Might be a long shot, but any recommendations for riding on Knoydart? Finally managed to organise a family holiday there this summer. Staying in Inverie and the bike is coming.
Apart from bimbling, riding will probably be solo so not looking to get to technical or exposed.
Cheers.
I assume you are staying at Inverie? Any of the tracks on the OS leading from there will be rideable in parts. The easiest would be over to Barrisdale Bay and back.
I've only been once, as a teenager.
Edit: to the south side. I spent a wonderful week at Barrisdale during Foot and Mouth climbing every hill in sight and canoeing in/out.
Knoydart is remote. Few tracks. Few and rough paths. Steep hills.
I'm not aware of biking beyond Munro bagging, the access tracks and couple of (tough) up and over hill paths to Barrisdale.
It's a "challenging" bike destination imo. Enjoy the peace.
Great, cheers. That'll be good for a couple of mornings. Munro bagging will also happen, but likely on foot.
Also found there could be potential for some guided action too.
Ridden there twice. Once from Lochhournhead thro Barrisdale Bay, Inverie, Sourlies out to Kinlocharkaig And then the rest by road ( which is the “classic” loop)
You wont be indulging in that on a family trip, it’s tough and rather committing. But you can do out and backs to Barrisdale Bay and Sourlies and there’s a pleasant enough road ride out as far as Inverguseran to the NW. There is “track beyond this but we Did not have time to explore.
Not sure if you could make the boat service work but the other possibility it to do the trail on the other side of Loch Nevis from Tarbet to Morar along the shore of Loch Morar. That is rather excellent in either direction.
Little known fact but Inverie has man made trails - which will take you all of 10 mins to ride 🙂 Not sure what condition they are in these days.
Also.... think beyond the scheduled boat. Locals have boats so its all about how much you want to put yourself out. You’ll be able to find someone to take you out to Tarbet if you go for a jar in the Forge.
I had always jealously guarded a loop I had researched from Barrisdale Bay, hoping to turn it into a magazine article, but I think my epic MTB days are behind me for now.
From Inverie it headed up and over to Barrisdale, then south through Glen Undalain to Lochan nam Breac, slightly squashy looking section into Glen Cosaidh then descend Glen Barrisdale back to Barrisdale Bay.
I've only hiked some ofbthe Glen Undalain path but it was goid quality stalker track. Think it would be a big day overall though and would require some mountain savvy, especially around the Abhain Cosaidh which is notoriously difficult to cross in spate.
Huw Oliver in latest Cranked had a decent loop out round Rough Bounds. I must say although I've hiked in and around Knoydart a bit, I've never taken a bike (this was a while back) and I didn't immediately feel 'must come back with a bike'. As scotroutes, a lot is rideable in parts, and a lot will be a horrible boggy slog / drag.
Loch Morar has a decent landy track but that's a boat ride away.
This is great, appreciate all the advice. It's not a biking holiday so I'll be happy with a longish ride and a couple of short ones. Looks like I'll have options for both.
What I'm really looking forward to bike wise, is the drive home after, without the family. I'm aimimg to spend the weekend in the Scottish boarders. So could be time to tick some more stanes.