Going to take my dad 68 out for a longish spin.
Nothing too strenuous i'm a wreck. Can be rigid mountainbike or more gravelly. Technical offroad is out and it would be nice to be relaxed. Road sections are fine can even be road heavy but it would be nice to keep it a bit wild... Having said that one good pub grub stop would be good. As would an epic camp spot.
Can ground dwell or hammock.
Would look to leave Edinburgh on a Friday night be back by sunday evening. Doesn't have to be a loop if we can join it with trains or boats.
Flexible in car or train but feel its more adventurous if cars are left out!
Any ideas?
Thanks
Great Glen Way?
Loch Ness 360. Plenty of opportunity for pub stop in Fort Augustus.
Dalwhinnie, Loch Garry, Rannoch, Corrour, Ardverickie, Loch Pattack. 124km of road and gravel. I'm doing it counter-clockwise this weekend but I reckon clockwise is easier. Corrour Station for food if you can time it right.
Friday eve:
Catch the train to gourock
Take the ferry to Dunoon.
Get some grub and have a wee explore up towards holy loch.
Sat: cycle south towards inellan and continue towards glenstriven.
(There may be the option of gravel sections)
Make camp.
Sun:
Cycle back to Dunoon on a north-easterly direction, via Strachur.
Afaik, its the hilliest part of the trip and care should be taken when the road intersects with the Dunoon to ardentinny road (as it can be quite fast).
You might have time to visit before botanical gardens before you get the return ferry from Dunoon.
Whilst it looks 'doable' on the OS maps, after looking at the satellite pics, the footpath north of inveragain to the tributary of loch tarsan looks a bit dicey.
You might end up on the equivalent of the rowardennan section of the WHW.
I'd scrutinise this route very carefully before committing...
Nice part of the world, tho.
Friday:
Get the ferry to Dunoon and cycle north to ardentinny.
Make camp
Sat:
Cycle north to lochgoilhead. There's a forest path between ardentinny and car rock castle.
Continue to the 'rest and be thankful'
Join the forest track that leads back to ardgarten (arrochar)
Make camp, etc.
Sun:
Cycle back south to either balloch or Helensburgh to get the train to Glasgow.
There's a proper cycle path right along the banks of Loch Lomond to balloch.
Or the alternative to Helensburgh is along a really nice stretch of tarmac* that leads to the cycle path at faslane.
Whether you choose to return along the banks of Loch Lomond or loch long, you have the option of taking in the stretch of the 'three lochs way' that links arrochar/ tarbet with glen douglas.
Once you reach glen Douglas, you can cycle 6 or 7 miles to Loch Lomond or descend steeply to Loch long.
*very popular with day-trippers.
Thanks everyone I think its going to be either something along the greatbeardedones ideas or possibly more borders linked as I bloomin well live there!
I actually knwo that bit of the three lochs way have stumbled across it looking for a railway bridge in the middle of nowhere!