I’ve ridden both the east and west shorelines, but the last time I rode the west side was nearly 25 years ago. Has anyone ridden it more recently?

There was one ‘memorable’ hike a bike section where the path vanished, is the there a path all the way along the shore now?

I walked it about 2 years ago.

From Glen Etive end to the old Charcoal Burning site is hikey bikey, humpy hell. There is quadbike path becoming landrover track from there to the south. The Ticks are the size of elephants.

cbike

Roughly how far south from the northern tip of the loch is the Charcoal Burning site?

I emailed the guy who runs boats on Loch Etive and he quoted me a figure (20 quid) for collecting me once I got to Benawe, sailing me across to Taynuilt. He wrote:

“You can cycle down the North side of Loch Etive on a good forestry track all the way to Bonawe where I can pick you up and take you to the Taynuilt side.”

You make it sound a lot more challenging.

Cheers

Good 2 years since I rode the west side, but it’s defo not all rideable-very steep/ditchy sections for a couple of k’s but not anywhere near as difficult as the east side of Loch Lomond.

I organised that lift across a couple of years on a trip I did with a couple of others a few years ago; started at the end of the loch, down the east side and camped overnight just before Glen Kinglass, down to Bonawe and over with guy from Loch Etive cruises, up to the Bothy and overnight there. Only the last few kilometres back up to the jetty on the western shore would be hard work but we were on fat bikes so made little difference.

You can see it on google maps, where the trees start. The charcoal platforms are in amongst the trees.

Dinnae park past the quarry. You might get locked in until a holiday house owner comes past with the code for the gate. Might be based on part of the quarry phone number, might not. Who knows? 😀

Thanks for the feedback.

The plan is: start the day from Kings House Hotel, on the A82 near the top part of Glen Coe, dropping south down the paved road.

We’ll be on regular mountain bikes with panniers.

Once at the loch, I understand we’ll have to walk where it’s rough and hilly near the charcoal sites – maybe 3km or so.

This will be June, so the day will be long. The goal is to get to Bonawe. Does that seem doable?

It seems that my wife is now coming, too. She’s fit and up for it, but I don’t want a drama as it’ll be all my fault.

cycladelic : Jesus Christ!…… do you realise what you’ve just posted above?……are you deliberately trying to break the forum?.

It seems that my wife is now coming, too. She’s fit and up for it

Literally hundreds of IT support workers are now frantic and unsettled with expectation after experiencing a surge of dopamine, the likes of which have been unseen since the heady days of friday Kylie.

Ask the mods to kindly edit your post asap, try and get it done before the vast majority of stw’ers wake up early t’morn to wash their company car as otherwise we’ll have a free for all on our hands and the forum will reach meltdown by 10.30am.

I found the Charcoal Sites on the Ancient Monuments website, which uses OS maps – a nice tool to have.

You can reduce the left side-bar and zoom out to get the general idea of the route down from Glen Coe etc…

http://canmoremapping.rcahms.gov.uk/index.php?action=do_advanced&idnumlink=23691

Cycladelic – Are you already booked in to the Kings House? They appear to get booked up way in advance. I tried booking early Jan for first week in June and he didnt even check the diary!

The old woodland you pass through on the western shore is stunning – I’d love to go back and camp in them:

FunkyDunc

As long as we can get some food (and a pint) there we’ll be OK as we’re packing tents etc. But thanks for the heads up.

That track looks very inviting. And in glorious sunshine. So it doesn’t rain all the time.

No it doesn’t… but we nearly had to bail as Easter two years ago suddenly turned very wintery overnight – we set off in weather normal for the time of year but the following morning the wind had changed direction and we woke up exposed, in high winds with horizontal sleet! I’m glad we carried on as it did get far better.

Email me if you like and I’ll send you the link to the whole gallery.

I’d love to see the pics, please.

There’s this video on Youtube… I guess riding along the east side of Loch Etive:

I’d love to see the pics, please.

As above – send me an email and I’ll send you the link! I just don’t like to link to my own photos online publicly.

That video was made by one of us from that trip; I have the blue Salsa Mukluk with the red Alpkit bags.

Done

I thought the video might be connected… How often doe steh sun shine there?

Love the music you chose. It reminds a little of Handel’s Dead March from ‘Saul’.

Cheers

1:34 – I’ve camped behind that wall!

1:34 – I’ve had a pooh behind that wall!

1:34, me & a lass I was with had a quickie behind that wall!

1:34’s a bit quick even for a quickie!
Fair bit of walking on that video – did the load make it a lot harder to ride?

esselgruntfuttock – I hope you didn’t step in anything nasty.

We’ve got our flights to the UK booked and will keep our fingers crossed the weather is kind.

A week or so before Loch Etive we’ll ride through the night from Ardmair to Dornoch. There’s six hours of night around the longest day – summer solstice – so there’s just enough time to watch the sunset and then see it come up on the east coast… about 100km of riding in between.

Fair bit of walking on that video – did the load make it a lot harder to ride?

Nope; there was only one wee steep bit of doubletrack after Glen Kinglass that we pushed up. Probably could’ve ridden up without the loaded bikes.

I’m not on the fat bike bandwagon but they were the perfect tool for the job as there was such a varied amount of terrain that they were able to cope with.

Somewhere along Glen Coe is Loch Treachtan: Does anyone know where this loch is exactly?

TIA

Loch Achtriochtan?
https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=214667&y=756480&z=120&sv=214667,756480&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=818&ax=214667&ay=756480&lm=0

.. looks like might have been called Loch Treachtan in bygone times –
http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_illustration.jsp?item_id=78547

Somewhere along Glen Coe is Loch Treachtan: Does anyone know where this loch is exactly?

Yup – was aka Loch Triochatan:

http://maps.nls.uk/view/74427327

Got it!

Thanks guys