characterised by several epic river crossings, mainly on the Highland Trail but with a few others also adding to the drama. This one looked like it could be the worst of the lot. I'd been following fresh tyre tracks however so someone else must have got across and I figured it would go. First attempt nearly had me over as I sank up to my thigh into a strong current which also caught the bike wheel. Oops best try elsewhere....
A bit further downstream the flow widened somewhat and so was much shallower. I stepped carefully across feeling my footing with a deal of care as there was a waterfall right behind me.... Phew made it. I stopped to drain my boots and then carried on knowing another river was coming. I passed an elderly couple soon after who advised it was fine. I told them not to attempt the crossing I'd just done!
Sure enough the next river, despite being in a huge gorge containing a wreck of a bridge, was barely a trickle. Odd. The remainder of the route passed without incident and I rolled back to Glencoe along the road with a big grin on my face. Afterward I reviewed the camera footage and it was truly painful. What had seemed to me to be a progressive descent down the trail was revealed as continual series of fits and starts that made for turgid viewing. Worse, as the camera was bolted to the bike it was bouncing and shaking all over the place and actually made me feel physically sick watching it. I'll not be doing that again.....
That night involved more beer, food, beer, folk music and beer. The pub was rammed so we'd ended up in the back bar. This did make for easy conversation and you could still hear the music. Thankfully the clocks would be changing that night so we'd get an extra hour in bed.
Sunday dawned sunny but we had to be up and out of the van by 10. We had a large breakfast in the Glencoe cafe and then once again I was cycling along in pleasant sunshine with a tailwind thanks to the wind shifting back to the south west. My route back would involve picking up some forestry trails from Onich in the hope that I would miss out a large chunk of the A82. From Glencoe to Onich is now off road as they have widened the footway into a cycleway of sorts.
The track out of Onich was good and the bridge over the Abhainn Righ was in fact there! I then picked my way above Inshree following a mix of fire roads and walking trails. Hmm. the forest road shown on the map seemed to have disappeared under a load of clear fell. I had that familiar sinking feeling and back tracked to try another track lower down. What was on the ground didn't seem to bear much resemblance to what was on the map but after a bit of nose following, one struggle down a track covered in brash and a careful crossing of a river over which there wasn't a bridge that was marked on the map, I joined the A82 for the final few miles into Fort Bill.
I rode straight through and sought out the cycleway which goes from the edge of the town to the ski centre. This is a roadside path for a while but you turn off at Torlundy past the North Face (of Ben Nevis) car park and head into the woods, part of the waymarked trails in Leanachan forest. Sections were taped off and showed evidence of much use. Arriving at the ski centre it was crowded with very muddy (and wasted looking) people attaching very muddy bikes to cars. Turns out it was the 'Sleepless in the Saddle' 24 hour race which had finished at 10 am that morning. I parked up outside the cafe and queued for a while to grab a large lunch which I ate sat out in the sun, contemplating my onward route.
The plan was to ride through the forest towards Spean Bridge, then pick up the East Highland Way which I'd ridden with my pal Iona a couple of years previously and on which I'd broken my collar bone. By this time the weather was glorious so I pedaled steadily through the woods taking in the views all around. From Killieconate you join the EHW on a back road at the end of which a group of squadies were congregated around a truck immovably stuck in the roadside ditch. You often see the Army around here, the vast area of mountains to the east an obvious draw for training purposes. I gave them a cheery wave and carried on to Insh farm. After this it gets progressively rougher to Monessie farm - a strange place in that it has no good track access and a large river between it and the main road. There is a ford across this but impassable when the river is in spate. The EHW follows a vaguer line (well marked) through fields by the river, down a bank and across a side burn into felled woodland.
Its a good route and was created by a guy off his own back as a way to link the West Highland Way to the Speyside Way. As I headed through the forest to Fersit and beyond I contemplated the land to my right. This is one of the biggest wilderness areas in the country (in fact the whole of Europe) only beaten by the Caringorms as this area has a few isolated lodges and the West Highland Railway line passing through it. Various routes through it can be followed by bike although its quite an undertaking. The Highland Trail route came through here but its first day route is changing and will head through further to the east. This is a bit of a shame as the old route has a section of nigh on 50 miles between public roads. There are a couple of rubbish bits however and the new route uses much nicer trails....
