Anyone got one that I can utilise? Very happy to make a donation to the charity of choice of anyone providing a route.
Many thanks in advance.

How many days? There is a one day route ullapool to bonar bridge that I know of and want to do someday

Open to ideas. Fairly relaxed pace. I guess up to 5 days max.

Southern Upland Way?

A wee bit different, but I've just been planning a sort of C2C, Fort William to Buckie.

Great Glen to Ft Augustus, Corrieyairack to Laggan, then on to Feshibridge, Avirmore and the Speyside Way to the sea. 240km or thereabouts, depending on how many detours I fancy en route.

Logistically, it's fairly easy as you can get a train to Fort William for the start and back from Elgin not far from the end.

Sounds good Druidh.

You could go fort William / kinlochleven / corrour/ laggan and then join in with Druidhs route – or from Feshiebridge up glen feshie and over to braemar. Dunno where you would go then tho

TandemJeremy – Member
How many days? There is a one day route ullapool to bonar bridge that I know of and want to do someday

We're intending doing this later in the year, but trying to avoid turning it into something that needs too much organisation. Preferably on a SS, but any bike welcome.

Basically ride Bonar to Ullapool. A few ales, swap BS, and stay overnight. Get uplift back to Bonar to pick up vehicle in the morning.

I like the look of that druidh. I'll have an os map session. Might pick your brains at a later date if that's ok.

Vertebrate graphics book on Scotland, The Wild Trails has a 5-7 day route from Fort William to Montrose.

Kyle of Lochalsh -> Kinloch Hourn -> Ft Augustus -> Corrieyairack -> Aviemore -> Tomintoul -> Braemar -> Mt Keen -> Montrose. About 240 miles, should take you about 4 days 🙂

You could go fort William / kinlochleven / corrour/ laggan and then join in with Druidhs route – or from Feshiebridge up glen feshie and over to braemar. Dunno where you would go then tho

There's some lovely riding between Braemar and Tomintoul – very remote with some nice singletrack sections. From Tomintoul you could make your way to Dufftown via Glenfiddich. Ben Aigen is close to Dufftown where you'd pick up the Moray Monster trails which can be linked up down to Fochabers which is less than 10 miles from Buckie. Lots of very good options!

gtkid – Member
I like the look of that druidh. I'll have an os map session. Might pick your brains at a later date if that's ok.

Cool. I'm trying to intersperse some decent, easy mileage along with some wee bits of classic highlands XC. Don't know how much of the Speyside Way will be easily ride-able either (e.g. will it be interrupted by stiles and steps). My plan is to use hostels and bunkhouses to cut down on luggage carrying.

Train to Mallaig, track along the north shore of Loch Morar, ferry to Inverie, over and down to Barrisdale, track to Kinloch Hourn (how rideable is this? I've not been into Knoydart this way), over to Glen Shiel to the Cluanie, north, then east towards Glen Affric. Not sure exactly about the next bit, but eventually heading over towards Grantown where you ditch the bikes and pick up canoes, then spend a pleasant couple of days canoeing down the Spey to the Moray Firth, stopping at some distilleries.

I admit that I've only ever done bits of this route, and in other places I'm guessing at how rideable some of the tracks are, and I still haven't worked out the best way after Glen Affric, and the canoe bit at the end is a bit of a twist that would take some planning, but it's something I'd love to do. I just need to persuade my normal riding mates, but they are being a bit sceptical at the moment.

Druidh – Speyside Way is bike friendly from Ballindalloch to the sea in terms of stiles and steps, not sure about further up. The spur from Tomintoul to Ballindalloch is pretty hilly, proper off road, and there's a section that used to have signs requesting no bikes (over the Hill of Deskie IIRC near Ballindalloch) due to the softness of the ground and potential erosion. Be fine if there's been a nice dry spell I'd reckon although I've not done this part myself.

s_f – thanks. I'll be coming from the Aviemore direction, so avoiding the Tomintoul spur. I just need to find a kind soul to offer me a bed for the night in Buckie and mibbe drive me to Elgin for the train….

kennyp – Member
Train to Mallaig, track along the north shore of Loch Morar, ferry to Inverie, over and down to Barrisdale, track to Kinloch Hourn (how rideable is this? I've not been into Knoydart this way), over to Glen Shiel to Cluanie, north, then east towards Glen Affric.

