Some of you may have seen another magazines feature on a boat/cycling trip along the Caledonian canal from Inverness to Fort Bill and back.

Well, I’ve just booked up the very same trip for September. I’m already excited about the prospect of cruising the water ways then hopping out for some riding for a week.

Just wondered if anyone here has done the same or similar?

i’ve paddled alot of it in a canoe…lovely stretch of country.
should be a crackin’ trip.

Well I grew up near Inverness and there used to be a Great Glen Cycle Route, which was mostly forestry tracks, but was quite pleasant for a long ride, not sure if it still exists or not, or if that is what the article refers to. Bad and loud american accent is compulsory around urquhart castle.

I’m doing the GGW in June, not all of it, but a big chunk.

I did some of the GGW 2 years ago, a round trip of about 40 miles or so and I enjoyed it, some great scenery and the weather was fab!

I stayed on the Eagle barge at the South Laggan canal, really nice people and the food was fantastic!

We did the Great Glen canoe trip at the end of March. Started just outside Fort William and finished at Inverness. Fantastic trip in a canoe, awesome scenery, lovely wild camping sites next to the water and some nervous moments with the bigger waves on Loch Ness. The cycle route that follows it looks worth doing as it goes through the same great scenery – not technically demanding but I should think a very satisfying ride. Have a great time and best of luck with the weather.

Did the Great Glen way (Fort William -> Inverness) last summer and really enjoyed the riding. The riding on the GGW between Fort William and Fort Augustus is all quite flat (it follows the canal side) but North of that has some stunning riding. There are some good trails hidden away in the forests around those parts too.

How good is the section from Laggan up the East side of Loch Oich? For some reason I was under the impression that it was quite boggy and best avoided.

That section was the most ‘technical’ (there were some roots to ride over, might be a pain on a hybrid) but I don’t remember it being boggy. The weather was rather dry though.

That’s good to know. Planning to do the Fort Augustus – Gairloch section sometime in June as part of a weeks holiday.

have done the Inverness – Fort Augustus bit as part of Loch Ness 360 (down W side, back up off road E side in a day) and from Corpach to Fort Augustus (breaking at Great Glen Hostel) over couple of days as part of coast to coast.

Don’t recall any difficulties and was carrying reasonable amount of kit on the S section. Inverness south is surprisingly hilly for something that follows a loch! section south of South Laggan rises a fair bit but surface is good.

How good is the section from Laggan up the East side of Loch Oich? For some reason I was under the impression that it was quite boggy and best avoided.

Not really boggy as such, but can be a bit muddy in wet weather.
They are currently constructing a new cycleway there, as part of NCN route 78, which will follow the old railway line. I’m not sure if this is finished yet, or what sort of surface it has.

Or you can go along the west side of Loch Oich, following the signposted “Invergarry Link”. This is mostly on decent quality forest tracks, so fairly easy. Though quite a steep hill up and down at Invergarry.