Dusk was now falling as I progressed north east. I took collarbone corner at a suitably low speed and then climbed up to Loch an Earba rather than the easier route along loch Lagan, keen to re-visit as much of the HT route as possible.
Darkness eventually fell as I passed Ardvericke, thanks to the clocks going back, but soon enough I was back at Lagan, some 67 miles and six and a half hours since starting. That's it for trips for me this year. I'll do plenty of day rides of course and look forward to (hopefully) another snowy winter!
It was early September and for a change the weather was nice. Id actually gone on a rare (for this year) ride on the motorbike up to Rannoch station, one of my favourite roads. As I sat a hundred metres along the track to Loch Laidon, drinking tea and looking at the view west to Glen Coe, a train came in and it crossed my mind that I'd never been on the West Highland line. Its special - after Bridge of Orchy it strikes north away from the A82 across Rannoch Moor. Beyond Rannoch station it cuts a cross a swathe of fabulous scenery, briefly touching civilisation at Loch Ossian before the long descent past Loch treig to the A86 at Fersit.
I'd encountered this line on a few occasions doing various bike trips and it fascinated me to see the smooth level rails heading across country at gradients no steeper than 1:50, despite the precipitous landscape. The building of it was an epic tale of engineering and its a testament to its design that its still intact today.
Two weeks later and I was on the train out of Glasgow Queen Street, destination, Fort William, loaded fargo in the bike racks. Typical. The train was rammed and a large number of people on it were a bunch of Glaswegians off to Ossian Station to climb one of the party's final Munro. So much for a quiet contemplation of the scenery on my way north and west. They were already noisily drunk even before they started so god knows what they must have been like by the time they'd finished.
The weather was good but patches of mist were a plenty so views were a bit hit and miss. The line the railway threads to Crianlarich is tortuous, passing as it does through many steep sided glens (including past the atrocity that is Faslane). Beyond Crianlarich the now split train was even more crowded as more of the munroe baggers joined it. Still I enjoyed the run north, spying the road to the isles and the Highland Trail route out of the Abhain Rath and up past Loch Ossian. After Ossian the train was quiet so I relaxed for the final miles to Fort Bill.
Timing was tight - I wanted to catch the wee ferry from Fort Bill to Camusnagaul to avoid an A road schlep. I made it with minutes to spare and the boat chugged across the short crossing, the fargo strapped somewhat precariously to the cabin roof.
Finally I was pedalling. My route took me west and did include a short section of the A830 before turning off down the long track by Loch Shiel. This is a beaut of a route - nice and smooth and super scenic. Low cloud made the scenery more dramatic and I took it very easy to appreciate it.
Loch Shiel track
You leave the Lochside and join the public road again at Polloch. I did consider heading up to Resourie bothy but it was too early so ground up the substantial road climb over to Strontian. The cafe in Strontian was a nice break and I languished until they turfed me out at 5. Thereafter it was some pleasant road bashing round by Loch Sunart to Salen. From here there is a short climb and descent to rejoin the last of Loch Shiel. The weather was starting to close in so I decided to keep onto Glenuig and see if the hostel had beds.
The pub at Glenuig has seen many a visitation by myself over the years, generally on a motorbike. I first came here on a family holiday in the '80's where we stayed in a croft a mile or so past the pub. It was my first experience of west coast pubs that never shut, west highland scenery and midges....
Since then I've generally camped close to the pub which is an unofficial but accepted campsite, the nearby village hall providing toilets and showers. A brief inquiry at the bar revealed plenty of bed space on a Sunday eve so I unpacked, drank tea and ate food until joined by a couple of blokes I'd passed earlier who were also staying. I ended up spending a few pleasant hours in the bar chatting to them - they were both folk musicians so we had enough in common (I play classical but its all live music) for it to be a lively discussion fueled by several fine ales.
