Hey all,

I’m trying to get some outline plans together for a few trips this year and I’m thinking some relatively long off road “touring” type routes might be in order.

Something like the West Highland Way, the Correyarick Pass, Bonar Bridge to Ullapool, etc.

Not looking for GNARR, more scenery and peace/quiet with minimal hike a bike.

Initial thoughts are the Great Glen Way, the Affric Kintail Way, Braemar to Pitlochry or Aviemore.

Any ideas/experience out there? Ideally looking for single day jobs at about 30-35 miles or two to three days at 25-30 miles a day.

Thoughts?

fly to inverness and cycle back to glasgow for train homes.
stay in, aviemore, braemar, pitlochry, killin, callender and milngavie on the way back.

great offroad rides between the overnight stops.

Its the sort of riding I tend to do I guess. Wandering thru the scenery rather than chasing the gnarr. This is a route we did on the tandem bar one or two bits. We tend to ride quite a bit more in a day tho – I think on this route we did 60 miles the longest day and averaged around 40

Callender to Killin on sustrans, old railway line towards Crianlarich, WHW to glencoe, then devils stair case to either kinlochleven or follow the pipeline north to the abhain rath ( can’t be bothered checking spelling sorry) then down to loch trieg and over to corrour, then follow the esate roads north and east to lochan na Hearba and on to laggan. Road or wade road ( don’t know the quality of it) to Dalwhinnie, A 9 cycleway to dalnaspeil, down the glen to kinlochrannoch, round the loch then there is a route over the hill to Bridge of Balgie ( again I don’t know how good this bit is) then back road to Loch tay and back to Killin on the road.

A-K – Way http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2016/06/act-2-ride.html
GGW – http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2015/08/cycling-great-glen-way.html
Bonar – Ullapool C2C2C http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2015/07/not-quite-idle.html
Fort William – Buckie (incl Corrieyairack) http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2011/09/c2c-part-1.html
Aviemore – Braemar – Aviemore http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/2016/08/a-northern-cairngorms-loop.html

Fire away if you want more links/ideas for similarly paced off-road touring routes

Cheers scotroutes and Jeremy. I’ll have a look at these. I’ve done some of the rides (or bits of) before and they’re exactly what I’m after.

alo look at Bridge of Orchy to Loch lyon – the track goes thru on the ground but not on the map. Its a nice route and can be added onto other loops

Have a look at the Moray Way – basically a 100 mile loop combining the Speyside Way, Moray Coastal Trail and Dava Way. Most of it off-road but very rideable. The Moray coastal section includes some beach riding which can be substituted by small roads. There’s also a stretch East of Grantown which suffers from a number of crap farm-gates but otherwise a delightful loop.

circuit of the Cairngorms – a relatively easy three day loop would be good as well to chuck into that mix. Otherwise crack on.

Have done a variant on the coast to coast that will take you out at Montrose, as well. Problem is really getting to the start unless you start at Fort William.

Moray Way is fine and the pesky gates around Grantown can be simply avoided by taking back road which is itself really nice.

Stupid question, but when is the “best time” to head north?

I.e. to avoid being bitten to death by Midges etc…

may or September Nick. me and Karen always go in September.

end April even, Nick — definitely biting by end May into June.

There was barely a midge last year. The first hatch came to nothing, the second hatch showed a brief flurry of activity for about 2 weeks. Mostly, folk here just get on with it, using Smidge, clothing, direct sunlight, a wee breeze and knowledge of when/where to stop. We don’t not go outside for three months of the year! 🙂

I Bivied beside Loch Einach in the first week of June without much discomfort (there must have been one or two I guess).

I was going to head round the Cairngoms in September but there was a week when it was horrendous (so I wimped it…). They were gone by the end of October when I manned up though….

It’s all a bit of a gamble really.

Plus I live by the river 15 miles from the East coast and I get bitten by the buggers in the garden of a summers evening…. 👿

Cheers for the further suggestions. As to the dreaded midge, smidge and keep moving. I know that doesn’t help of an evening but … echoing the above though, up to mid May and from September onwards, you’re fine. Outside that, it’s chemical warfare time.

Skye to Montrose

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/mcandmilesgofromskyetomontrose

Hebridean way, 185 road miles through the 10 islands. Absolutely stunning.

tick

Mostly, folk here just get on with it,

In the way that people just get on with living in a war zone. Given the choice you’d avoid them though!

However its is not a war zone.

It’s a small biting insect, that has pretty clear habits and can be resisted by easy techniques.

Yes, there are a few places on a good few days that are tough midge days, but we do just MTFU and use some care over where you stop, camo etc.

smidge is the answer to the midge. Its so good its a game changer.

Certain areas are known to be particularly bad for the midge – Glen Nevis for example – and in general the further west you are the worse they tend to be. A multi-pronged defence tends to work: avoid areas and conditions that the midge favours; keep covered up (including a midge net); smidge. So simple things like stopping for your mid-ride snack in an exposed location so that you catch any breeze.

Right, I really need to get the Sleeper booked up to Avimore as soon as.

Looks like I can get it at 23;55 from Crewe, and arrive at 08;00..

Sounds about perfect.

Just need to work out the return leg.