Forum menu
We're off to Fort William for half term: 7 year old, 11 year old and two 38 year olds.
This is the first time I've persuaded the other half to go on a holiday with mountain bikes and I don't want to foul it up and it also be the last, so - suggestions for where to ride please?
Could do with some ideas for easy routes, that a 7 year old won't be destroyed by, and hopefully something a bit more challenging I can take the 11 year round. Nothing too 'technical' but, y'know, mountain biking in them there mountains.
Thanks
ed
There's the canal towpath 🙂
Pop round to Loch Laggan and cycle in toward Corrour Station. All the way there and back might be a bit much but it's certainly in amongst the mountains.
Around Ardverickie Estate - again all landie track but nice scenery.
Hope you have lots of warm/dry clothes. Winter arrives this weekend.
Yeah, the towpath... every google I've done for riding with kids in Fort Bill seems to lead to the towpath - I'm not driving seven hours to the mountains to ride a sodding towpath, we've got one of them near where I live.
That Loch Laggan / Corrour Station looks like the sort of terrain that I was hoping for, cheers druidh Any
I think (hope) we're prepared for winter, doubtless my forgetfulness while packing will be to the advantage of the outdoor retailers / bike shops of Fort William.
Couple of other options:
Drive up past Gairlochy on the B8005. Follow the loch-side track North East from there for an easy out-and back. Or just head West on the B8005 itself past Loch Arkaig. Yes - it's actually road riding but there'll be next to no traffic and the views are worth it. You can park next to the falls at Eas Chia-aig too. They're usually worth a gander.
There's some easy routes around Leanachan Forest / Nevis Range. ie the Witch's Trails has a blue loop. Plus quite a few forest tracks.
Or a bit further away, you could do a circuit of Loch Oich. ie start from Laggan, then follow the Great Glen Way up one side of the loch and back down the other. Nice scenery, and mostly fairly easy paths / forest tracks, though sometimes a bit muddy in places.
We went to the Sealife centre in Benderloch from FW last year with out two and there was a lot of new sustrans off road cycle path between it and Ballachullish which might be worth investigating on the sustrans website - it looked like old railway a lot of the time.
Another very quiet road option is to take the Corran Ferry and cycle north along the road, hardly any cars here and very scenic along the shore of the loch.
Second the witches trail, our five year old did a shortened circuit of it and loved it.
I thought about the Witches Trails but on the map it looked a bit fireroad-through-the-forestry which, to be honest, turned me off a bit. It sounds like I should give it a go then, and it's pretty handy for where we're staying, and I might get a run out myself on one of the longer ones. Thanx
Loch Oich looks good, as does Loch Arkaig. And Loch Lochy. I can little 'uns getting a few runs out by some lochs. They'll really like that (and me!)
Cheers
Drive over to Strontian and cycle up the valley. Mostly fireroads but some good trails for kids round there.
Following up from druidh post about loch akriag, if you park at the falls and cycle along the road a little you can cross a small foot bridge and take a land rover track along the south side of the loch. We did this last year with a 4 year old and it was no problem. You can also follow the road right along the north side and park at the end (it's a dead end) and take the land rover track from there, didn't get the weather to do this one but it looked like a very scenic ride.
If you fancy travelling a little you could try kerrera island near Oban, short ferry across and mostly land rover tracks. Did it yesterday with the kids and it's stunning.
Brilliant, thanks everyone, some great ideas there. Just need cooperation from the weather now...
tbh If I was taking my other half and young kids on holiday that included MTBing, Fort William in November wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list...
Unless you are lucky, it'll be wet/cold/dark and is not really family cycling country - sorry.
Cold and dark we can handle, wet is a bit of a concern, but we'll deal with what we get. At least we should be okay for midges.
It was more a case of: If we're going to the highlands, there's no way I'm [b]not[/b] taking the bikes!
I'm from Fort William, I'm sure its the wettest place in the country!
Wrap up & you'll all be fine. The purpose built trails at Nevis Range/Leanachan drain pretty well & your kids should be able to do most of the witches trail. There are loads of other trails up there that are easier if they don't fancy the purpose built ones. Mostly fire road and the old mini railway line (the puggy line)that goes from the ba factory out to laggan dam.
Cycle up the valley from Glenfinnan and show them the Harry Potter viaduct! You can go right up to the bothy which is a mile and a bit up.