Glenuig beach and Samallaman island. On my two family holidays we spent many hours here
The next morning dawned grey and wet justifying my cop out into the bunkhouse but by the time I'd breakfasted in the bar and packed up it had stopped. There seemed to be nobody about as I cruised around the road to Lochailort.
Back on the A830 again. This used to be single track but it was upgraded throughout the '80s and 90's until its all two way. Unfortunately this makes for hard pedaling as its all steady but long climbs up and down instead of the previous windy low level route. They have had a go at putting in bits of footway / cycleway here and there but mostly your on the main road. That said there was little traffic and after a few miles I turned off hoping to find a trail marked on the map which would be a pleasant alternative into Arisaig.
It took a couple of goes to find but soon I was following a pleasant track down by a burn across some fields and into the back end of Arisaig. I guess this must have been an early incarnation of the main road but it showed little evidence of use. Arisaig is a changed place. The main road used to go through it but its now totally bypassed. Its the usual dilemma - you remove the traffic but also remove the passing trade and given that most people will be heading for the ferry, I doubt that many will turn off route to visit this fine place. And it shows, its all a bit run down and forgotten but at least there was a cafe which provided rolls and coffee.
The run to Mallaig is actually good. The old road is deserted and very scenic. At Morar you go under the new road viaduct and round the head of the loch. Eventually your back to the main road again but a cycleway has been provided all the way to Mallaig. I hadn't looked at a ferry timetable but I knew the service to Armadale was reasonably regular so I was happy to wing it. In the event I had an hour or so to kill so headed for a bar for a beer and more food.
The boat was a new one and not the usual ship but more like the ferries that do the short crossings i.e. it didn't look capable of standing much in the way of high seas.... In the event the crossing was smooth and I spent most of it staring into Knoydart and thinking: "One day..."
Armadale to Broadford also used to be single track but this too was done up in the '00's to another smooth and wide two way. Its pleasant enough and after the ferry traffic cleared, also deserted, making its improvement somewhat pointless. For the sake of it I hopped over the verge onto a couple of the old sections that are still in existence and once again speculated on the ease at which a network of cycleways could be provided across Scotland which would make touring around so much nicer. Well easy apart from a few million but given the Scottish Governments determination to blow 20 bill on dualling the A9, this seems to be small change for a big benefit, if only they could see it.
I missed out Broadford for more empty A road to the Kyle of Lochalsh. The last time I'd been here by bicycle was 1990 after an arduous trek from Glen Garry to Kinloch Hourn and over a great trail to Arnisdale and the road to Rattagan. We were traveling light so Rattagan hostel was to be a stop over but unfortunately we hadn't booked and it was full hence the need to schlep all the way to the Kyle in order to find digs. I had some more cafe culture here and chatted to a couple of bikers on old air cooled BMW's who were doing the Scotland thing. I'd been on the cusp of several rain clouds up to this point and had been rained on a few times but finally the sun came out and very nice it was too, sitting outside drinking tea, eating cake and watching the scenery.
My route planning for this trip had been fairly vague. I'd a few ideas, an encyclopedic knowledge of Scotland's roads and trails and a few days to kill. I'd thought of doing Skye but on road involves more trunk road bashing so this didn't appeal. Plan B was to try and hit the far northwest but the weather forecast was crap so this seemed a bit too much of a mission. In the event I figured I could head to Ullapool the next day and see what transpired.
So from the Kyle it was round the coast to Plockton via some great wee roads. From just after Plockton your back on the main road but this is still single track and largely empty. Passing the Strathcarron Hotel brought back memories of my stay here in May on the Highland Trail, one of the dirty half dozen who stopped here to recover from the epic of Fisherfield and Torridon. I reversed the HT route to Achnasheen but the fargo dictated an easier route over the hills to Kinlochewe. The Coulin Pass is another route I've wanted to do so this was a perfect opportunity. A steady but smooth climb took me up to the pass and then it was a long descent into Coulin Forest. This is a wee bit rough for the Fargo on skinny Schwalbe thunderburts but once at the bottom the track improves. Tick! Another good route and I always feel smug when I avoid a long section of A road by doing such a track. Cycle Tourers take note! Get some 40mm tyres and start looking out these estate tracks.