No, no. no!!!!! That's An Caorann Mor. Just don't even think about it. Head down the Glen to Morvich and head in from there.

Ideas…

I've got 2 weeks holiday coming up (first fortnight in April). Anyone keen on an STW C2C2C? (Ullapool-Bonar Bridge-Ullapool)

I could walk it in less than 2 weeks…..

Very droll…

I do want to ride the ullapool bonar bridge route

Stuartie_c – I fancy your C2c2c. You looking at just reversing the route on the 2nd day?

Second day?

There will be no second day. 😯

TJ – me too. I'm hoping Swayndo of this parish will chip in. He does it at least annually.

What would that be – a day to get to BB, one over to Ullapool, one back, and then a day back to civilization? Get it down to 3 days and I'm a potential candidate.

Drudh – Julie and I rode the speyside way – we diverted on some bits to avoid the non bike friendly bits – I could give you teh route

No, no. no!!!!! That's An Caorann Mor. Just don't even think about it. Head down the Glen to Morvich and head in from there.

I have to confess that I wrote that without looking at a map, just using my memory. Thinking about it a bit more, you're probably right, and that heading north from further down Glen Shiel would be better. I vaguely recall something about that in either the Kenny Wilson book, or that wee brown one.

My memories are based on a three day trip we did a few years ago starting at the Cluanie and going over to Glen Elg, then down to Kinloch Hourn and back to the Cluanie. I remember looking at a map and wondering about expanding it into a C2C route.

TandemJeremy – Member
Drudh – Julie and I rode the speyside way – we diverted on some bits to avoid the non bike friendly bits – I could give you teh route

Muchos grassy arse

I'm thinking more along the lines of day to get to Ullapool, day to do the route (C2C2C) back to Ullapool. Get pished in the FBI/Ceilidh Place. Day back to Civilization.

3 days – done!

(A rough plot on memory map comes up with about 55kms each way, say 60 if you include all the detail. Not much climbing – around 800m each way.)

120km, 1600m climbing. After the Spring Equinox. Go on, go on, go on!

I am only doing one way in a day!

I've done that route a couple of times and you can ride Ullapool-Bonar bridge and back in a day without too much of a problem. Yes it's quite a long way but from what I recall the miles are relatively easy as there aren't any huge hills and it's all on really good landy tracks or tarmac. It's not the most inspiring of routes though it does have to be said.

I am only doing one way in a day!

TJ – after the Puffer solo, this should be a doddle.

It's not the most inspiring of routes though it does have to be said.

That's what I thought might be the case, but it's just for a bit of a sociable challenge to kick off the STW Scotland rides for the year.

I want to explore some of the single track bits marked on the map.

That's some undertaking for a fat knacker like me this early in the season but I'll give it a go if you're prepared to go at my pace which isn't too slow usually, but I'm no endurance whippet. This is all date, weather and Mrs D pass dependant of course.

Loads of ideas there, thanks. You never know, later in the season I might be fit enough for the stw c2c.

There's some info HERE of the Scottish C2C I did last year if that's any help.

Doing Bonar Bridge (well Rogart actually) to nearly Ullapool as part of a longer tour at Easter. Looking forward to it.

Stuartie, I could possibly manage the weekend of the 17th/18th, plus I've got a wee Argyll-shire 4 dayer planned for 8th-11th if you fancy?

Hi Stuartie

Keep me posted on this one please 😉

Gordymac

OK guys.

Looks like this might be a goer.

Weekend of 17th/18th would be good timing from my point of view (last weekend of school hols and the weekend before SXC 2 at Contin).

How about the others who have expressed an interest? I'm still keen on doing this in a day as it's a pretty non-technical route and the logistics of a 2-dayer detract from the simplicity (e.g. do you leave vehicles at either end? do you carry all your evening/sleeping kit?). Fast and light is my preferred approach with a good early start.

Ian – I'm intrigued by your 4-dayer too – any details?

For me I am fairly sure both ways in a day is too much – well for Mrs TJ on the back anyway – to do it as a one way ride is not too hard with a posse of people – just needs a two car shuffle to get a vehicle to each end. I agree the logistics are much easier with a there and back however.