I know I”m being vague, but my options are quite open. Off up the west coast next month looking for a handful of short rides to break up the driving. Something around Loch Lomond to Cruachan area might be good, also perhaps past Spean Bridge and up the A87. I’m not looking for an expedition with long sections of hike-a-bike, just something to get the legs moving for an hour or two and enjoy the view (weather permitting). We’ll be staying in Torridon for a few days where we already have plans (thanks largely to recent threads here).

Ben Lomond is a corker, rideable except for the very bottom and very top. A reasonable detour away from the main road though. Not sure of anything special around Cruachan but there’s Kinlochleven/Devil’s Staircase if you’re heading up via Ballachulish area.

Has to be close to the main road I think, Ben Lomond looks too much of a detour (and probably too big a ride too).

How are you driving from Loch Lomond to Cruachan? If you’re driving via Arrochar/Inveraray then you could put together a decent wee route from Arrochar, some fire road but also some nice wee bits of singletrack and good mountain views, pretty convenient all in. I could send a GPX if it appealed but it’s been years since I rode it so I take no responsibility!

There’s also a fun but very short loop from Lochgoilhead towards the big waterfall just outside the village.

Arrochar – from there you have the Glen Loin Loop, the Cobbler and the Ardgartan Peninsula Loop to choose from.

Despite Ben Lomond being awesumz it’s about 45mins off route. As above, Arrochar is the best bet, 5 mins from Tarbert on the A82 and you still get that wilderness experience you’re after. Personally I’d do the Cobbler, or at least to the Col just before the stone steps. Really fast, fun descent, but mind the walkers especially at the weekend. The other routes are ok but are 75% forestry road. The Glen Loin loop done clockwise gives you a small techy descent but isn’t really worth the slog to the top.

I could recommend the trail that goes over form Morvich to the Falls of Glomach as an out and back. You have a pretty cool section form the top of Bealach na Sroine down to the falls itself, then coming back is a pretty good descent! Feels proper wild up there and it isn’t tooo far, probably a bit longer than 1 or 2 hrs though.

We tried to do it as a loop starting at a camping barn in the valley to the north of Dornie and the climb up along side of Falls of Glomach was bloody scary! Very exposed and steep and unrideable with massive drops of death. It was wet wet wet and we got too many punctures. Sooo… I wouldn’t recommend that.

The video might give you a little idea, don’t let the rain put you off.

Falls of Glomach Ride

Otherwise i’m sure there are a few cool trails out of Morvich in other directions!

Oh and if you need a place to stay i’d totally recommend Willy’s bunkhouse (features in the video) as he was such a nice man, had a really cool old skool, basic bunkhouse and was so accommodating!

The other routes are ok but are 75% forestry road.

Yeah, fiar comment, although if you start at the train station and fiddle about in Succoth village there are a couple of extra singletrack descents, one in particular was quite nice although short.

Arrochar sounds good. Hadn’t thought about driving that way but google says it’s about the same time (and not far off the main route anyway).