Top of the Coulin pass, Liatach in the distance
On arrival at Kinlochewe the midges descended. This place is a particular hotspot for them and after a few midge free days thanks to a stiff breeze they appeared in force. I ran into the pub and was relieved to be told they had space in the bunkhouse. I got in and unpacked then headed barwards for food and beer. People will tell you that midges avoid the indoors for a host of entirely spurious reasons. The Kinlochewe hotel obviously didn't count as I saw several and even got thoroughly bitten by one of the wee sleakit bastards. Beer helped as did the fine food. I retired to the slightly scuzzy bunkhouse and crashed after what had been a long day.
Hmm. I woke to the knowledge that I'd been further bitten in the night in the Bunkhouse. My fellow dossers were still out cold so I quietly grabbed my stuff and headed for the Kitchen. It was raining steadily as I exited and the midges had taken shelter in the shed where my bike as. I had to spend a few seconds attaching some stuff, run out into the rain to escape them and then head in again to attach more stuff. Eventually it was done and it was a blessed relief to jump on the bike and pedal off.
It lasted most of the way up Loch Maree but eventually eased off on the climb past Slattadale. More HT memories... The descent to Gairloch was a hoot, I overtook a car at one point, that's how good it was! As usual I rode through Gairloch to the Mountain Coffee house by the campsite. The scones here are particularly fine! The road climbs a fair bit after here and then descends to Poolewe. The HT did seem like a distant memory but passing through here I recalled my meeting with Ricky Cotter, going into the shop (and the loo) and the relief at exiting Fisherfield. And the rain which was torrential but today the sun was now shining.
The coast road from Poolewe to Ledmore is a cracker, particularly if you are on a motorcycle. Even on a bike its good - lots of ups and downs to be sure but this adds to the fun and the scenery is just fantastic. I was pushing on along here for no other reason than I can. As I approached the Corrieshellach gorge I decided to take a punt on another go at the short cut I'd tried on my August trip coming from the other side.
Then I'd tried to find a footbridge but it was knackered. This time I was on a hot tip that the river was crossable just downstream. I turned off the road on the track to the new hydro electric power station and descended steeply thinking that this would be a schlep back up. The track ended at a locked gate entering the power station building. A new and pointless fence had been put up between this and the river which was about 20 feet away and by the look a goer. I hoicked the bike over the fence and jumped after it. The river was a cinch and on the other side there was actually an obvious path up to the track I'd arrived at in August. Ha! another route found, another A road missed out and a big shortcut to boot. Hmm would Alan consider this as an alternative to the HT route over the Coffin Road? No chance given the fence crossing but if I ever found myself here again this would be the way I would go.
In Ullapool I had a dilemma - what now? It was only 4pm so plenty of riding time left but I'd done 75 miles already. I had fish and chips and a beer to help me decide. I could push onto Lochinver or head east to Knockdamph Bothy or...... Wimped out again. The YH had rooms so I booked in.
Hmmm. Big mistake. It was busy, despite it being mid week outwith school holidays, and to be honest I can't be doing with dorms anymore. I went to the pub to check out the weather and the beer and then turned in late. As per, everybody else in the dorm dropped off before me and snored their heads off. I'd dragged my tent around with me for 3 days so far and not used it. Why hadn't I pitched up at the Loch Broom campsite as per my August trip?? Too late now and ear plugs helped me sleep.
At breakfast I spoke to a fellow cyclist who was aiming for Durness that day, but by the direct route. I mentioned the crap weather forecast but she had a set itinerary she wanted to stick to. Fair play but my own casual approach to route planning seemed a better bet in the face of variable weather. Plus the A836 is a peach on a motorcycle but a grind on a bicycle. My own plan was to head to Lochinver via the Inverkirkaig Road and then take it from there depending on the weather.
