Planning to do this in October & there appear to be two options for the start point in the west...Kyle of Lochalsh or Fort William. Any views on which would be preferable? I've discounted starting in Skye due to logistics & I'm not particularly fussed about riding the best technical trails as this trip is intended as a gear shakedown & I'll have a heavily loaded singlespeed bike. Also toying with the idea of trying to do this one and the Lakes C2C in a week, which looks challenging but do-able I reckon. Cheers.
Bike Forum
Scottish coast 2 coast...
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Posted 10 months ago #
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Road? Offroad? how many days do you want to do it in? Waht route?
Shortest route is ether ullapool to bonar bridge in the highlands or dalmarnock to falkirk - ( around 20 odd miles) depending quite how you define it
Posted 10 months ago # -
Bonar Bridge to Ullapool and back - you can do it in a weekend..
about 60 to 65 miles (each way) pretty much offroad all the way
Posted 10 months ago # -
dalmarnock to falkirk
possibly the worst sounding route suggestion ever posted!
ps i assume you mean some other dalmarnock, other than the one next to parkhead!
Posted 10 months ago # -
Offroad...I've got the route from the book "Scotland Mountain Biking - The Wild Trails" & have plotted a gps track from it. 180 miles or thereabouts. If I take on both C2Cs in a week then I'll aim to do this one in two days. Fort Bill to Montrose.
Posted 10 months ago # -
seosamh77
its the shortest from tidal to tidal I think - tidal limit on the clyde to tidal limit on the carron
Posted 10 months ago # -
Thanks guys, not really looking for the shortest route, just a nice one :-). Just not sure if the bit from Kyle of Lochalsh to Fort Augustus is worth the logistics to get to rather than going straight up to FA from Fort William...? I've seen both routes publicised, though the one I've plotted from the book starts at Fort William.
Posted 10 months ago # -
TJ - suppose fair enough, does sound pretty grim though!
Posted 10 months ago # -
pedalhead - what is the route? Caledonian canal to fort augustus then what? Corryairack? Speyside way? i have walked and cycled most of that at times
Posted 10 months ago # -
drop me an email with your route mark
ive ridden most of it im sure at one point or another with a view to a quick c2c - just never got round to doing the lot !
lotta good riding round there - be a shame if you missed it
and if your passing by mine (which you likely will on the c2c) then drop by for a coffee Posted 10 months ago # -
I did Tim Woodcock's C2C about 15 years ago. I remember there being a fair bit of pushing but also a good downhill on the section between Arinisdale and Kinloch Hourn.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Cheers Terry, I'll definitely drop by (pretty sure I'll be needing a coffee!). Will email you shortly...
TJ, looking at the map, the route goes through or near the following places...
Fort William--Fort Augustus--Corryairack--Laggan--Kingussie--Kincraig--Braemar--Ballater--Dinnet--Mt Keen--Tarfside--Bridgend--Montrose
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ok- what I know of that route. Fort william to fort augustsus - up the caledonain canal - nice and easy. Corryairack only walked it - just a big climb - a couple of tricky bits - laggan to kingussie there is a military road south of the a9 - a bit faint in places and a couple of fences. I assume then glen feshie / geldie burn to braemar( there is a route over into the glen before kincraig - drumguiush / baileguish. beware in glen feshie the shonky bridge has gone. the gelidie burn section is slow and hard going until you hit the landrover track again - however the landrover track on the feshie side goes further now that it does on the older map
Thats as far as I know - hope that helps.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Thanks TJ. From Kincraig the route turns south through Glen Feshie forest (as you guessed). The bridge you're referring to...is that the one over Eidart Falls? This is the route the book suggests, then stay on the higher ground above the Geldie Burn. It does mention it gets boggy around there for a way.
Posted 10 months ago # -
No - that bridge is still there - its one of the ones in glen feshie and right now I have forgotten which one.
You don't need to go as far north as kincraig - there is a route into feshie from the west as I describe.
The track on the east side of the feshie has a landslip on it - the landrover track along the bottom ( west) now extends beyond the ruin marked and there is a ford at the head of the glen where it joins up again with the marked track. the east is the nicer ride - but slower. If the river is high the ford will be deep
Posted 10 months ago # -
ok cheers. The route doesn't quite go into Kincraig, it turns south around Feshiebridge. Although, it gets there via the B970 which seems a bit rubbish. Looks like there should be a way through Inshriach Forest so I can cut out some of the road bit. The route stays west of the river until Carnachuin, a couple of km north of the ruin, where it crosses the river & continues onwards. I wonder if that's the dodgy bridge..?
Posted 10 months ago # -
You can cut a big chunk off that. from kingussie go to ruthven barraks then est - at tromie bridge turn right then left to follow a track east to bailieguish and coranstilmore and then on to glen feshie
I think thats the bridge that has gone there is one downstream or a ford upstream
Posted 10 months ago # -
ah that looks a lot better & cuts out a big stretch of road, thanks
Posted 10 months ago # -
I've just done the 'lakes' c2c, if you need any help with that part then mail me at zoe_anthony at btinternet.com. I did it solo, unsupported and bivvying, 3 days is perfectly feasible if fit, quicker if you add determined into the mix.
Posted 10 months ago # -
It's the bridge at Carnachuin that's gone in Feshie. Easy enough ford just downstream (depending on how much water is in the river, natch).
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/carnachuin-bridge-glen-feshie-swept-away/00936/
Posted 10 months ago # -
Cheers Anthony, I was thinking 3 days for the Lakes C2C and have earmarked a few potential bivy spots, but very interested in your experiences so will drop you an email.
Thanks for the link, Marty. Looks like I'll be bringing my waders
Posted 10 months ago # -
Give me a week and a bit and i'll tell you exactly what the wild trails coast to coast is like. im starting on saturday.
Posted 10 months ago # -
We were across it a couple of times in the middle of that spell of good weather in April and it was just shy of knee level by the old bridge and a little lower by the ford (that we didn't spot the first time).
Posted 10 months ago # -
have fun meikle_partans, and report back!
Marty, could be interesting as I'll be doing this in late October. I'll formulate a plan B in case the water levels get a bit silly for wading across.
Posted 10 months ago # -
On the Lakes C2C, if you are doing the Woodcock one, you can miss out on a world of pain and slogging through bogs by following the Gatescarth Pass all the way over to Haweswater, follow the road down the valley and then use the Water Board metalled roads to get to Shap. It's easy to follow on a map, means you get a decent descent in and means you don't have to carry your bike through miles of swamp.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Thanks, that's a recurring message I've received so I've planned to go north to Haweswater Reservoir (that incidentally looks to have a lovely bivy spot nearby).
Posted 10 months ago # -
pedalhead - there is still abridge a bit further north that the collapsed one
Posted 10 months ago # -
ah jolly good, that'll be plan B then
Posted 10 months ago # -
nullhttp://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150271784434001.327767.753934000&l=1537e3781b&type=1
if anyone is interested. 4 days. three and a half really, with one big final hell day from braemar to montrose.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Cheers for posting those.
That trail up Mount Keen looks like a a barrel of fun, in that weather, on the fourth day, on a heavily laden rigid bike frame!
I've added that to my 'to do one day' list.
Posted 9 months ago # -
great pics, cheers. Fun in the rain I'm sure :-). I'll be doing it in late October so virtually guaranteed to get wet!
Posted 9 months ago #
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