Staying on Skye for a week next week, got 1 day to go off with the bike. Any route suggestions?

Ta

Rob

Most of the biking on Skye, despite what the mags misleading pics would have us believe is a boggy, gruelling hike a bike. That’s not say it’s not awesome but at this time of year with just one day of riding available it would be very easy to be disappointed. Therefore I would strongly recommend Glen Sligachan as an out and back rather than the full loop. Starting from the Sligachan Hotel, it’s 100% rideable, rather rocky so holds up well in the wet and provides a stunning setting that ends at a pub!

Take a road bike and do a wee tour of the island.

Plenty good cycling in Glenbrittle forest. Take an OS map, it’s possible to get lost in there 😳

D.

Cheers for the info. Glen Silgachan keeps being recommended so me thinks I shall go with that.

Nip over to Raasay and take a look at the old iron mine. Not a brilliant ride but interesting if you check its history. Don’t go too far into the mine shafts…

Glen Sligachan

I’ve only walked this (7 hours with missus) and about every 2 mins I was kicking myself that I didnt have a bike! Lovely route on a nice day, cracking views, lots of rocks and step ups etc but nothing too fast. Some slightly muddy bits but wasnt too busy when we were there (ie saw about 15 folk all day).

Was on Skye last week with bikes and it was very wet! An out and back along Sligachan was the best ride we did – I’d suggest that as a good option.

Even Glen Sligichan could be a bit of a mare this time of year – they’ve just had a week and a half of rain (with no sign of it letting up) which can make some of the river crossings pretty much impossible.

Glenbrittle Forest might be a better bet as it’s a touch higher up, followed by a push / climb to the top of the Fairy Pools and down into Sligichan. Only one river crossing and there’s a bridge 🙂

Either way, you will definitely get very wet – don’t be afraid of a mudguard or two – can make the difference between being drenched within five minutes and therefore a bit miserable, and a relatively happy experience.

This was on the 3rd of Oct.

camasunary colour sunshine 1 by martinxyz, on Flickr

camasunary footpath cuillins colour 1 by martinxyz, on Flickr

camasunary sun setting 1 by martinxyz, on Flickr

Push/ride up to the Old man of Storr or head into the Quirang. Both excellant.

robd – Member
Cheers for the info. Glen Silgachan keeps being recommended so me thinks I shall go with that

Was about to suggest this. Do it you will honestly love it!

I rode the Glen Sligachan loop in April this year and it was immense. Although we did a lot of pushing after we turned off the road at Luib and waded through the edge of a Loch.

Therefore as others have recommended, do the out and back from the hotel and perhaps climb up towards the Am Mam pass (on the left when you reach Camasunary) and descend back down again.

The Quirang loop is great too but you may also find sections after the initial traverse boggy with plenty of slippy rocks thrown in. In fact the initial traverse might be something of an ar5e twitching experience in the wet as it’s a reasonably steep dropped in clipped in 🙂

One of the lads I rode the Quirang loop with spent a week up there and said the best ride he did started over near the Fairy Pools and had an amazing singletrack descent. Will try and track the e-mail down.

There is also a small trail centre/skills loop somewhere on the left just after you cross the bridge to Skye apparently.

If you break yer bike head for Island cycles in Portree. Very helpful,plenty spares decent hours and a font of knowledge. Be aware also that Sligachan will be damaging/heavy on yer bike!

cheers everybody, now for the 12 hour drive to skye.