The few miles of A836 to the Achiltibuie turn off convinced me that this was a good plan. This wee road is more cycling perfection. The weather was not, finally driving me into my waterproofs. That said as I turned off to Inverkirkaig it showed signs of clearing up but as per it didn't. Who cares, this road is an absolute belter albeit with a lot of climbing. At one point its the sea, the road and a cliff. A camper van that I'd let passed earlier was having a mexican stand off with another glaikit tourist who couldn't cope with such narrowness so I blasted through the lot of them with a huge grin. Of course I had to block the campervan all the way up the next climb knowing that I'd leave him for dead on the next descent. I did and never saw it again.
Rolling into Lochinver the weather had now deteriorated to hard, horizontal dreich i.e exactly like it had been in May. I went into the bunkhouse cum cafe and contemplated my options over soup, sandwich, cake, coffee and a huge bill. The journey north seemed a bit much if this was to persist (it was according to the forecast). As usual East looked far better so the decision was made. It would be a far nicer route in any case, with a tailwind and the prospect of better weather in the east.
I left in the rain, slightly disappointed that I wouldn't get to meet up with the lassy I'd spoken to that morning in Durness and get to regale her with tales of the hard way up north but as usual my common sense out-voted my hormones. Its a nice route east from here but the low cloud removed all views. At Ledmore I noted the exit of the Suilven path thinking that the weather had been equally as horrible in May as now. Still the road to Oykel Bridge was an easy pedal with a stiff tailwind and lifting cloud.
The Oykel bridge hotel was full of fishing types so I kept going to Rosehall and then the back road to Ardguy, thinking I'd stop in the cafe there. Waterproofs off and even a faint hint of sunshine down another wee road but Ardguy was a disappointment. The cafe which was new in 2010 was now shut. No shop, no nothing. The price of a small town not quite on the tourist trail. Next up the Struie road and a famous climb for roadies hereabouts. Last time I was here it pished it down so it was nice for it to be dryish today. Dryish. Not dry. Better than earlier but knowledge that the campsite at Evanton also had a bunkhouse settled into my mind in full prep for another cop out.
Bunkhouse life - you always meet people stranger than you, and for me that's no mean feat. This time a bunch of blokes from Wolverhampton up for hill walking who left just after I arrived to go to see an Inverness Cally Thistle game on the basis that they had to see the local team play whilst they were up here. Die hard footy fans, fair play. For me it was a trip to the co-op, buy lots and lots of food and beer. Sit in watching crap TV and eat and drink whilst my kit dried out in front of an electric fire. I'd done 110 miles today so I felt I'd earned it.
I had a very long lie the next morning, nigh on 'till 10, the supposed departure time. The others had re-appeared and departed during my sleep so I had breakfast in peace whilst plotting my days route. Aviemore and my friends place was an option but I felt I had to give the weather one last try. NCN 1 along the Moray Coast seemed worth a go and I figured Findhorn campsite would be a good destination as I'd stayed there a couple of years previously and there was two good pubs in the place.
At Inverness I called in at the Velocity cafe again as it had started to rain just as I passed along the High Street. So much for the forecast but this was old news now. The route east is a bit fiddly but its pretty good with some off road cycleway and some pleasant back roads.
Railway viaduct on NCN 1
From Nairn I left the NCN and headed into Culbin forest. This is fat bike world as there are loads of sandy trails as well as a big long beach. The fargo required me to stick to the forest roads but its nice - lots of well spaced out pine and fir rather than the mandatory dense sitka. The rain was coming and going but as I turned south to rejoin NCN 1 the cloud cleared back to reveal a surprisingly blue sky.
Findhorn is a thoroughly weird place. On the face of its a typical Moray coastal village with a a couple of good pubs, a chippy, a shop, a caravan and camping site and a hippy commune. Errr yeah, thats right. Its origins are allegedly the nearby RAF base, much like the camp near to Faslane. But I don't actually believe this as I think a more likely reason is the generally good weather and an opportunity based on dubious land ownership and a bunch of folk squatting on it. Nowadays there are a few old timers but mainly its modern hippies - i.e super rich - living in so called eco homes and a bizarre analogy of a 'green' lifestyle. All the houses have driveways and they are all full of range rovers, bmws and other bourge barges. Enough said.
In theory I should have been welcomed as a hero given my arrival by bicycle but the lady in the cafe typified the spirit of place by telling me 'we're closed' as I entered. Fuck them, I'd done more to 'save the planet' in my last 15 years of employment than the whole lot of them would achieve in a life time. So I hightailed it to the campsite feeling suitably self righteous, pitched my tent and headed for the boozer, plans to get thoroughly pissed and then stagger round the commune shouting abuse in the forefront of my mind.
A camp, finally
In the event I had a fine fish tea, a few beers and a wander along the beach.
The next morning was dry and fine but I figured a further jaunt east was taking me too far away from home, which I technically need to get to over the next three days. So I headed south to Forres and then picked up a quiet B road climbing steadily into the foothills of the Cairngorms. A turn off took me to Dallas and the land of whisky. I'd not been in this part of Speyside for many years and very fine it is too. Overall its pleasant rolling countryside but there is that edgy feeling that this is just a precursor to the main massif with occasional high hills poking above the surrounding wooded slopes to indicate the monsters to the south.
I dropped down to Knockando (another distillery) and then onto the Speyside way. For some reason I had it in my head that this would be a nice smooth gravel path but actually its fairly unmade, despite being a disused railway line, and therefore quite muddy after the rain of the previous months. Still, its better than the A95 which I only had to follow for a mile after leaving the SSW at Cragganmore (another distillery) but this was long enough to not want to ride on it any further. From here it was a long, long climb up to Tomintoul but no traffic, fine views, tailwind, warmth and dryness made it a joy.
As usual I stopped in the Fire station cafe at Tomintoul for lunch and dropped a text to my Aviemore pals to warn them I was incoming. The Glen Brown route is maybe a bit much for the Fargo so I opted for the famously hilly A939 and the back road to Nethy Bridge.
So it proved although the rain came back in at Nethy Bridge which nearly made me head for the road but in the event I dug in and climbed up and over the Ryvoan pass. As usual I called into the Glen More cafe bar for a couple of pints of Tradewinds and then hammered down the old logging route to Aviemore.
After a nice social evening I was up fairly sharp (9.30) with a vague plan to head south down the A9 corridor, then turn off into Perthshire, Loch Rannoch and home over two days. Heading South the weather seemed a lot less promising than what was forecast as per the whole of this year to date. Rather than stick to the cycle route I rode the military road from Ruthen barracks bypassing Kingussie and Newtonmore. Its a bit rough for the fargo in places but otherwise a great route and fairly direct. I rejoined NCN 7 at Etteridge, after hopping over the A9 crash barriers, and the rain came in again, in the familiar horizontal dreich of so many days out this year.
At least I had a tailwind as I hooned it down the A9 cycleway, only interrupted by several punctures / resealing that seemed to have plagued me over the preceding day. I'm new to tubeless having long since eschewed it given how much faff it is. Some very inconvenient thorn punctures and re-assurances from several tubeless old hands convinced me to give it a go. This had been 100% successful on the 29+ and fat bike but the higher pressure (and somewhat weedy) tyres on the fargo didn't like it. It started on the cycleway to Findhorn - a hiss, a spray of sealant and much fiddling to get it to seal. Not what I had been told should happen. Sharp stones were penetrating the thin tyre casing and where a tube would have shrugged them off, the tubeless wasn't and worse the sealant also wasn't. At the turn off for Loch Garry the weather closed in once again and any thought of another night out exited my mind. Home beckoned. I had plenty of time and a tailwind. Bash on.
At Blair Atholl I gave up fiddling and put a tube in. What a mess and faff.... Still I had tyre pressure, it was 1pm and I had about 80 easy miles to go....
There is not much else to report. I stuck to NCN 7 and 77, which is mostly on road, as far as Perth then headed over the hill to Bridge of Earn. Thereafter I followed an oft used back road route to home at 8.30pm, 120 miles and 10 hours after I'd started. Total distance for the tour, 600 miles.
